Runner’s World reports on the causes, treatment and prevention of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), also known as “runner’s knee.”

Runner’s World spoke to Jordan D. Metzl, MD, primary care sports medicine physician at HSS, who explained, “In some cases, the stress of running causes irritation where the kneecap (patella) rests on the thigh bone (the femur). The resulting pain can be sharp and sudden or dull and chronic, and it may disappear while you’re running, only to return again.”

According to Dr. Metzl, runner’s knee is caused by worn cartilage in the knee joint reducing shock absorption, flat feet or knees that turn in and out excessively and pull the patella sideways.

At the first sign of pain, runner’s are advised to cut back on mileage to lessen the knee’s workload. When rebuilding the mileage, Dr. Metzl recommended using smaller strides on hills and icing the knee for approximately 15 minutes after each run.

Lastly as runner’s knee can be prevented, Dr. Metzl suggested strengthening the lower body with plyometric jump squats and foam rolling the quadriceps and IT bands.

Read the article at Runnersworld.com.