Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is one of the most common running injuries, and the high recurrence rate can make it a frustrating injury for patients to experience and clinicians to treat.
In this episode, Tom Goom (Running Physio) and David Pope break down why PFP has such a high recurrence rate, and what most rehab plans miss. You’ll also discover:
- The "Four pillars" framework Tom uses to treat PFP and other running injuries
- How and when to keep patients running or exercising when it is essential for their mental health and social life
- How to find a manageable starting point when a patient has a highly irritable pain presentation
- A step-by-step load management approach to find patients training and running “sweet spot”
- How to keep athletes connected to their sport during rehab (and why it matters for mental health)
- The "layering" approach to training and running that avoids pain flare-ups
So you can easily apply the podcast with your patients, Tom walks through the real case of a runner and HYROX athlete who presented with recurrent PFP that flared up with each of her 3-4 weekly training sessions.
This is part one in a four-part podcast series with Tom Goom on PFP. In the next episode, Tom and David continue this case study and dive into the second pillar in the framework that will help you tackle the problem of “What to do when your runners won't reduce their training?”.
Timestamps:
- 03:41 - Why PFP is tricky and recurs
- 04:45 - Meet Alice: HYROX athlete with recurrent PFP
- 05:32 - HYROX explained and its knee-load demands
- 08:47 - Presentation, irritability and moving beyond "stop running" advice
- 11:15 - Alice's goals
- 12:41 - The four pillars framework
- 15:29 - Pillar 1: Load management
- 23:39 - Testing tolerance
- 27:21 - Building Alice's weekly routine
- 30:06 - Key takeaways & free resources
- 34:10 - Free resources
Free resources
- Running injury assessment sheet — Tom's go-to assessment sheet for every runner, giving you the structure to gather all the key information you need. It includes his screening questions for past medical history, a weekly training structure block, the key physical tests he performs, and a QR code to an energy availability questionnaire.
Improve running injury assessment & treatment now with the Running Repairs Online course with Tom Goom at clinicaledge.co/runningrepairs.
