A parent's guide · 12–17 years · Usually 12 weeks with progressive strengthening
Adolescent Patellofemoral Pain
Also called adolescent patellofemoral pain, teenage knee pain, runner's knee in teenagers, front of knee pain in children.
Pain around or behind the kneecap in active teenagers - a load and control problem, not a growth-plate injury.
Recover
What is happening to your child
The kneecap glides in a groove at the end of the thigh bone. When the hip, thigh and foot muscles cannot handle the forces of running, squatting and landing, pressure through that joint rises and the tissue around it becomes sensitive. Nothing is out of place and nothing is worn out, the knee is being asked to do more than it currently has the strength to do.
Does this sound like them?
- Aching pain around or behind the kneecap
- Pain with squatting, stairs and downhill running
- Discomfort after long periods of sitting
- Occasional grinding, clicking or a feeling of giving way
Why it has flared up now
- Weak quadriceps, glutes and hip control
- Rapid increases in running, jumping or dance volume
- Tight quads, hamstrings and calves
- Worn or unsupportive footwear
For parents
What parents worry about most
The scan was normal, so why does it still hurt?
That is actually reassuring. Pain here comes from how the joint is being loaded and how sensitive the surrounding tissue has become, and neither of those shows up on a scan. It also means strength work, not surgery, is the answer.
Is their kneecap going to come out?
Grinding, clicking and a feeling of giving way are common with kneecap pain and are usually about muscle control rather than instability. If the kneecap has actually dislocated, that needs a clinical assessment.
Do they need to stop running altogether?
Usually not. Reducing downhill running, deep squatting and high-volume jumping while building quad and hip strength lets most teenagers keep training in some form throughout.
Grow
What you can do this week
- Swap downhill running and deep squatting for flatter, shallower alternatives for now
- Start daily quad and glute strength work, this is the main treatment
- Reduce stair volume and long periods of sitting with the knee bent
- Check their trainers, worn or unsupportive shoes add load
- Expect progress over weeks, not days, strength takes time to build
When to get them seen in person
Book an in-person assessment with your GP or a physiotherapist if you notice any of these, or if you are simply worried. Our guides and programmes are education and exercise support, not a diagnosis.
- A kneecap that has visibly dislocated, or a knee that locks
- Significant swelling, especially straight after an injury
- Inability to take weight through the leg
- Night pain, fever or unexplained weight loss
- Pain worsening steadily despite several weeks of sensible loading
Where to go from here
Step 1
Free
Read the parent guide
Understand what is happening to your child, what makes it worse, when assessment is appropriate, and how the three-stage framework works. Written by a physio, for parents.
Understand it
Get the free guideStep 2
£59
6-Week Recovery Framework
A condition-specific framework you follow at home: phase-by-phase structure, load and pain guidance, progression criteria, impact and sport-capacity progressions, and exercise demonstrations.
Load & Pain, Impact Tolerance
See plansStep 3
£395
12-week personalised rehab
The same three stages, built around your athlete after a 1:1 video assessment, with bi-weekly physio check-ins, changes as they progress, and return-to-sport screening.
All three stages, with support
See plansEvidence Hub
More on Adolescent Patellofemoral Pain
Evidence-informed articles for parents and coaches on this condition, growth-related injury and youth athletic development.
Hypermobility and Growth-Related Injuries: Key Recommendations for Parents
Bendy joints and a growth spurt are a common combination behind knee, heel and back pain in young athletes. Here is why the two interact, and what parents can do about it.
ReadWhat Is a Growth Spurt (PHV) and Why Does It Matter for My Child's Training?
Peak height velocity is the fastest point of your child's growth spurt, and it is the period when growth-related injuries cluster. Here is how to spot it and what to change in their week.
ReadWhy Do Growth-Related Injuries Happen?
Growth-related injuries are not bad luck. They are the predictable result of demand outrunning capacity at a specific point in development.
ReadHow Growth Spurts Affect Strength, Speed and Sports Performance
A growth spurt temporarily scrambles coordination and can flatten performance for months - then hands back a bigger, more powerful athlete if training is handled well.
ReadCan You Prevent Growth-Related Injuries in Young Athletes?
You cannot prevent growth. You can meaningfully change the odds, and the things that work are simpler and cheaper than most parents expect.
ReadAdolescent Knee Pain: Red Flags That Need Assessment
Most adolescent knee pain is load-related and self-limiting. A short list of features should prompt clinical assessment instead.
ReadOther conditions