Some people may get flares of pain in the front of their knee, just underneath the kneecap bone. This is known as 'anterior knee pain', which just means pain in the front of your knee (anterior means the front of something). What causes it, and
what can you do to manage it?

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WHAT CAUSES

ANTERIOR KNEE PAIN?

 

Pain in the front of your knee is caused by injury or degeneration to the cartilage that lies under your kneecap. When you bend and straighten your knee, your kneecap bone slides over the lower part of your thighbone (the lower part of this bone makes up the upper portion of your knee joint). A problem in the cartilage there causes pain during movement of that area.

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It can be triggered by a knee strain, when you suddenly engage in more lower body exercise than you were used to.
 

The typical trigger is a sudden increase in running (you suddenly doing more running that you're used to), doing more climbing up slopes or stairs, or squatting activities (you starting to do more lower body exercises, like squats, lunges or step-up exercises). This is because these sorts of activities place more stress on the front of your knee. 

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You may also get anterior knee pain if the cartilage under the front of your knee degenerates with time. Everyone may get a bit of arthritis int heir knee as they age, due to normal wear and tear, and if this arthritis occurs in the front of your knee,
then that's where you'll experience some pain.

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CHONDROMALACIA PATELLA

 

This condition refers to inflammation and softening of the cartilage beneath your kneecap. It can cause recurrent episodes of anterior knee pain.

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It is more common in young ladies, and is typically triggered by the same activities that cause anterior knee pain in everyone else - running upslope, climbing stairs, squatting activities, and lower body exercises like squats, lunges and step-ups.

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DO I NEED TO GET

THIS CHECKED?

 

If your knee pain is very recurrent, even after you try a period of rest and some knee stretches, you can see a doctor to get your knee pain checked.

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Your doctor will normally prescribe a course of anti-inflammatory medications since this helps settle your pain a bit quicker.

 

An x-ray is helpful, especially if you've been getting flares of knee pain recurrently over a few weeks or months. You can do a simple knee x-ray to check the joint that leis beneath your kneecap bone - this is called a skyline view. If it shows some narrowing of the joint space beneath your kneecap, it indicates that you are starting to develop some degeneration of the cartilage there. 

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WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT?

 

Now comes the most important bit - what can YOU do to manage episodes of anterior knee pain?

 

1. LOSE WEIGHT

 

When you carry extra weight, you're putting more pressure on your knee joints, and you're more prone to getting flares of mechanical knee pain. 

 

Maintain a healthy diet; high in fibre (like vegetables), lean protein (like chicken breast) and low in unhealthy fats (like that in fast food), or follow an 'intermittent fasting' diet to lose the extra fat you're carrying, and take some load off your knees. 

 

2. EXERCISE

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Exercising regularly helps you maintain a healthy weight with mostly lean muscle mass. It's also important to do strengthening exercises for your thigh muscles, since they help support your knee and reduce flares of knee pain. Check out some of our recommended strengthening exercises here. 

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When you do your general exercises sessions, be careful to not injure yourself when working out. Always spend a few minutes warming up prior to your workout. Do your exercises with good form to minimise your risk of injury.

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3. STRETCH OFTEN

 

Do daily knee stretches daily to stretch your thigh muscles, like your quads and your hamstrings muscles. They're really easy and quick to do, and can help reduce your flares of knee pain.

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For anterior knee pain, it is especially important to do your Quads stretches daily. Just check out our 'Knee Stretches' page to find out more. 

 

4. REST

 

Take some time off from the activities that you find tends to trigger your anterior knee pain. This typically includes running upslope, climbing stairs, squatting activities, and lower body exercises like squats, lunges and step-ups.

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A good period to rest your knee would be 2 to 4 weeks.

 

WRAP IT UP!

 

Anterior knee pain can be a bothersome condition, especially when it flares up recurrently. Focus on your lifestyle changes (as above), and you should see some improvement.