Tell me about runner's knee

rybo

Some good info already.

My thoughts....
Something is thrown off in your form. Might be something you don;'t even know you are doing. Might be a hip/back issue. I don;t have concrete proof, but I was dealing with some mild runners knee issues during marathon training. I also had some really minor lower back/hip alignment issues. Got adjusted and the knee pain went away instantly.

aviduser

I'm pretty confindent it's due to not changing out my insoles when the pain first started. I have high arches and pronate. My insoles were well over a year old when the pain started. So running 20+mpw on old insoles for probably did me in.

The recommendation above to replace shoes every 500 miles is a good one. That is the ENTIRE shoe, not just the insole. If you need orthotics for pronation, go to a podiatrist--preferably one experienced in dealing with runners.

Runners Knee is also called Chondromalacia Patella. It is a rubbing away of the cartilage under the knee cap caused when the knee cap does not move correctly in the groove in the the bones. This is usually caused by a functional problem like pronation or supination, which affects the motion and position of your entire body. Think about it: If your ankle collapses in every time your foot falls, it puts pressure on your ankle, the muscles in your calves and shins, your knees, hips and low back.

Get orthotics, get fitted for running shoes with soles that are stiffer on the problem side (instep). Work on strengthening the muscles around your ankles. Notice when you walk that you are pronating, and concentrate on not letting your ankle "cave in".

IF you have runner's knee, the pain will worsen as you run and you will not be able to run through it. If you can run through it, the cause is likely something else. Consult with a sports medicine orthopedist.

Disclaimer: not a physician. But my information is based on my own personal experience with runner's knee.

DontThinkJustRun

Bump again, this forum moves so fast!