Knee pain after running.

Hi,

I'm a bit clueless about exercise, and was hoping someone could help me out.

I've been doing the c25k, but the last couple of days I have had quite bad knee pains after. Its on the inner side of the front of both knees. I am really enjoying running and don't want to stop... but am I just too heavy to do this? I don't want to damage my knees.

Are there any exercises I can do to help prevent this?

Any advice you could give me would be great!

Replies

  • mlb929
    mlb929 Posts: 1,974 Member
    My physical therapist had me do a bunch of hip strengthening moves to help with knee pain. I now do Brazil Butt LIft as my cross training weight routine every day to work specifically on my hips, glutes, thigh strength. I've been running with pain free knees for 9 months now.
  • ba502
    ba502 Posts: 54 Member
    I would check with a chiropractor....a lot of my similar knee pain wasn't so much the knee, but the muscles that run from the foot up to the side of the knee. After that diagnosis I got orthotics and no more knee issues.
  • aymetcalf
    aymetcalf Posts: 597 Member
    First, make sure you have good shoes. Second, if you can run on grass/dirt or other soft surfaces, it will be easier on your joints. Third, for me, doing strength training for my quads (think squats and leg press) really helped eliminate my knee issues. In the short term, take ibuprophen and ice ice ice....
  • raisingbabyk
    raisingbabyk Posts: 442 Member
    I had sever pain and my dr told me about runners knee and gave me some quad stretches to do, totally worked!
  • First thing wrap it with elastic bandage. Here's the "rice" rule for all leg pains from running:

    Rest - don't over exercise, don't run day after day if you have pains.
    Ice - Ice the area, wrapped in a towel.
    Compression - elastic bandage, not too tight, don't obstruct blood flow. keep it 24/7
    Elevate - get your legs propped up.
  • My bf had knee pain and went to a physical therapist - it turned out the muscles which held the kneecap in place weren't strong enough on one side, causing it to move over and hurt him. He has to wear tape on his knees and do specific exercises to help strengthen the muscles on the opposite sides of the knee. If I were you, I'd go and see an expert and get their advice, as knee pain could be caused by a variety of factors.
  • ItsPheebs
    ItsPheebs Posts: 127 Member
    I agree to make sure you have good shoes ... but also make sure you are using the right type of shoe. Some stores that sell running shoes will analyze your style for you.

    A lot of time that pain can be relieved by foam rolling. I had a friend ask me the same thing and I showed her how to roll it out. The pain may seem like it is in your knee, but your calves and hamstrings may be tight.

    It's pretty normal to have some new aches and pains when starting to run.
  • DisneyAddictRW
    DisneyAddictRW Posts: 800 Member
    I started having knee pain last week. MFP peeps said to use a foam roller. It's starting to feel better just in time for my half marathon coming up. I'm sticking with a foam roller as a regular stretch before and after runs.
  • MarineCodie
    MarineCodie Posts: 256 Member
    I would add some strength training to your routine if you don't already do it. Muscles around the knee help support you while running. :) Glad you love running - good for you!
  • Mezzie1024
    Mezzie1024 Posts: 380 Member
    Here's my checklist to avoid and respond to running injury. I like running, and I'd like to be able to do it for a good long time. The best, of course, is to avoid injury, but responding to it well when it happens is just as important.

    - Do I have the proper shoes?
    - Am I running with proper form?
    - Am I being careful to not push myself too hard? (That means adding to my running distance and speed in safe increments and making sure I cross train and don't run too frequently. What "safe" and "too" mean, of course, are relative. I've learned what they are for me.)
    - Are the muscles around my knees strong enough to support them? Am I doing weight-bearing exercises to protect them?
    - Am I stretching properly?
    - Have I RESTED after feeling pain? In general, this rest should involve the RICE someone mentioned above. I shouldn't run again until I feel COMPLETELY better.
    - Have I consulted a PROFESSIONAL about this pain? (Seriously. Don't put this off. You may be doing real damage; you may need specific physical therapy, etc.)
  • macdiver
    macdiver Posts: 145 Member
    Are you landing on your heels? This will increase the impact to your knees and hips. Do not let your feet get in front of you when running. You should land on the ball of your foot under your body. Best way to learn is barefoot ( skin to ground not so called barefoot shoes). Webmd has a good article on this in their archives.
  • macdiver is right...the way our feet fall when running naturally (with no footwear at all) is completely different than how we run WITH footwear, and landing on your heels can contribute to knee and joint pain over time. to that end ive been doing alot of reading on the vibram fivefinger shoes that makes it kinda like running barefoot formwise, yet still protecting your feet from most elements.