The Shirtless Wonder
Must be the most frustrating and annoying injury...only hurts during and day of run. No swelling, or bruising - just overtraining or in my case trying to run too far and too soon after first marathon.
So you ice, wrap, roll, stretch and excercise leg muscles hoping it gets better. It fades just enough to let you think you can run again, but it comes right back. It has been over a month since I finished marathon and only 30 miles run since October. Nothing on inter-webs to help since too vague for any one remedy, i.e., reason they call it "Runner's Knee".
Hoping to try some light mileage this week {{again}} with new shoes and a patella band but super anxious based on past 2 months. Maybe use Pfitzinger's to come back or just do walk/runs? Any suggestions?
Joe Suder
Nulla camisia et nulla problematum
rectumdamnnearkilledem
The thing that was magic for me was Superfeet insoles. Eventually I weaned-off and am now in minimal shoes. But the difference the insoles made in a single run was shocking to me. Within a week or two the pain was nearly a memory.
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
Religiously doing glute strengthening and stretching calves and hams worked for me, as did trying to work my balance (I have naffed up proprioception that was putting a lot of stabilizing work through my knees). I think the glutes were key as was the balance stuff. I did lots of side planks and also did quite a bit of time doing "round the clocks" on the wobbleboard. Rolling the ITB could sometimes help too, depending on where everything is originating from.
"Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend."
thanks ladies. I have been doing the rolling, stretching, leg lifts, squats. Even did some very light leg weight excercises - very light. I haven't tried the insoles yet so maybe that will help. Maybe get them for my regular shoes for day to day use since I think that is part of this issue.
This week, : I ran Sunday - and everything was fine, no real problems just a little annoyance. Iced afterwards and was fine rest of weekend and next day. Ran Tuesday was a little uncomfortable at beginning of run but soon settled down. Afterwards no pain or anything even during stretching or cool down. That is until I got to work. I have a long commute to work and when I got out of car, I could barely hobble to my office. Used Ace bandage rest of day just to stand and walk. Iced and ibuprofen when I got home. Next day no pain no nothing.
Basically frustrated for not being able to run, and when I run scared sh*tless that I may end up tearing a tendon or miniscus. I think I prefer something more consistent in the pain department than this off and on crap.
So new plan is to treat this like I did other injuries. I am taking 4-6 weeks off from running and doing eliptical, maybe bike on weekends, do the leg excercises to strengthen. Up the supplements like the MSM/Chondroitin. Then restart with Pfitzinger walk-run. Something I should have done back in October, instead of taking 1-2 weeks off between runs.
Another thought...Have you had your back and pelvis checked out? My issues stemmed from an anteriorally rotated pelvis and lack of mobility in me back. The pelvis rotation makes my right leg shorter than my left and contributes strongly to the knee issues. All the exercises you are doing (and that I did) helped to work with this, but loosening/mobility work on my back and pelvis also helped (somehow I forgot to mention that in my first post, I think because I was focussing on the leg exercises I did). My knee issues were combined with whole leg issues and spasms in the calf and leg though...but the knee issues were a major part of it...and were diagnosed as patellar tendinitis (the other stuff was diagnosed as me and my weirdass body).
Down time with strengthening sounds sensible also. Good luck and sorry you're going through these issues.
Thanks Hoppity for the advice and sympathy....or is that tea and sympathy. . Been doing some weird yoga type excercises and stretches for the pelvis and back as well. Not really weird but I feel weird doing them.
Leslie [fatzog] suggested massage therapy as well to me so maybe a visit to my sports chiro is in order. Just don't have time to get in to see him.
I did a walk-run today: 10 min walk, 5 min run, 5 min walk, 5 min run, then 2 mins walk then run to finish. no issues with knee... so far. I hope it lasts. but it did feel good to actually run even if only for a few intervals. next walk run is scheduled for Thursday...
so much for taking a month off.
Did my last walk/run yesterday using Pfitzinger. Now it is just straight running and slowly building mileage. No knee pain so far. Looks like I am finally moving on...again.
Singer who runs a smidge
I've been dealing with runner's knee since Peachtree Road Race last year. I took Diclofenac, took time off running, did the exercises, started swimming, iced daily, etc. Last Tuesday I went for a run/walk of a mile, and the pain when I finished was so intense I nearly had DH take me to the emergency room. I could barely walk, couldn't drive. My PCP checked me over, found no ligament damage, and put me back on the Diclofenac, which knocked the pain down to negligible in one dose. I run in VFF's, I've run in them for years. Although now I don't run.
So, Shadow, what's your rehab routine? My orthopedist said to stay away from squats and anything that hyperflexes my knee.
When it's all said and done, no one remembers how far we have run. The only thing that matters is how we have loved.
I just rested pretty much. I read on-line that runner's knee is basically a misalignment of knee cap so need to strengthen muscles above and below knees. As for excercises I did:
Go easy at first and may just want to start every other day. Only takes about 5-10 mins, so I usually did other core excercises and just included the above as part of morning routine. I also used Pfitzinger's Return to Running after Serious injury when knee was stronger after 4-5 weeks of rest.
But main cure is rest, if you keep trying to early it will keep coming back.