Forums >Health and Nutrition>Help - Pressure Around the Knee
See Spot Run
Wondering if anyone can render some advice.
About a year ago I visited the sports medicine clinic for a tightness I experience only behind and around my right knee. The x-rays showed nothing and the Ortho advised I was as flexible "as a two by four" and gave me some stretches to do. The stretches helped and I had a very good 2013 running year.
Fast forward to today, now I have the same tightness (was with me all though the Fall and this Winter), with a very, very slight "pressure feeling" behind the knee cap at the top. Sometimes it actually feels more in that general area as opposed to a specific spot. I never am in pain, just feel the tightness. I can run with no problems, other than feeling the presssure/tightness.
I think it deserves more investigation, and I was actually thinking about "resetting" from the ground up. Making sure I have the right shoes first. I switched from NB several years ago and have been running in Asics 2160, 2170, 2000 and now the 2000 2. I'm thinking maybe enough tweaks were done, that these may not be the shoes I should be using anymore. But then again, why only my right knee? Is it runner's knee, a small menicus tear, new shoes needed, orthotic needed?
The other alternatives would be back to sports medicine or PT. I probably do not keep up with stretching and strength training like I should.
I'd like to keep running, as my wife has a terminal illness, and this gives me a much needed break from taking care of her. If I was not able to run or cycle, I'm not sure what I would do. For me it's a life saver.
ultramarathon/triathlete
FWIW I had a similar knee thing going on a couple seasons back, tried all kinds of things, and taping it helped a lot. BUT that didn't fix the problem. Finally went to my chrio and turns out it was my IT band. When that thing is tight and out of wack, it can impact a lot of the leg, including the knee.
So, if you're tight as a 2x4 then my money would be on some other tightness throwing the knee off. Foam roll the hell out of your leg and maybe you'll see an improvement... or head to a chiro or something. I wouldn't leave it alone though. If it's not better in 2 or 3 days I'd see someone so you don't end up doing some damage or running on something if there IS a real issue (like a tear or something).
Good luck and keep us posted.
HTFU? Why not!
USATF Coach
Empire Tri Club CoachGatorade Endurance Team
I would see a sports medicine person.
If you do not want to do that - A good 50/50 guess could be IT band. Stretching (look it up on internet), rolling with foam roller, rolling pin, even rolling a tennis ball hard up and down will give some relief if ITB.
If not ITB, it could be a dozen other things to make up the other 50% chance of the real issue. I had an issue with behind my knee and top of calf and it turned out to be my hip was slightly out of joint and once I was adjusted it went away. Seemed weird between the relationship of the issue location and the maifestation of pain.
But as Dave said - The most likely guess is ITB.
Although ITB is a little more compliated than just a tight IT band. You have many smaller muscles around your hips and your knees. When your IT band gets tight, it is like a rope being tied in a knot and it shortens. This causes a strain at the top and bottom of the IT band. The weakest link will usually show the manifestation of injury. So a little of the answer is your support muscles around your knee may be weak as running is a singular motion sport.
I had been struggling with runners knee for 6-8 months, I started adding some cross training that uses the full range of motion of hips and knees: Volleyball, racquetball and downhill skiing. With stronger hip and knee support muscles, I have not felt any knee pain.
I am fuller bodied than Dopplebock
I agree with the above about the IT band. But also look further up the chain. See if you can get someone to record video of you running from behind (easiest on a treadmill). Wear a belt around your hips as a reference line and see if your hips drop when running. Weak hips lead to IT band and knee issues.
I just had a running analysis done at a local rehab center. I was also feeling stiff and weird in my knee along with occasional IT band pain. The video they took clearly showed my left hip drop when my right leg was on the ground. So my right hip is weak and not supporting the pelvis as it cantilevers over my left leg. This causes the right IT band to get overworked and leads to the knee pain.
Thanks for the replies. I'll keep you posted as to the eventual outcome. I have been rolling the past few days and decided to take a few days off of running to see if I can turn the corner on this.
If not, I don't believe I'm going to fool around with it and seek some professional help.