Q) I have recently started getting a sudden pain in the front of my knee just below my knee cap when walking the kids to school and when I go for a run a couple of times a week. The pain happens when I walk or run down hills and I find I am going down the stairs like my Gran, one step at a time because the pain can be so bad. My friends have said it is my ligaments or my cartilage and the GP said that it’s probably ‘wear and tear’, to take Ibuprofen and to lose some weight. I have already lost a stone but the pain is getting worse and the Ibuprofen doesn’t help. What can I do? I don’t want to end up like my mum who can’t walk far without constant pain in her joints.
A) Pain in our joints that occurs while we are moving is usually caused by a mechanical problem within the joint. Most problems occur because the joint is not staying in its’ proper alignment so things catch or rub causing pain and/or inflammation.