Runners: advice needed! Injury related.

goshnames
goshnames Posts: 359 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Scottb81, I am looking at you! You always know the answers when it comes to running! HALP.

So, A couple months ago, around the time that I hit probably around 55 - 60 kilometers a week, one of my knees started hurting. I'd give it a couple of days of rest and then be back at it for a week or two until it would start hurting again.

July happened. I took a month off from running over my holidays.

Since the start of August now, I've been trying to run at least every other day, but I CANNOT seem to pass 5k without my right knee experiencing lots of pain. If I rest it for a couple of days, the pain doesn't go away - it happens every single time I run now. Not being able to pass 5k is really frustrating me.

I went to the doctor and they didn't really help. I was told that I could go to physio if I could afford it (I can't). So that's...great.

During the run, the pain hurts along the outside of my right knee, but close to the kneecap. It also runs a bit underneath the kneecap (again very close).

In an attempt to self-diagnose, I tried using an IT band wrap, but it didn't really help at all. In terms of rest, I also took that whole month off from running, and it seemed to only get worse after that.

Does anyone have any ideas of what I could do to fix this? Maybe some sort of stretch that I might not be doing properly? I have RICED my face off, and I'm out of ideas.

I haaaaaaate not being able to run long distances. I was really trying to increase the distance I could run in one shot before this started happening.

I am going to get new shoes this week though. Side note: I went to the running store and the person there told me that my feet and knees don't turn in, so I don't need support shoes. Which is insane because my knees literally knock together for like, the whole duration of my runs. =\


Thanks to anyone who read this whole thing. :)

Replies

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Have you used a roller?

    Rest it and roll it. Then see what happens.

    You'll want to see a doctor who will check your ligaments for issues. That requires them to order imaging.
  • ltlredfairy
    ltlredfairy Posts: 2
    I run half marathons (about 20k, I think) and found that cross training (weight lifting, pilates or yoga) helped me when I first started with my knee issues. I had issues for a bit and I started weight training to build up my muscles in my legs and the pilates helped build my core and stretch. Also, what kind of surface are you running on? I had one course I loved to run and ran it a few times a week - always in the same direction. After talking with my physical therapist, it dawned on me that the road had a slight slope and running on it the same way, all the time caused a strain on my knee. With the cross training and changing my routes, my knee has gotten a lot better. Good luck!
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    I used to have chronic low grade knee pain in my right knee every time I ran. Glucosamine made it a little better but did not cure it entirely.

    The thing that cured my knee pain permanently was changing to minimalist shoes with a low heel to toe drop and changing my running form to eliminate heel strike and overstriding. Google, Good Form Running for details. Changing running form is kind of a long term process but at least for me it paid off.

    The other good thing about getting the form right is that you can free yourself from the shoe industry's game in selling you new shoes every 300 miles. When your feet are strong and doing what they are supposed to do you can run barefoot or run in shoes for thousands of miles. The only time you will need to replace shoes is when your toes are sticking out or the bottom is completely worn away.
  • goshnames
    goshnames Posts: 359 Member
    You'll want to see a doctor who will check your ligaments for issues. That requires them to order imaging.

    My doctor is sending me for a knee x-ray. I hardly think its necessary...especially considering that I won't be able to pay for physio if I do "need" it.


    ltlredfairy - I have noticed that as well. I usually just run on the pavement, but little slopes cause a world of hurt. Haha. I might just start going to the indoor track. It's a little more cushy!


    Scott - I have always been told that overpronators shouldn't use minimalist shoes. I'd be willing to try and stick it out if it's possible that I could change my foot strike. I try to pay attention to the way I hit the ground, but laziness usually wins. I'll check out Good Form Running.
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    The Brooks Pure Cadence are made for overpronation. They have a low, 4mm, heel to toe drop and are excellent for good form running. They are also lower priced than most other running shoes.

    I use the Brooks Pure Connect, the neutral shoe in the Pure line, and it is the best running shoe I have ever had.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Sounds like chondromalacia. Do you do any strength work in addition to your running? Also, be mindful of road camber. While concrete sidewalks are harder than the asphalt/blacktop road, running close to the curb will often introduce a slope that can goof up your stride. Unless I'm on a road I'm comfortable with, I stick with sidewalks for this reason. But when I do go on a road, I stay in the middle of the lane so I don't have to deal with that slope.
  • ATT949
    ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
    Scottb81, I am looking at you! You always know the answers when it comes to running! HALP.

    So, A couple months ago, around the time that I hit probably around 55 - 60 kilometers a week, one of my knees started hurting. I'd give it a couple of days of rest and then be back at it for a week or two until it would start hurting again.

    July happened. I took a month off from running over my holidays.

    Since the start of August now, I've been trying to run at least every other day, but I CANNOT seem to pass 5k without my right knee experiencing lots of pain. If I rest it for a couple of days, the pain doesn't go away - it happens every single time I run now. Not being able to pass 5k is really frustrating me.

    I went to the doctor and they didn't really help. I was told that I could go to physio if I could afford it (I can't). So that's...great.

    During the run, the pain hurts along the outside of my right knee, but close to the kneecap. It also runs a bit underneath the kneecap (again very close).

    In an attempt to self-diagnose, I tried using an IT band wrap, but it didn't really help at all. In terms of rest, I also took that whole month off from running, and it seemed to only get worse after that.

    Does anyone have any ideas of what I could do to fix this? Maybe some sort of stretch that I might not be doing properly? I have RICED my face off, and I'm out of ideas.

    I haaaaaaate not being able to run long distances. I was really trying to increase the distance I could run in one shot before this started happening.

    I am going to get new shoes this week though. Side note: I went to the running store and the person there told me that my feet and knees don't turn in, so I don't need support shoes. Which is insane because my knees literally knock together for like, the whole duration of my runs. =\


    Thanks to anyone who read this whole thing. :)

    ITBS is markedly on the outside of the knee and the telltale sign is that you experience pain when the leg is slightly flexed.

    This is the best write up I've seen on the topic:
    http://www.runningwritings.com/2012/02/injury-series-biomechanical-solutions.html

    Patellofemoral pain syndrome ("PFPS") is the name adopted in the past 20 years to replace a variety of names one of which was called chrondromalacia patellae. "runner's knee" is the more common term today. In that you have pain under the kneecap, that pain is not from ITBS - the IT band runs on the outside of the knee joint, not near the kneecap.

    I can be counted as one of the many who had that issue and I had it in both knees. Oh, yes, I had it from 1977 to 2011 and it went away after running for about 4 months.

    In my case, the pain was caused by improper development of the muscles in my thighs (I was a very young, very skinny kid when I went to college and I tossed in the towel after three years) which caused my knee caps to not track correctly when as my knee articulated. If that's the cause of your pain and you can't afford physio, you might just Google for PFPS and take it from there. You may only need to do a few simple exercises to get the muscles built up adequately.

    I hope you get it sorted out - it sounds like you've got a nasty case.
  • bert16
    bert16 Posts: 726 Member
    I'll second ScottB's experience; I'm an overpronator who used to have ITB issues... tried RICE, physical therapy, cortisone injections (desperate move when training for a half marathon for which I had fundraised a large amount of money, so HAD to run it) and basically had no relief. I switched to minimalist shoes several years ago and haven't had any ITB issues since. Not intending to imply that it will definitely work for everyone, but my experience sounds similar to ScottB's, so figured I'd chime in. Whatever it is, I hope you manage to resolve it soon.

    Happy running! :flowerforyou:
  • goshnames
    goshnames Posts: 359 Member
    GOOD NEWS and annoying news!

    Good news:

    I somehow got past 6k today without the pain! I almost made it to 10k and then had to start walking...my knee is slowly starting to carry me further again! I made an effort to either run in the middle of the road or on the sidewalk to eliminate the slantiness of the run. Maybe that helped! I also took the last three days off for some rest.

    Annoying news:

    ATT949: The soreness in my knee is in both areas. Along the outside of my leg where the IT band is and also within and around my knee cap. It's confusing.

    New shoes situation: I have tiny feet and NONE of the running stores that I went to had shoes that I was comfortable in in my size. Not even the generic athletic stores at the mall did! I tried on some of the kids sizes at those stores, but none of them fit comfortably. They felt like they were pinching the bones on the top of my feet. I guess I might have to order some online and just take a change at possibly having to return them.

    But HOORAY for the delay in knee pain!

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