Quantification of the volume, frequency and intensity of load that a patient is imposing on their patellofemoral joint should form an integral part of the subjective assessment. Questioning should be directly related to the patient’s training, activity and playing habits to gain insight into the role of these variables on symptom development and/or persistence.
In this section, you will find information about how to handle this subject with a patient with patellofemoral pain.
Questioning the patient
Here we provided some questions you may ask a patient with patellofemoral pain in order to obtain information related to their usual levels, volume, and intensity of physical activity.
Besides these questions, clinicians could use the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to assess the level of physical activity performed by the patients in the previous week.
Click on the figure to have access to the questionnaire.
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Importance of load management
See the short video below to get some tips on how you can approach a patient with patellofemoral pain about physical activity loads, volume, and intensity.
Further details on load management, design of resistance training and more about exercise prescription can be found at:
Watch the video below with Dr. Neal Glaviano, answering the most common questions about this topic [COMING SOON]:
Now that you have reviewed everything about the clinical assessment of physical load, volume, and intensity in people with patellofemoral pain, test your knowledge by taking the quiz below.