One tool that has helped people to do this is Public Health England’s ‘Couch to 5k’ app which has seen downloads skyrocket over the last three months; from March until the end of June, there were almost one million downloads – 858,000 compared to 448,000 during the same time last year – a 92% increase compared to 2019.

Running injuries can affect anyone, from experienced runners to beginners whose muscles aren’t used to running. One of the most common injuries in runners, and other athletes alike, causes pain right behind and around the knee cap. It’s known as patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) or “runner’s knee” due to the prevalence of it among runners. It is the most common of all running ailments and it’s estimated that it accounts for around 20% of injuries.

PFPS can affect one or both knees, and it strikes mostly younger, recreational runners and twice as many women as men, according to the British Journal of Sports Medicine. This is because women tend to have wider hips, resulting in a greater angling of the thigh bone to the knee, which puts the kneecap under more stress.

What is patellofemoral pain syndrome?

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is the medical term for pain felt behind your kneecap, where your patella (kneecap) articulates with your thigh bone (femur). This joint is known as your patellofemoral joint. Patellofemoral pain syndrome is mainly due to excessive patellofemoral joint pressure from poor kneecap alignment, which in time, affects the joint surface behind the kneecap (retropatellar joint). 

Runner's knee may be caused by a structural defect, or a certain way of walking or running. Other causes may include:

• A kneecap that is too high in the knee joint
• Tight hamstrings
• Tight Achilles tendons
• Poor foot support
• Walking or running with the feet rolling in while the thigh muscles pull the kneecap outward
• Excessive training or overuse injury

Treatment and prevention

Resting the knee and giving it a chance to heal, are some of the first steps for runner’s knee recovery. Protecting the vulnerable knee is another priority when it comes to knee problems from running. Besides rest, healing runner’s knee may well involve elevating and icing the knee as well as applying compression. These steps can help bring down knee swelling after running. The specific treatment will depend on the underlying cause for the pain. It's quite rare, but you may need surgery for severe cases of runner's knee. Arthroscopic (minimally invasive camera-based) surgery can be undertaken to manage softening or damage of the articular cartilage of the kneecap and thigh bone.

Mr Simon Barton is an OrthTeam Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic surgeon specialising in the treatment of disorders of the knee. To book a consultation with Simon or for more information please call 0161 447 6888.