Patellofemoral syndrome/ knee pain/runner's knee: training/rehab/knee brace

I was diagnosed with runner's knee (i.e. the patella doesn't track properly), as i felt a pain while comind down the stairs. And the day after split touring I usually had massive pain. Luckily enough it doesn't hurt much while working out/running/split/snowboarding.
I did rehab, with no success. I recently bought a "Genutrain P3" brace, and I am now using it while running/trekking/snowshoeing/snowboarding, and to be honest it has proved to be very very useful.
Lastly, i recently discovered on Instagram this "Knee over Toe" program, where they challenge past workout assumptions, and I also discovered slanted board for VMO isolation.
So the questions for you experts:
1- did any of you suffer from Runner's knee? did you ricover 100%? what would you recommend?
2- for those of you using a knee brace: do you use it also when working out, i.e. targeting specific leg's muscles? do you use knee brace while skiing/touring/splitting?
3- I was also suggested the Donjoy Reaction brace: anyone has compared it to the P3 Genutrain?
4- anything you highly recommend NOT to do, to avoid making things worse?

thank you very much in advance

Good luck. Been there.

Rebuilding all the muscles in my legs to get rid on imbalances helped me. From years of cycling my outside quad muscles were stronger than the inside ones, pulling the kneecap out.

Body weight squats with a folded towel held between the knees, weighted straight leg raises with the foot turned to face outward, and just general squats and deadlifts. Also, and this may have been best, one legged body weight squats on a flat balance ball was a big deal for me.

Also glucosamine/condroitin pills. I get the Costco ones.

Sucks. But I’m in a much better place now. Hopefully you will get there as well and we both stay healthy.

After two dislocations and an MRI diagnosis i have been using The Donjoy Tru Pull Lite for several years with good success. I only use it if I think I'm doing something with any side loading. Skiing is usually fine. Dirt biking is very dangerous but I don't do that any more. Believe it or not both dislocations happened getting into a low car in a tight space when i put one foot in the car leaving and loading the other foot on the ground. Now I get into the car backwards bum first, sit down and then bring my legs in. The problem was caused by the ligament groove being too shallow and not excercise.
https://www.orthomed.ca/donjoy-tru-pull-lite

I was diagnosed a while back and fixing muscle imbalances cured mine. Once I was squatting 1.5x bodyweight and deadlifting 2x bodyweight all my knee problems disappeared. I'm almost 20lbs heavier now but can run, hike, bike, skin or pound icy moguls all day with zero knee pain. YMMV

Thank you every.
Quick question: when you workout, do you use (or would you suggest to use) the knee brace or not?


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If you have actually patellar mis-tracking you could certainly benefit from wearing the brace during exercise to improve alignment. Muscle strengthening and ROM exercises help immensely for PFPS, also check for IT band tightness as this is a common co-occurence with (and contributor to) PFPS. Finally, since you splitboard I would highly advise you to try bindings with inward cant to them, it can make a difference especially if you use hardboots or stiffer softboots.