Running Knee Injury

jessicamckay13

Hey everyone, so I realize that this is a question I should perhaps ask a medical doctor, but I thought I'd throw it out to the runners here as well.

Three weekends ago I ran 9 miles in my Brooks shoes. By about mile 7 my right knee was hurting. It hurts on the outside/back as well as the outside/front. It's not like a "huh, that feels funny" it's like a "swearword!" hurt. The following week I did short runs (1 mi Tuesday to test it out, 6.5 on Thurs, 2.4 on Fri) in my New Balance and Merrells. It felt fine.

Two weekends ago I did 13 miles in my New Balance. The first half of the run was fine, but then, of course as I'm the furthest from my house as I can be and it's dumping snow on me, here comes the knee again. I was hurting the last 5 miles. I didn't do anything after that until a 10k Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. It hurt the last mile for that.

Cue to today. I was really sick over the weekend so I went out for a hey-let's-see-how-I-feel jog. I didn't even make it two miles before it was killing me.

Walking, playing with the kids, doing light-weight lunges/straight leg deadlifts it's fine. It's just running. It's just on the outside of my kneecap in the front, then kinda wraps to the back outside of my knee.

Since I've tried all three pairs of shoes and none of them have more than 350ish miles on them, I'm thinking it's gotta be something else.

Thoughts?

alaskagirl5

It might be your IT band. Its a super common thing to injure with runners, and yea it can get really painful. I am currently battling that myself actually.

http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=6099

Here's a link to stretches I do before and after my run to help it out. Also, I ice my knees about once a week to keep it under control and it really helps! Good luck!

AmyLRed

could be a meniscus tear, or something else all together. make an appointment. I have a bad knee too (only hurts when i run or squat) and i am not a runner but would like to start running. ihave a doc appt next week.

mlb929

I battled knee pain while training for my marathon. After it, I went to several Dr before I finally got one that wanted to treat me rather than operate on something. Runner's get imbalances from running. Mine was pulling my knee caps off center, cause extreme pain. I started P90X to work on the imbalances and more cross training and it helped. Search YouTube for exercise for IT Band and Runner's Knee. Single leg dips to strengthen helped a ton, and a bunch of lunges in different directions too. I also see a massage therapist to assist in deep stretching I can't do on my own. Also try Yoga.

I've had a torn meniscus, it was similar, but I just "knew" it wasn't the same pain. Mainly because rest made it better, and running aggravated it.

jessicamckay13

When I look in my PT book it seems like it could be a few different things. I was also thinking on my limp home this morning that it could be because I'm still a bit thrown off from my low back injury?? I had an ACL basketball injury in high school but that was the other knee. Of course my non-running, oh-so-charming husband said "See, I told you running is bad for your joints." Gee, thanks honey, for being so supportive. The stubborn part of me wants to blow it off, take a couple weeks off, then go for it. BUT, I want to run a marathon some time and don't want to limp around in Disney World in February....soooo....probably going to go in and see my doc. I was just in to see my ortho surg for my wrist a couple weeks ago, I even thought about saying "hey, what do you think about this?" Should have.

sleepytexan

I"m so sorry you're having the pain. You have heard it before, I know, but running is very very hard on the joints, especially knees.

I am a cyclist and spin instructor. I can tell you my classes are full of former runners . . .

It may benefit you to take off a longer time from running. You need to let the knee heal completely, and that takes time. Since it's winter where you live, now would be a good time to look at some indoor activities as alternatives -- spin and swimming are fantastic cardio that will allow that knee to heal while still burning a large amount of calories.

You can get fantastic advice and pain relief from a chiropractor -- they will find the source of the problem and correct it, rather than masking symptoms by advising meds. If you have torn something or are truly in need of surgery, a chiro will tell you and refer you, but more often they can help you get back to business permanently and quickly. Try one before you try meds, weeks of physical therapy, surgery, etc . . .

good luck.

blessings.

jessicamckay13

heading to my nurse prac. in a little bit. if she just wants to throw meds at me i'm going to ask to see an ortho surg.

jessicamckay13

She's a marathoner so I got sympathy and understanding...and then bad news.

Torn ligament or tendon. Two weeks rest with meds, go for a run and if it still hurts, MRI. If it's better, build super slowly.

sleepytexan

ugh. sorry to hear it. do rest and let it heal so it doesn't get worse.