Rest it out (episode 2): Runner’s Knee

Hello!! How are you this beautiful day?

I’m not going to go through every single running injury as we’d be doing this forever..but I did want to go over a couple of the major ones, one of them being the dreaded Runner’s Knee.  Also known as Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) and Ilitibial BandFriction Syndrome (ITBFS) as the IT band is subject to friction from the kneecap and can easily become inflamed.

Runner’s knee is the most common running injury, mainly affecting younger runners.  And  ”fun” fact: it affects twice as many women than men!!  We can thank our wider hips for that one.    Since our hips are wider, our thigbones have a greater angle to the knee, putting more stress on the knee when we run. 

What exactly is it? 

Simply put: A softening, wearing away, or cracking of the cartilage under the kneecap.  The cartilage becomes rough, making knee movement very painful.

What causes it?

• Overtraining
• Constantly running on hills or uneven surfaces
• Tightness in the iliotibial band, hamstrings, or calf muscles put pressure on the knee.
• Weakness in hip abduction or quadriceps, causing the kneecap to lose alignment.
• High-arched feet provide less cushioning
• Flat feet or knees that turn in or out excessively, pulling the patella sideways.
• Worn knee cartilage.
• Unequal leg length.

The IT band is the thick, white band running from the hip to the shins.  The circled area shows the main point of pain with runner’s knee although it often radiates around the entire knee.

What does it feel like?

• Strong, constant pain in the front, side, and/or back of the knee.
• Pain during flexion or extension of the leg.
• Aggravated pain when running downhill, on uneven surfaces, or when climbing stairs.
• Tender points in the gluteal area may be present.
• A sense of cracking or that the knee’s giving out.

Unlike other injuries that only hurt when applying pressure to the joint, you’ll be able to feel this even if simply bending it.

What can be done to help?

• Rest, Ice, Stretch, Massage (foam rollers work great).
• Wear a brace.
• Once getting back into running, do so on a flat surface.
• Adjust your stride and keep a slight bend in your knee at all times when running (don’t overextend)

• Buy insoles to help prevent overpronation of your foot.

Here are a few easy stretches that can aid in the healing process.

1. Standing Hamstring Stretch: Stand in front of a chair, bench, or high step and place your left heel on it. Keep your back straight and lean forward from the hips until you feel a stretch down the back of the leg. Hold for 30- 60 seconds and repeat with other leg. Perform two or three stretches per leg.
2. Quadriceps stretch:  Stand against a wall to chair to help with balance, bend your right knee and grab the front of your foot behind you with your right arm.  Keep the knees together, flex the foot to make stretch more intense if needed, and hold for 30-60 seconds.  Repeat with left leg.
3. Side-lying leg lift:  Lie on your side in a pike position, stacking your shoulders, hips, and heels.  Use your top hand for balance and rest your head on your bottom arm.  Keeping your top leg straight, lift it 6-12 inches 10-15 times.  Switch sides and repeat.
4. Quad sets:  Sit down, using your arms behind you to support a straight back.  Bend one leg, keeping the other leg straight.  Slowly bend the knee of the straight leg and raise it 6-8 inches 10-15 times.  Switch legs and repeat.
5. Straight Leg Lifts: Lie down, bend your left knee, and plant your left foot on the ground. Take 2-4 seconds to raise and lower your right leg (30 to 60 degrees), keeping the knee relatively straight with a slight bend. Do 10 repetitions, switch legs, and repeat the sequence to complete one set. Work up to 10 sets of 10 reps each.
6. Step-ups: Stand sideways next to a stable box or step.  Raise leg closest to step to step up, balance, tighten quadriceps, and lower opposite leg back to the ground.  Make sure your knee does not bend inward or outward- keep it in line with the 1st & 2nd toe.  Repeat 20 times and switch sides.  Increase the repetitions by 5 every 2 days until you reach 60 each side.

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My biggest tip for this injury: 

REST!!!!!

Please, please rest if you ever have this.  If you absolutely have to do cardio, try swimming or easy biking.  Any other “standing” cardio can out too much strain on the knee and prevent it from healing quickly. 

Just think about this:  if you rest, this injury will be healed in 4-6 weeks. Not bad, right?

Well, I didn’t rest and it lasted almost 2 YEARS.  It hit me in January 2009 and I didn’t have a pain-free day until September 2010.   Yeah, 21 months.   Please, don’t let that happen to you.  Rest a bit now and save yourself loads of pain later.

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**Have you or anyone else you’ve known experienced Runner’s Knee?

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Tagged as: Rambles, Running