Possible injury - help/advice/friends required!

jon2412

Hi all,

Hope you're finding some sunshine on this bank holiday weekend!?

I am still fairly new to running. I've got myself to 5K on the treadmill and working on getting some outside runs in. However, my right knee is not 100% I don't think. There is a sharp pain (but not overly painful that anything gives way - more of a looseness) the pain can sometimes be felt just below knee cap at front but more often its in the back around the big tendon on the far right of the back of the right knee just where this joins the knee itself (hope that makes sense, I really need to draw a diagram!)

Anyway, cycling, cross-trainer and swimming doesn't cause any problems. No pain walking up or down stairs, walking on treadmill or outside isn't an issue. There is some tightness on doing deep squats but no pain.

I am at a complete loss how this happened - I suspect I may have twisted a bit much when trying to unclip my road cycling shoes and perhaps I have caused a bit of a strain/overstretch.

Can I continue gentle running - I really don't want to lose the gains I have made!?
Is it worth buying a £20.00 knee support?
What sort of injury is this and how long will it take to get better?

Really just after some advice, help and support!

(Oh and add me as a friend too!)

Thanks,
Jon

chribro

Hi Jon

Did you get gait measured for your trainers? It sounds like a common runners problem (check out http://www.webmd.boots.com/fitness-exercise/guide/runners-knee for a quick overview).

Despite me having measured shoes I have sometimes suffered as well, I suggest doing more core work and foam rolling your IT band and if you can stump up the cost have a look at replacing your running trainers.

Hope this helps.

Chris

di36

Hi Jon, could be gait issues. Do you heel strike or fore front hit first. Fo you over or under pronate, are you swinging side to side, not using your arms efficiently... I personally am in the minimalist shoe category so dont like over cushioned shoes, weaken the feet in my opinion, but if you like them, then maybe go to a specialist shoe shop for gait analysis.. or a physio to check your running style. In the meantime, look at running gait videos onyoutube..!

SteveTries

Hi,

There are a multitude of potential causes I'm afraid, so you may need to don the deerstalker in Sherlock Holmes fashion to figure it out :-)

A good first step is a specialist running shop. They will assess your gait and ensure you're in the right shoe. They do cost more than buying online or at big chain stores but I find the personal service worth it, so I support them as much as I can.

If you're in the right show then ask them who the local physio is that the runners recommend. He or she will probably be able to give you ideas about resolution and perhaps cause.

I will share with you the cause of my knee issue in case it is helpful.

Early on I got the right shoe but as I increased my distances I started getting knee issues. The root cause (diagnosed by my running shop) was not having the shoes fastened tightly enough. I liked them loose as my feet seemed to swell a little during long runs.
Loose shoes can cause the foot to move around a little as it strikes the pavement which can transfer stress up to the knee.

So now I fasten up snug and I use the upper lace holes to prevent vertical movement inside the shoe. Video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGZ0cQ5cwQ8


I find that hill sprints up a grassy hill near to home seems to build up muscle around the knee and makes a huge difference.

A shorter stride steps seems to work wonders for me also.

Finally, I find that me knee problems start to come back (but not as bad as originally) when I gain weight. Which is often. :-)

ukgirly01

Are you doing any strength work? I was always getting injured/knee pain until I started seeing an S&c coach who writes my program to prevent injury, she's worth her weight in gold!,