I was recently diagnosed with patellofemoral pain syndrome. I don’t want to have surgery, but the pain is keeping me from doing the things I want to do. Are there any other options?

Taping the kneecap in place is a relatively new approach to this problem. Research has clearly shown that this method reduces more than 90 percent of knee pain in over half of all people. Other studies have shown that taping improves the way the kneecap moves or “tracks” over the joint.

Once the pain has been reduced, the way you walk and move is restored to a more normal pattern. The muscles around the knee do not change with this treatment, so a program of specific exercises is still required. A physical therapist can help you learn how to move and stand to improve this problem. Such a program would also include specific exercises to help the muscles regain strength and function.