Runner's Knee (Read 1305 times)

I've been dealing with the same issues myself.  Tried resting and some exercises I found online for a few weeks, but it didn't work.  I finally had to suck it up and go see someone, who identified some muscle imbalances and a small gait issue causing my kneecap to track incorrectly.  This was really helpful, because most of the exercises I found online weren't really targeting the area that was a problem for me.

Summary: go see someone, like a doctor, a  chiropractor, or even a physical therapist.  The key is that they know how to deal with running injuries.

It took me about 6 months if I recall correctly.

Would that have been joggers knee?  Different beast entirely. 

Took me 3 weeks to get over runners knee.  I did some very basic exercises, rest, no ice, no ibuprofen.

I've had it before and just cut my mileage back (about half), iced like crazy and kept it elevated when sitting around. When I'm done showering after a run, I run only cold water, switch to the massage jets and run the water over and around my knees for a few minutses before getting out.

Strengthen quads (i found wall sits helpful back in the early days when my knees hurt)

 

Strengthen feet--strong feet is a must and will help prevent a lot of ills.

 

Try introducing to your training a flat, flexible running shoe with as little cushioning as possible. When I switched to this type of shoe four years ago, I found that I impacted the ground much softer. Not only will they lessen impact, they will also help your feet get stronger, and let your feet move more naturally, with its natural pronation. I never wear shoes that splint my feet (shoes with any kind of motion control, plastic crap on the arch, or "technology"), whether just walking around or running.  Good luck!

What type of shoe are you running in?  I have a pair of the RevLite New Balance laying around that I plan on trying out this weekend.  Definitely less cushioning in that then I'm use to.  Should be interesting.

What type of shoe are you running in?  I have a pair of the RevLite New Balance laying around that I plan on trying out this weekend.  Definitely less cushioning in that then I'm use to.  Should be interesting.

I use Nike Free 3.0 without the inserts.

I'm not sure what the Revlite is, but the idea is to have no plastic crap or arch support on the bottom of the shoe, and to have the heel as flat as possible. You should be able to twist the soul of the shoe almost in a ball and like a Twizzler. Not too long ago I put on a pair of my old trainers and felt like I was in high heels. Hard to believe I use to run like that all the time. No wonder I ran into problems.I also did a TM test with my old cushy trainers vs. my Nike Free. When I ran in the trainers it was "BOOM, BOOM< BOOM< BOOM"--no matter what I did I just kept hitting the deck hard. When I put my Nike Frees back on, I was hitting the deck very easy with just a minimal sound.

The idea is to introduce these shoes slowly. You'll be using muscles in your feet that have been splinted for awhile and also the leg muscles a bit differently--so you want to treat them like newbies when trying the shoes. A little bit more each week.

Some people have gone all the way and run barefoot or with the Vibram Five Fingers foot glove.

Many report their PF, knee, achilles,  and lower back problems finally healing up after going to a flat, flexible shoe or the barefoot and Vibrams. Some have reported problems, but that could be due to the too much too soon syndrome, and not switching over slowly enough. You should still be working on form as well.

Foot strengthening exercises are a good idea--again go slowly.

Research it and go into it well-informed. Don't take my word for it.

--Jimmy