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How To Prevent Knee Pain When Running

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Knee Pain When Running? | How To Avoid Runner’s Knee

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Avoid Increasing Your Mileage Or Intensity Of Your Training Too Quickly

Not giving your body adequate time to recover can certainly increase your risk of injury. Most running-related injuries are sustained as a result of overtraining and overuse or failing to adequately recover, says Jan de Jonge, the author of a recent study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The study looked at how recreational runners attitudes towards the sport related to injuries they sustained over a 12-month period. In the Netherlands, where the study took place, running-related injuries cost their economy approximately $16 million a year in medical costs, time away from work, and reduced productivity.

Know When To Take It Easy

Maybe you tweaked your knee again or feel it acting up? Learn to take your training down a notch.

When youre trying to treat runners knee you must know when to take it easy. Because pushing it too hard when injured doesnt do you any good.

So take a deep breath and dial back the miles, or the intensity, or the speed, or all 3 of those, and let your body heal.

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Keep Your Feet Aiming In The Direction You Are Running

When your feet splay, they can cause knee pain as you are torquing your knee with every foot strike you make. However, you must always run with your feet pointing in the direction you are running. You can do this by rotating your leg inward towards the centerline until your feet are parallel as well as a point forward. This is a great, permanent solution as it keeps strengthening your adductors to realign your legs.

The misalignment of your legs is sometimes mistaken for a knee problem. However, the foot splay can develop inflammation in the iliotibial band, which is attached to the tibia right below your knee. Besides, you can also consult a whiplash doctor or chiropractor for the inflammation.

Altering the biomechanics of your body takes time and some persistence, but it is worth it because it can help prevent knee pain. By increasing the medial rotation of your legs over the period of few weeks will give your legs the time it needs to adjust to the new direction of movement.

The Runners Guide To Muscle Soreness

How to Treat and Prevent Runner

A great sommelier can breathe in the scent of a glass of wine and tell you what year and in which county the grapes grew. A great runner should have have a similar ability with their sore legs. If you can wake up in the morning, take a few steps, and immediately know whats going on with your body, youll be a healthier, savvier, and eventually faster runner. Today well explain what causes muscle soreness, help you know when its totally normal or when it suggests a problem, and then show you the best way to get rid of it!

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What Are The Symptoms Of Runner’s Knee

These are the most common symptoms of runner’s knee:

  • Pain in and around the kneecap that happens when you are active. Or pain after sitting for a long time with the knees bent. This sometimes causes weakness or feelings of instability.

  • Rubbing, grinding, or clicking sound of the kneecap that you hear when you bend and straighten your knee

  • Kneecap that is tender to the touch

The symptoms of runner’s knee may look like other conditions and health problems. Always talk with your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.

Protect Those Precious Knees

  • Avoid a heel strike. Don’t over-stride and let your feet get ahead of you. Always make it a point to stay ahead of your feet and let your legs swing to the rear, not forward. If you reach with your legs as you swing them forward, your feet will land in front of you and you’ll be putting on the brakes with every foot strike. Then all the shock of hitting the road goes right up your legs to your knees, which were never designed to act as shock absorbers.

Eventually your knees will get tired of taking all that abuse and begin to complain. If they do, I suggest you listen to what your body is trying to tell you and change your stride mechanics, or you could end up on the bench.

  • Don’t pick up your knees when you run. That’s right. Pay no attention to the advice of all those running magazines that tell you to pick up your knees and reach forward for a longer stride. When you pick up your knees, your lower leg will swing forward and your heel will come down in front of your body and, as I just said previously, you’ll be putting on the brakes every time your foot hits the ground.

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Pain In Side Of Knee When Walking Downhill

Unfortunately, its not just runners that experience pain in the knees when going downhill. Walking is another form of exercise that can cause pain in the side of the knee when walking downhill.

Even though walking downhill may be a breeze, it still adds stress to your joints and muscles. So its not uncommon to experience mild symptoms of knee pain while walking.

If you experience pain in the side of the knee when walking downhill, you first need to check the cause of this.

A large portion of the medial knee injuries comes from:

Iliotibial band syndrome

IT band tendonitis Arthritis

While most of these are mild to extreme injuries, you may just be experiencing overuse symptoms from walking too much.

Just like running, walking downhill places a lot of stress on the quadricep muscles and joints, so doing too much of this may result in inflammation or tight muscles.

However, unstable footwear and poor supporting muscles can be another cause of discomfort. So make sure you have the correct footwear and think about strengthening the muscles around the knee and quadriceps.

When you experience pain in the knee, you may also have inflammation, which can cause pain when walking downhill. Either way, take some time off from walking and use ice to relieve any inflammation. Then, just like running, either use massage or foam rolling to relieve any tight IT Bands you may have.

Set Treadmill On A Moderate Incline

How To Avoid Knee Pain While Running | Stop Runner’s Knee Fast

You probably know that walking on incline can help you burn more calories. However, did you know that incline treadmill running could protect your knees?

Most people dont know this but running on 0% incline is similar to running downhill, which puts more pressure on the knees than running on flat ground.

Setting the treadmill on a high incline isnt safe either. It increases the shock on the knees and can even cause sharp knee pain.

A moderate incline of about 3% is the safest for your knees. Anything higher than that may not be safe for your knees.

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What Members Are Saying

Id like to pass along my sincere thanks to MTA Coach Dominique. She has guided me through nearly five months of training leading up to the Chicago Marathon and I could have never reached this goal so seamlessly without her help! -Melissa R.

Today I finished the Chicago Marathon. I want to thank Angie for the motivation and support and the MTA crew who were great motivators as well. I had what it took to complete a marathon. -Scott S.

I cant say enough great things about MTA! Angie and Trevor are absolutely amazing with their podcast and support! I really enjoy the private Facebook group full of runners on similar goals from all over the world. Ill be using their training program again for my next marathon. -Melisa Robles

I ran my 5th half marathon today and PRd by over 3 minutes!! I really think that the MTA training plan Im following to train for my first marathon is really making a difference. Im so glad I found this group!! -Nikki M.

Our first marathon! Whahoo! Thanks Angie and Trevor for great podcast and info on the website! We didnt make any newbie mistakes! #firstofmany -Christina T.

Completed my first marathon today! Thank you to Angie and Trevor- all the support and guidance is so amazingly helpful, and this community you have built is the best! Cant wait for the next marathon!-Jennifer O.

How Can I Prevent Runner’s Knee

  • Keep your thigh muscles strong and limber with regular exercise.
  • Use shoe inserts if you have problems that may lead to runner’s knee.
  • Make sure your shoes have enough support.
  • Try not to run on hard surfaces, like concrete.
  • Stay in shape and keep a healthy weight.
  • Warm up before you work out.
  • Donât make sudden workout changes like adding squats or lunges. Add intense moves slowly.
  • Ask your doctor if you should see a physical therapist.
  • If your doctor or physical therapist suggests it. Try a knee brace when you work out.
  • Wear quality running shoes.
  • Get a new pair of running shoes once yours lose their shape or the sole becomes worn or irregular.

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Work On Your Strength Flexibility And Balance

These are things you can work on at your local gym or even at home if you wanted. My point is that if all you do right now for exercise is run, thats the problem.

Running, in and of itself, can create muscle imbalances around your hips and ankles which, in turn, can affect the biomechanics of your knee.

As a matter of fact, Dr. Steve Gonser himself a physical therapist, a marathoner, and an Ironman finisher essentially says running creates a physical bias for your quads and calves. And, the more miles you put on your legs, the more you steer yourself towards that bias.

However, its not just about strength. Flexibility and balance, especially around the hips and ankles, are also crucial for injury prevention because these 2 joints control much of your dynamic adjustments.

In summary, heres a short list of things you should be working on at the gym:

There are 2 types of stretching you need to know about:

  • Static stretching The type where you hold a stretched position for a few seconds.
  • Dynamic stretching The type where you repeatedly move your joints throughout their full range of motion.
  • An example of static stretching is touching your toes for 20 seconds whereas dynamic stretching is doing arm circles.

    Now, you might be asking: Why cant I do both?

    Heres an example of a warm-up drill you can do:

    And, here are a few stretches you can do after your run:

    Warm Up And Cool Down Properly

    Knee Pain When Running?

    Running with tight muscles is one cause of runners knee.

    To make sure your body is properly warmed up, do a 5-minute series of dynamic stretches or walking.

    This gets the blood flowing and warms up the muscles so theyre ready for the movements and impact running requires.

    Then, after your run, stretch it out!

    Static stretching keeps the muscles from tightening up too.

    Attacking tight muscles before and after running helps prevent runners knee.

    Bonus tip: Add some foam rolling in too and youll improve your chances of avoiding tight muscles even more!

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    Additional Treatment For Iliotibial Band Syndrome

    It may be a good idea to have an analysis of your running stance, technique and footwear at this point. Having an expert evaluate and tweak your technique can help tremendously.

    A strengthening program, physical therapy and exercises, and manual therapy such as trigger point work can help, too.

    Invest In Good Running Shoes

    Running shoes also play an important role in running and associated injuries. Manufacturers have specifically designed shoes that can absorb the shock each time the foot hits the floor. But after some time, as you wear them more, they get worn down, and the shock absorption decreases. This can increase the forces shooting up through the joints and cause knee pain.

    Although shoes can break down over time, how many miles or months they will work will vary depending on different brands and the activity level. The specialists suggest that the shoes can be tossed out after every 300 miles or every other 600 miles. Some people are hard on their sports equipment, so it may vary from runner to runner. Most athletes learn from their own experience as to when they need new shoes. When the knees start to hurt while running, check out the bottom of the shoes. If it is significantly worn or there are creases in the midsole, or if the bottom of the shoe bend more easily, its time for shop for the new ones.

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    Our Joint Supplement For Knee Pain After Running: Performance Lab Flex

    8 Exercises To Prevent Runner’s Knee! | Stop Knee Pain From Running

    With Performance Lab® Flex, ibuprofen no longer has to be the runners go-to option for pain relief.

    As any runner knows, inflammation can seriously disrupt ones exercise momentum and performance.

    Stiffness and soreness, tenderness and swollen painwhile OTC pain relievers may offer fast-acting relief, they fail to target the underlying biomechanisms of joint pain.

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    Kneecap Pain: Runners Knee

    If you have soreness around the front of your knee or possibly behind the kneecap, you may have runners knee, also known as patella femoral pain syndrome or anterior knee syndrome. Running downhill, squatting, going up or down stairs, or sitting for long periods of time can aggravate the condition.

    How To Prevent Knee Pain From Running

    There is a reason why knee pain is a lot of times referred to as Runners Knee. As a runner, you may often feel some discomfort or even pain in your knees. For some people, it becomes a more serious problem and thats one of the reasons why running is often labeled as a high-injury sport. Hence, you will see a sports doctor and even an auto injury doctor paying extra attention to your knees along with other body parts.

    However, more often than not, knee pain is not caused by running, the problem is more about the way people run which leads to pain and even causes injury. It means, if you can learn how to run keeping in mind the proper running form, there should be a minimal impact or undue stress to your knees. If you are mindful, it is a surprisingly simple fix and you can even possibly avoid it, contrary to what some people may believe.

    Whether you are training for your first marathon or to lose weight, you can take on the awesome habit of running to get in shape and maintain good health without worrying about knee pain. Lets look at some ways you can improve your running technique, prevent knee pain, and ensure that you continue to run for many more years without having to give up on this therapeutic practice because of knee issues.

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    It Band Strengthening Exercises

    As a runner, strength training is just as essential as aerobic training. Regular strength training can help prevent injuries and keep the body functioning as it should.

    If you have symptoms of Iliotibial band syndrome, there are a few ways you can treat and prevent this. One way is by including some IT band strengthening exercises into your training routine. However, if you dont experience any issues, the below exercises can still help to prevent any injuries in the future.

    Most of these exercises are focusing on areas that support the IT bands, thus preventing excess overuse of the muscle.

    Hip Bridge

    The hip bridge is an effective exercise to help strengthen the IT bands. This exercise helps increase gluteus maximus EMG activity and prevent pelvic tilt during running.

    To perform this exercise:1. Start by lying on the floor2. Place a resistance band around the quadriceps, above the knees.3. Slightly abduct legs while simultaneously lifting the pelvis towards the roof.4. Lower the hips slowly to the ground5. Repeat 10 times and build up to 3 sets.

    Side Hip Abduction

    The side hip abduction is a great way to activate the glutes, removing excess stress from the IT bands.

    Standing IT Band StretchWhile not so much an exercise. The standing IT band stretch can help increase the length of the IT band by 11%. Performing this stretch often can help reduce discomfort and tightness around the IT band.

    In Summary Knee Pain Doesnt Mean The End Of Your Running Career

    Pin on Knee Pain

    I hope this post highlights that you can do things to prevent and treat runners knee!

    Dont give up.

    And above all else when in doubt, see a professional.

    Visiting my physical therapist was the BEST thing Ive ever done for running. Hes helped me through various injuries and pains.

    There is help, and there is hope dont let knee pain ruin your running fun!

    Want some help preventing running injuries?

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