If you suffer from runner's knee, you will normally experience pain in the front of the knee and hear popping and cracking noises beneath or on both sides of your kneecap. Symptoms are more pronounced when you kneel down, do squats, >go down stairs or engage in activities that put force against your knee. Stiffness can occur simply from prolonged sitting (sometimes called "moviegoer's knee"). Pain usually develops gradually over a period of time, often a year or sometimes longer, until it becomes severe enough that you need to seek medical attention.

CAUSES

Runners Knee is a result of a muscular imbalance in the feet and legs. It is not related to the structures surrounding the kneecap. The kneecaps need to move up and down in a smooth motion to insure a balanced running stride. When the muscles in the legs and feet are not in balance then the knees can go off track causing the cartridge to grind away on the kneecap. Weak quadriceps are usually caused by the very strong hamstrings over powering them. This causes the kneecap to be out of balance as the weaker quadriceps are not able to support the kneecap and prevent pulling and twisting. Pronation or foot imbalance can also lead to your kneecap being out of balance causing knee pain. Sometimes this condition can be made worse by a sudden increase in mileage, speed and running on uneven surfaces.