Runner's knee?

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  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    Actually, attempting to slow down or brake on downhill can cause a greater impact on the knee joint. On very steep descents, you need to either fly down them or walk. If you are not used to running fast, then I suggest walking. The idea is to make sure that, as with all good running form, that the foot lands under your torso. This gets more difficult the steeper the downhill. The only way to get that foot landing under you is to go faster. I also concentrate on getting a higher heel kick in the back (think heel to buttocks). This forces the leg swing to come through higher and allows the foot to land later, which places it more under the torso.

    Now, with all that being said, running downhill will shred your quads. In order to get good at running downhill you have to run downhill. I know, crazy talk. You can help by making sure that you do quad exercises, either body weight or with weights. If you do this, don't ignore the hammies. You have to stay in balance.

    Lastly, as has been mentioned before, make sure you are in the right shoe. If you haven't already done so, go get fitted at a running store.

    Best of luck!


    ETA: Someone mentioned this earlier too. There are two basic types of running related knee "injuries", both of which can get rectified with strengthening exercises. IT Band Syndrome, which manifests itself as pain on the lower, outside of the knee and runner's knee which is usually felt around or behind the knee cap, most of the time about the knee. The former can be addressed with hip and core exercises, the latter with quad strengthening.

    Hi Carson, great to have advise from experienced runner.
    My pace is not fast yet. So when I slow down, my stride length becomes really short that landing under my torso is not a problem.
    I definitely will keep that in mind when my speed improves.
    But my question is, if I need to run even faster downhill, would I risk falling down the hill trying to land under my torso while running fast? thanks

    Yes, there is that risk. That is where you have to decide if you feel out of control. Another method is to hop/skip down the steeper sections. This is commonly employed by trail runners on steep downhill sections.
  • TonysMiss
    TonysMiss Posts: 128 Member
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    I was going to give my 2 cents but it looks like you have lots of FANTASTIC advice!! I did the C25K myself about 3-4 years ago and it was awesome!! Signed up for all kinds of runs and had a great time. I always had issues with my left knee but eventually I started wearing patella bands. As of VERY recently I have not run much. Dr. had told me I needed to do PT and I just don't have the time or the resources. I'm now doing the elliptical but we'll see how long that lasts. There's nothing like a good run outdoors!!! Love the feeling!
    Hope you find your way with this running thing. =)
  • sunglasses_and_ocean_waves
    sunglasses_and_ocean_waves Posts: 2,757 Member
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    Thank you all =)

    There's fantastic info in this thread. I hope it helps others as well!
  • waskier
    waskier Posts: 254 Member
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    Carson knows what he is talking about, so I'm glad you are listening to him! Only a couple of things I would add. Another way to think of your foot strike is to try to land lightly on your forefoot. Heel striking will kill your knees going downhill and is what happens if you extend your foot out in front of your torso.

    If your knees are hurting but you absolutely insist on running, try to get on a treadmill. They will cushion your strides and are more forgiving than pavement. I have horrible knees and it is what I do when things aren't going too well.

    Lastly, ice (I prefer 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off), don't be afraid of taking some Aleve or Advil, and get your knees/legs above your torso. If you do yoga, shoulder stand is great. If not, lay on the floor on your back and put your legs up on a chair or coach and just relax.

    Good luck!
  • sunglasses_and_ocean_waves
    sunglasses_and_ocean_waves Posts: 2,757 Member
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    Thank you so much! The icing and advil really helped last night.

    I make sure I land on the front/middle of my foot, but I wonder if coming down that hill if I wasn't paying attention. Hmmmmmm. Quite possible.

    I noticed that coming down the stairs is harder than going up, so I'm guess that probably backs up this being a descent injury (am I spelling that right?). Bad form going downhill & getting way ahead of myself with speed. Damn that was fun tho.

    I'm going to bookmark this thread because there's such great info here. Thanks again everyone! :drinker: <~~~~ That's coffee. :bigsmile:
  • jane_bee
    jane_bee Posts: 3 Member
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    I agree that the foam roller is super helpful! Also, knees are complicated. I'd see a doctor and see if he/she recommends physical therapy. I ignored my crunchy knees for years and by the time I finally went to the doctor I had developed bone spurs on the backs of my knee caps. Listen to your body!
  • sunglasses_and_ocean_waves
    sunglasses_and_ocean_waves Posts: 2,757 Member
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    I wanted to come back and update because I appreciate the advice, and I'm hoping this thread will help someone else some day.

    I ran 5K yesterday. =D It was an amazing moment. I did a fist pump right there on the trail when my app beeped and told me to take my cool down walk. Cool thing about runners is this ... no one seemed to think I was odd for the spontaneous fist pump. Those around me just smiled.

    I'll look back through to see who suggested it, but someone said to watch not to hit the heel as you come down a hill, and that's exactly what I realized I was doing. I also realized that I was leaning forward too much on the flatter surfaces. I corrected that. So yesterday I paid much better attention to form and whilst I was sore last night, I was not in pain. Went to sleep with a huge smile on my face.

    It's been over a year since my breast cancer diagnosis. It's been nearly impossible to get back to myself. I never stopped working out, but I stopped feeling like an athlete. Finally I no longer feel like a cancer patient. I am an athlete again thanks to the encouragement of other runners.

    I'll pay it forward but probably not here. Not right now. There's a tremendous amount of goodness on this site, but there's a group of people who I'd rather not be around.
  • TedStout
    TedStout Posts: 241
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    Congrats and well done! Awesome awesome.
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
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    lean into the hill (letting gravity help you down). The natural tendency is to try to brake yourself and slow down - that's bad and your knees end up taking the impact.
    I"m in a 5k training group and my instructor told us this. It's amazing what a difference it makes! You can do it without going crazy fast.
    I ran 5K yesterday. =D It was an amazing moment.
    Congratulations!!! Mine is scheduled for July. And will be mostly downhill :)

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