OMFGOSH! MY KNEE!!!!! HELP?!

Tiana405

Okay... been walking/jogging/running for 5 weeks now and I was up to 3 miles until about a week and a half ago. One day, while I was running, my hip started getting this uncomfortable burn/ache and me knee followed. (left side) I just pushed through it, b/c it would come and go. The next day, it actually prevented me from finishing the 3rd mile. As soon as it started hurting (right at the begining of the 3rd mile) I stopped. I did some research, have been stretching my IT Band, etc... and did the R.I.C.E. stuff for about 3-5 days. I got back to running yesterday and it was fine. This morning... no bueno. Couldn't even start the 2nd mile. : ( I haven't bought new running shoes in about 5 years. Do I just need new shoes (fitted from a running store) and possible a knee brace? Does anyone else have this problem? Please help me, somebody. I'm terribly desperate. : ((((((

sbwood888

Pain is the body's way of saying "STOP! That is messing us up". Maybe you have strained your knee and need to rest it. Do some non-impact exercise for a while to give it a chance to heal. Then go back to running. When you go back to running, use a brace to keep this from happending again. GOod luck to you.

Atlantique

Girl, YES you need new shoes! They're only good for about 6 months!

New shoes will help, yes. Whether or not they are enough to solve the problem is going to depend on how badly you've injured yourself.

So sorry that you are stuck with this pain for now! It would be a good idea to see the doc though, so you don't make anything worse and get sidelined for months.

paigemang♥

You HAVE to get new shoes. You should be buying new shoes every 6 months at least if you are running that much. I hope your knee gets better, def take some time off and let it heal.

Celo24

Go see a doctor!!! If you are having knee pain, that's not anything you want to screw around with. There are way too many things that can go wrong in there and many of them can sideline you for an extended period of time. NO ONE can diagnose you over the internet. GO SEE A DOCTOR!!

gandcburke

Hope this helps narrow down the specific problem,so you can relay it to your PCP!! Good Luck : o)

*****First of all, get diagnostic tests!! A Fx. Hip, Knee or bone desease MUST be ruled out!!


Knee Pain While Running – Runner’s Knee


Runner’s Knee is the more popular term that refers to Chondromalacia of the knee cap (patella). This can be caused when there’s an imbalance of the muscles or overpronation. Symptoms include a pain around the knee, and frequent “pop” or “crack” noises as the knee cap seems to be almost off track. This also may be accompanied by swelling and inflammation around the knee cap as the cartilage becomes soft, and irritated, leading to potential deterioration.

Some ways to counteract this condition are strength training exercise that build the hamstring, quadriceps, thigh and calve muscles. If overpronation is deemed a possible cause, then orthotics or shoes that promote better running mechanics may help alleviate this injury.


Knee Pain While Running – Patella Tendonitis


The knee cap (patella) connects to our lower leg by the patellar tendon. Overuse and stress of this tendon can lead to inflammation and eventually tendonitis. This injury will cause pain and stiffness below the knee cap and may exhibit some mild swelling. I had this injury during my senior year of high school cross country, and thankfully was able to treat this with a few weeks of rest and leg strengthening exercises. As with most injuries, the R.I.C.E. acronym is a good precautionary first measure: Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation. No one likes to take days off…especially runners…but rest is usually part of almost all successful treatment solutions.


Knee Pain While Running – Meniscus Degradation

Our knee joints have crescent-shaped cartilage shock absorbers for our knee cap that form our meniscus. This cushion can become torn from excessive wear or twisting movements of the knee. Minor strains and tears will likely be prescribed the R.I.C.E. treatment, while more serious injuries may require arthroscopic surgery. Pay attention to warning signs…and when in doubt…take a rest day and consult a sports medicine physician if the knee pain while running is severe.


Knee Pain While Running – Iliotibial Band Syndrome


If your knee pain while running is on the outside of your knee, you may be suffering from IT band syndrome. This can occur when the IT band, which stretches from our pelvis down to our lower knee, becomes too taught. Ways to prevent this injury are running on flat surfaces; gradually increasing mileage; and stretching to increase flexibility. All of these measures can help reduce the stress on the IT band and may reduce the pain and chances of future injury.


As with any of our body’s warning signs, knee pain could be an indicator of a problem that requires immediate medical attention. Be your own best judge, and when in doubt take some time off and rest your legs. If you feel minor pains like those described above, it’s probably worth your while to try a chance of pace, new running shoe inserts, or some added leg strengthening and flexibility exercises.

Burke - Kansas

Frappuzzino

New shoes sound like what you need. I have an old-ish pair of New Balance that I wore up until I got my new shoes and the left side of my right foot would ALWAYS burn when I was power walking or doing any kind of exercise. I got new shoes with better padding and haven't had any pain since.

jnchorn

The same thing happened to me and it stinks. I don't like being slowed down at all. I use Icy Hot and it seems to help some. You should probably do non-impact exercise for now and talk to your doc. I hope it heels quickly!

kym38

New Shoes, Rest and some PT. I learned the hard way. If you are like me, it may set you back on your training, but I am 100% now and am really glad I didn't push it!

Nharley

I am not a expert at all, so take my experience as a grain of salt. Last summer I was running about 3 miles a day. I had new shoes, I was also doing about 30-60 minutes of yoga a day. In the 3rd month of this routine I deveolped ongoing hip discomfort. My hips and sometimes legs ached like a tooth ache. This went on for a month or so with no relief. I was also visiting a chiropractor and this did not help. When my knee started bothering me I decided to go to a doctor who specialized in sports medicine. After removing to obvious (had x-rays on my legs and hips and blood tests from auto-immune diseases) her final synopsis of my discomfort was that I was pushing my body to far too fast. I was told to not do anything for a few weeks to a month then start adding exercise back slowly. I refused to do that, but with now taking daily ammounts of pain reliever I decided after about two weeks taking time off and letting my body rest was better than suffering and the consquences of the daily pain medication.

That is probably not what you want to hear, but in my opinion it is the best thing to do. Give your body a break. Take up swimming if you can, something that will be easier on your knees and joints than running. Good luck. If it presists please get it checked out! Also changing your shoes might be a wise thing to do. Running that often for that distance you should be changing your shoes every 4 or so months.

daddyratty

Two things:

1) Follow a plan for integrating running and walking. Even if you're just walking follow a plan. You will often want to do more than your joints are ready for. You may even FEEL like doing more than your joints are ready for.

2) The most important thing you can do for any sort of walking/running regiment is to have NEW SHOES! A GOOD pair of shoes can last 6-12 months or 500 miles. But not 5 years.

Good luck!