This post is part of our complete guide to Knee Pain Treatment in Medical Lake & Spokane. Browse the guide for more in-depth information on treatments, exercises, and recovery strategies.
What is Runners Knee?
Runners knee – an aching pain around the kneecap that is not just for runners. Any activity that causes you to bend your knees a lot, like walking, biking, and jumping, can cause runner’s knee .
Runner’s knee isn’t a specific injury. It’s a broad term that describes the pain you feel if you have one of several knee problems. For example, chondromalacia patella, a condition in which the cartilage under the kneecap breaks down, can lead to runner’s knee symptoms.
Ready to feel better?
The team at Essential Health Group can help. Same-week appointments available in Medical Lake & Spokane.
Runner’s knee can happen for several reasons:
Overuse. If you do a lot of repeated bending or high-stress exercises, such as lunges or plyometrics, they can irritate your knee joint.
A direct hit to the knee, like from a fall or blow.
Your bones aren’t lined up (called malalignment). If any of the bones from your hips to your ankles are out of their correct position, including the kneecap itself, that can put too much pressure on certain spots in the joint. Then your kneecap won’t move smoothly, which can cause pain.
Problems with your feet, such as hypermobile feet (when the joints in and around the feet move more than they should), fallen arches (flat feet), or overpronation. They may change the way you walk, which can cause knee pain.
Weak or unbalanced thigh muscles.The quadriceps muscles in the front of your thigh keep your kneecap in place when you bend or stretch the joint. If they’re weak or tight, your kneecap may not stay in the right spot.
It’s not just for runners. Anyone who spends time doing things that make you bend your knees a lot, like walking, biking, and jumping, can get runner’s knee, an aching pain around the kneecap. It’s also called patellofemoral pain syndrome.
The main symptom you’ll notice is pain. It can happen:
In front, behind, or around your kneecap
When you bend your knee, such as when you walk, squat, kneel, run, or even get up from a chair
When you walk downstairs or downhill
You might also notice swelling around your knee or a popping or grinding feeling inside the joint.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, Prolozone therapy is one of our regenerative medicine techniques we specialize in to heal joints and eliminate pain.
Ready to feel better?
Our team at Essential Health Group in Medical Lake & Spokane is here to help. Same-week appointments available.
Dr. Christopher Wellwood, NP-C, MSN, DC, MS
Dr. Christopher Wellwood is a dual Board Certified Chiropractic Physician and Family Nurse Practitioner — a combination that puts him in a category of his own. His Doctorate in Chiropractic comes from the University of Western States, and his Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner from Purdue University.
His clinical focus spans physical medicine, regenerative injection therapy (prolotherapy, PRP, stem cell, ozone), interventional pain management, functional neurology, and primary care. He is a published author in scientific journals — his research on adrenal and thyroid disease treatment is indexed in the Library of Medicine — and served as a Clinical Research Specialist at the Center for Health Research, contributing to the Premier Blood Pressure Study.
Dr. Wellwood believes the body has the ability to heal itself when given the right conditions. His approach addresses root causes rather than symptoms, combining conservative physical medicine with regenerative therapies to help patients recover, adapt, and thrive.