What To Do For Sore Knees From Running

What Is Runner’s Knee

Runner’s knee also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome ; is an overuse injury that affects as many as 30% of female runners and 25% of male runners. That makes it the most common running-related injury.

In runner’s knee, the cartilage in your kneecap gets irritated. This causes pain while you’re running, squatting, bending or even sitting for awhile. I often see patients come in with runner’s knee after they start running at an incline or increase miles or speed.

What Causes Pfp Syndrome

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is an overuse disorder. These happen when someone does the same movements that stress the knee over and over again.

In PFP syndrome, repeated bending and straightening the knee stresses the kneecap. It’s most common in athletes.

Some people with PFP syndrome have a kneecap that is out of line with the thighbone . The kneecap can get out of line, or wiggle as it moves along the thighbone, because of muscle weakness, trauma, or another problem. If this happens, the kneecap doesn’t glide smoothly over the thighbone when the knee bends and straightens. The kneecap gets injured and this causes the pain of PFP syndrome.

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What Should I Do About Runner’s Knee

To help knee pain at home, Andy recommends applying ice to the knee and stretching.

Hold ice on the painful area for around 20 minutes a few times a day. Never put ice directly on your skin.

To stretch the area, Andy recommends lying on your side with your bad leg on top.

Bend your top leg so your foot goes back towards your bottom, then hold it there with your hand and keep both knees touching.

Hold the stretch for at least 45 seconds, breathing deeply and feeling the stretch in the thigh. Repeat;this around 6 times a day.

If the pain’s severe or the knee’s swollen, see a GP straight away.

If your knee pain is not severe, stop running and get it checked by a GP or physiotherapist if the pain does not go away after a week.

They can also recommend stretches or exercises to help you recover.

Causes Of Runners Knee

While its not positive what causes runners knee, it has been associated with:

Overuse: Running or jumping sports puts stress on your knee joint, which causes irritation under the kneecap.Muscle imbalances or weaknesses: This can be caused when your muscles around your hip and knee dont keep your kneecap properly aligned.Injury: Trauma to the kneecap, like a dislocation or fracture, has been linked to patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Maintaining healthy joints while exercising is important to decrease the chances of being diagnosed with runner’s knee.

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Runners Knee Is The Most Common Culprit Of Running

According to research, approximately 25 percent of running-related injuries are attributed to patellofemoral pain syndrome , or runners knee. In my experience, the number of women affected by this condition is significantly higher than the number of men due in part to the angle that womens wider hips create at the knee joint. Runners knee can feel like a dull, diffuse ache in and around the kneecap. It is caused by muscle imbalances that cause the knee cap to shift out of place as you bend and straighten your leg, ultimately leading to irritation in and around the joint.

Runners knee can often lead to chondromalacia, a condition that develops when the cartilage under the kneecap becomes rough with repeated wear and tear. This roughening causes increased friction below the joints surface, leading to irritation, inflammation, and pain.

IT band syndrome is also an overuse injury. The IT band is a band of fascia that extends from the hip to just below the knee. It acts as a stabilizer during running, and overuse or a quick increase in training volume can cause it to become irritated.

Can I Run With Runners Knee Pain

You should take time off from running when you notice the onset of runner’s knee, but you don’t have to quit exercise entirely. You can cross-train as long as the movement is pain-free. You’ll know that it’s safe to start running again when you’re able to run with a normal gait and without pain. If you find that you change your movement or compensate because of pain, you’re not quite ready.

Read Also: Where Is The Meniscus In The Knee

Tip : Provide Supplements

If youre considering boosting your pets diet, supplements may be an ideal solution. In powdered form, moreover, supplements are easily administered by mixing them with the pet food. Whether for your dog or your cat, its possible to choose a formula specifically adapted to animals that show signs of aging. But supplements that facilitate quick recovery after an exertion can also prevent joint pain in pets that are young and active.

Prevent Knee Pain From Running 4 Lean Forward

If your knees are in pain while running, it could be that you need to change your formmore specifically, your trunk position.

In fact, according to this research paper published in Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise, an increased trunk flexion may decrease compressive forces on the patellofemoral joint.

In English: a slight forward lean while running reduces the load placed on the knees, which, in turn, cuts the risks of discomfort and injury at the joint.

The Process?

Opting for a slight forward lean while running may help shift your weight from the knees to the hip, thus reducing impact forces on the knees.

That said, getting the slight forward lean right is a bit tricky.

Here is how to do it right:

Make sure that the lean, or the fall, is coming from the ankles, not the hips.

It should feel almost like youre falling forward.

You should not feel broke nor bent at the trunk.

Allow your torso to come a bit forwardat least seven to ten degrees, according to the before mentioned researchwhile simultaneously flexing your hips and lower abdominals subtly.

In other words, opt for a mild lean, not a complete bent-over position.

Think skiers stance.

Here is an awesome YouTube Tutorial

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What Causes Ankle Pain And Injury

Depending on the sporting code is kind of the outcome or injury outcome that you get, explains Visagie. By that, he means the impact and movement patterns of your go-to workout can pretty much determine what the cause of your pain is.;

In runners, we dont see as many ankle sprains but rather the overuse injuries such as tendinitis and tendinopathy. When it comes to more agility-like sports such as hockey, rugby and netball, we see more ligament damage and rolling of the ankles. And then in January, we get an influx of trauma-related injuries, such as fractured ankles, from skiers.;

While were very quick to believe that pain in one part of our bodies therefore means that that part must be either really weak or immobile, Visagie is keen to acknowledge that your ankles themselves may not be the problem. When we do rehabilitation its very seldom that we only focus on the ankle. We look at the hip stability, we look at general movement patterns, we even look at problems with lower back. We do believe the body is a kinetic chain, so if youre affected in one area, the problem might originate from another. It might also originate from your workout routine or, as with trauma-induced injuries, they can be nothing you can prepare for, he says.;;

What Does It Mean If I Have Pain Behind My Knee While Running

Medical Perspectives | Lifestyle & Wellness | | OptimizePMD | Wellness

Whether youve just started a couch-to-5K running program or youre a seasoned marathoner, youre probably no stranger to aches and pains in your legs and knees as you grow muscle and improve your stamina. But how do you know if the pain is normal or part of a bigger issue? Ahat does it mean if you have pain behind your knee when you run?

Watch this video from Greenville health coach Aaron Benator and read on to find out.

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Understanding Pain Behind The Knee

More often than not, pain behind the knee is diagnosed as patellofemoral pain syndrome . Patello is the patella, so the kneecap. Femoral refers to the femur, which is the thighbone and pain and syndrome is PFPS, patella femoral pain syndrome. It usually happens to runners and cyclists and hikers.

However, people who sit for most of the day in sedentary jobs or sedentary lifestyles, it can also happen to them. There are a couple of muscles involved with this. The quadriceps muscle is the big muscle at the front of the thigh. The calves are the sizable muscles behind the shin, and the hamstrings are the muscles behind the thigh.

So these control the joints of the lower body.

PFPS can be caused by overuse , biomechanical abnormalities or muscle dysfunction .

PFPS typically feels like mild or severe discomfort that radiates from the back of the knee cap touching the thigh bone.;

What If You Already Have Knee Pain Or Osteoarthritis

It is not clear whether continuing to run with knee pain or osteoarthritis is bad for your knees, and many researchers around the world are exploring this question. But continuing to run, if you can, will help achieve the many health benefits of regular physical activity, including preventing at least 35 chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and depression. In general, runners live three years longer than non-runners. And the benefits of running are independent of other things, such as age, sex, weight, alcohol and smoking In other words, if two people regularly smoked cigarettes or drank alcohol excessively, and one of them was a runner, the runner would still live longer than the non-runner.

Running is an activity that can be done outdoors in most parts of the world and requires minimal equipment. And health benefits can be achieved with as little as 50 minutes running a week. During the pandemic, the fact that it can be done alone without the help of others further increases its attractiveness and ensures people can continue to participate to stay healthy.

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Has That Ever Happened To You

Maybe you are confused because youve been told different things, by different people. Maybe you think you have to rest because youve been told walking makes knee pain worse, or that you should be doing this exercise and that exercise to make it better.

Its very confusing to know exactly what to do and thats just to avoid making knee pain worse!

And because of this confusion this often leads people to procrastinate and put off making a decision about what to do to help fix their knee pain. Worse, many people just end up accepting it as part of life as if its normal or has to be that way.

If Youre Currently Living With Knee Pain Heres 7 More Reasons Why It Could Be Lasting Longer Than It Should:

1. You thought it would go away on its own but it didnt

2. You went to the Doctor who told you to rest and take painkillers but the pills did nothing to help, all they did was mask the pain and as soon as they wore off knee pain stopped you in your tracks again

3. A family member, or friend, told you that everybody gets knee pain as they get older, so you just accepted it

4. You sought help from other Healthcare Professionals or a Physio in the past, but nothing they said or did seemed to help

5. Youve tried using things like knee supports but theyve done nothing to help make the pain any better

6. You thought it would be a good idea to rest because you experienced severe pain and swelling in your knees, but it still irritates you daily

7. You tried a few exercises from Youtube but they felt painful when you did them,;and did nothing to ease the pain

If any of these have happened to you we would love to help you by inviting you to book a call to talk with one of our Physical Therapists in Oakland, Des Moines, or San Diego to find out what can be done to help you.

The fact that youve tried any or all of these things already is actually a GOOD THING because when you know what doesnt work you are closer to finding the thing that does!

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Strength And Stability: Single Leg Lifts

Get on your side, support yourself on your elbow and your knee closest to the ground by bending your leg behind you. Make sure your hips are level and legs are stacked on top of each other. Then with a straight top leg, raise it off the floor to a comfortable height without moving the rest of yourself. Then, slowly drop that leg back down. Start off with three sets of five reps per leg.

Outside Knee Pain: Running With Itbs

Another fairly common source of runner knee pain is iliotibial band syndrome . This injury is especially common among distance runners and it typically causes lateral knee pain when running. ITBS is thought to be the most common source of outer knee pain from running. The pain in knee when running associated with ITBS typically fades quickly once one stops the activity.

So what causes ITBS? Well, the iliotibial band is a thick band of tissue that runs along the outside of the leg from the hip to the top of the shin bone. Its primary function is to control abduction of the thigh.

When one is running, the IT band slides back and forth over a bony structure known as the lateral femoral epicondyle . Too much of this action can cause the band to become inflamed, resulting in painful friction on the lateral part of the knee as one is running.

There are a number of factors that can increase ones likelihood of experiencing this type of runner knee pain, including major foot pronation , running in worn-out shoes, differing leg lengths, tight leg muscles or being bow-legged.

Read Also: What To Do For Knee Inflammation

Preventing Back Pain In Runners

A study published in the Journal of Biomechanics found that one major cause of lower back pain in runners is a weak deep core.; Most people have heard of core exercises and that they need to strengthen their core, but did you know that there are two types of; core muscles.; The first is the superficial core muscles and the other is the deep core.; Superficial core muscles include the rectus abdominis; and external oblique.; The Deep consist of the transverse abdominis, multifidus and internal oblique.

It is common for a person to have a weak deep core.; When this occurs in a runner, it makes the stronger superficial muscles work harder and then they fatigue too fast during running and this leads to back pain.

The best way to prevent this is to do core exercises that work the deep core.; There are many but below Ive listed a few that are easy to do and are very effective.

Glute Bridge:; ;Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat . Make sure that your; arms at your side with palms facing down.; Slowly lift your hips off the ground until your knees, hips and shoulders form a straight line.; ;Pause at the top for a count of 3 seconds. Keep your head relaxed on the ground.; slowly lower your hips and repeat 5 to 10 times

These are just some of the many exercises that you can do.; A quick google search will give you many more options

S On How To Prevent Knee Pain When Running

Do your knees have pain when running? Lets find out how to prevent knee pain when running via the article. Knee pain or runners knee is a common injury when running. This injury has a great influence on your

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