Why Do Runners Get Knee Pain and How Can Physical Therapy Help?

Runner’s knee—also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome—is one of the most common running injuries in distance runners. It causes pain around or behind the kneecap, especially during running, stairs, or long periods of sitting. Physical therapy helps by correcting movement imbalances, strengthening supporting muscles, and guiding runners back to pain-free mileage.

What Is Runner’s Knee?

Runner’s knee is a broad term used to describe pain around the kneecap caused by irritation to the joint between the patella and femur. For runners, this is often linked to:

• Weak glutes or hip stabilizers

• Poor alignment or tracking of the kneecap

• Overuse from mileage increases or hill workouts

• Limited ankle or hip mobility

• High-impact loading without recovery

If left unaddressed, runner’s knee can become chronic and limit training or performance.

Runner’s knee can turn stairs and training into a painful challenge. At Victory Performance and Physical Therapy in Culver City, we help runners fix the root cause and get back to pain-free miles.

Signs You Might Have Runner’s Knee

• Dull ache around or behind the kneecap

• Pain when going down stairs or hills

• Discomfort during long runs or prolonged sitting

• Clicking or grinding sensations in the knee

It’s common for symptoms to come and go, which can delay treatment. But early evaluation can shorten your recovery and reduce risk of recurrence.

How Physical Therapy Helps Runners Recover

At Victory Performance and Physical Therapy, we treat runner’s knee by addressing the why, not just the what. Our approach includes:

• Movement Assessment We analyze gait, strength, and joint mobility to identify the true cause of stress on your knee.

• Targeted Strengthening Weakness in the hips and core often leads to poor knee alignment. Strengthening the posterior chain helps reduce patellar stress.

• Manual Therapy Targeted hands-on work can relieve tight structures like the IT band or quads that pull on the knee.

• Return-to-Run Guidance We design stepwise running programs that match your healing process—so you don’t lose fitness while you recover.

Real Results from Culver City Runners

Maddie came to Victory just three weeks before her first marathon with knee and shin pain. “They created a perfect plan of action for me,” she wrote, “including many exercises to get me to the start line healthy.” Maddie finished her race pain-free—and with a personal best.

Samantha had been dealing with persistent knee pain for months. After working with Santo and Miriam at Victory, she said, “I’ve been able to strengthen my knee and reduce the pain I was feeling. I’m back to running my regular distance.”

Not sure if your knee pain is runner’s knee? Call us at 424-543-4336 to schedule a running-specific evaluation with our Culver City physical therapy team.

Preventing Runner’s Knee in the Future

Recovery is only the first step—staying healthy is the goal.

Recovery is only the first step—staying healthy is the goal. Our complete guide to preventing running injuries provides evidence-based strategies for strength training, load management, and biomechanics that keep runners injury-free. At Victory, we help runners:

We help runners:

• Learn proper warm-up and loading strategies

• Improve hip and ankle mobility

• Build better cadence and stride control

• Know when to rest and how to modify training

Whether you’re training for your first 5K or your fifth marathon, we make sure your body can handle the miles.

If knee pain is limiting your runs, Victory Performance and Physical Therapy is here to help. Our team specializes in treating runners and guiding them back to strong, sustainable training.

Book your appointment today or call 424-543-4336 to get started.