Module 1
Why Does it Hurt?
Knee cap pain is complex and varies from person to person. It results from many different factors including knee structure, movement patterns, exercise habits and non-physical aspects. These can cause signals in the knee to travel to the brain resulting in the feeling of pain. With such variation, it is important for treatments to tackle the likely contributing factors in an individualised way.
The following video explores the common reasons for knee cap pain.
Patellofemoral pain - another term for knee cap pain
Biomechanics - the way in which a person moves
Nociception - a neural process involving signalling from the tissues (peripheral nervous system) to the brain (central nervous system) resulting in the feeling of pain
Psychosocial - the relationship between psychological and social factors
ANATOMY OF THE KNEE
Quadriceps muscles - thigh muscles
Patella - knee cap
Ligaments - strong fibrous tissues which hold the knee together, found either side of the knee and within the knee itself
Patella tendon - strong fibrous tissue connecting the patella to the tibia (shin bone)
Tibial tuberosity - a bony prominence at the top of the tibia (shin bone)