Runner's Knee

[John Peel]

Developed this in one of my knees following some runs that started to up my distance. I know that keeping off my knee will eventually let it subside but in the meantime what can I do to prepare myself. Can I be stretching my legs out daily or is that gonna have an impact on the knee at all (obviously I know only its the stretches that involve the knee).

If I can still feel the knee a bit can a start a bit of tentative running or would that just be silly. Nothing major, just some round the block kind of stuff?

[cyclops]

Developed this in one of my knees following some runs that started to up my distance. I know that keeping off my knee will eventually let it subside but in the meantime what can I do to prepare myself. Can I be stretching my legs out daily or is that gonna have an impact on the knee at all (obviously I know only its the stretches that involve the knee).

If I can still feel the knee a bit can a start a bit of tentative running or would that just be silly. Nothing major, just some round the block kind of stuff?

Hi John,
It's always best to find out what the cause of the problem is and the work out how/if you can remove or change that....to prevent the issue recurring. Saying you have runners knee is impossible to diagnose or offer realistic advice on a forum as there could be loads of things involved - increasing your distance as you say may have brought the issue out now, but if there's an underlying issue that may have happened at some point anyway. Stretching could help, as could foam rollering - if the soft tissues are acutely injured then rest and ice are best initially. The rest vs active continuum is a tricky one to manage - too little and you'll get frustrated/bored/impossible/despondent and too much will aggrevate or make the issue worse. I'd suggest you have a physio or sports therapist look at you/your knees to find the cause....if you want to see me or Tim we're only over the hill in Glossop.
regards,
Lynne

[mr brightside]

Developed this in one of my knees following some runs that started to up my distance. I know that keeping off my knee will eventually let it subside but in the meantime what can I do to prepare myself. Can I be stretching my legs out daily or is that gonna have an impact on the knee at all (obviously I know only its the stretches that involve the knee).

If I can still feel the knee a bit can a start a bit of tentative running or would that just be silly. Nothing major, just some round the block kind of stuff?

I'd strongly urge you to get the source of the 'Runner's Knee' identified. It goes by several names, and has a multitude of specific causes. If you live in Stockport i know a very good physio there, PM for details and some boring waffle!

[John Peel]

Thank you kindly for the advice. I was aware that runners knee could be many things but maybe I do need to get it specified which of those it is. As you say it may just flare up again each time I attempt that distance.

[GeoffB]

John - have a word with Helen, at Pennine. She'll be able to give you some good advice.

[John Peel]

John - have a word with Helen, at Pennine. She'll be able to give you some good advice.

I'll track her down Geoff, ta.

[John Peel]

Went over to Sport-med in Stockport as I can walk there from my house. I am suffering the general Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome. Tendons not tracking straight through my knee due to angled kneecap due to imbalanced upper leg muscles. Long distance runs causing too much irritation.

Thanks for the advice. Am taping knee, specific exercises (daily for the rest of my running career it seems), and I can still run woohoo. Short and fast to start with before I get back on the hills. Damnit, see where I am in 3 weeks when the next race is penciled on the calendar.

[GeoffB]

Good to hear you've got a diagnosis. See you back on the hills soon (tonight?)

[John Peel]

Good to hear you've got a diagnosis. See you back on the hills soon (tonight?)

As much as I really want to do the hill trials I've been told I need to do a couple of weeks doing fast 1 mile runs. Rest. And then go again. But not on hills. See how I can build that up and then back to training to build up my hills. Taping my knees while running may be a good answer too.

See you in a couple of weeks Geoff. You watch I'll be back just in time for the colder weather to be coming back.

[John Peel]

Just as an update for anyone reading this looking for tips on similar injuries. I've been running with tape on my knees now for a couple of weeks and the tape immediately helped in keeping the knees feeling less like there was pressure building while I got the miles back up. I've been having ultrasound, electro-shock, and some magnetic resonance therapies with the physio. I've also been doing some daily knee cap pushing, outward knee bend semi-squats, twisting lunges, and some Vastus Medialis muscle memory squeezes and lifts (none of this is technically correct terms).

And although looking like I've fallen over and need plasters on my knees while running like a 10yr old everything is going great. My running is back to how it was, knees are feeling good, pressure has gone, I'm even running faster than before possibly due to the slow re-balancing of my thigh muscles making my stride more efficient.

Good times! The big test will be running over 12 miles and see how that feels.