Uncomfortable knee pain, lower part of knee

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Eva_M97
Eva_M97 Posts: 49 Member
edited July 2017 in Fitness and Exercise
I've been jogging pretty much every day for a bit over a month (partly walking at first, jogging increased over time, lately been doing 5km jogs) , about a week ago I got a slight pain on my left knee but it didn't bother me, however now it's really started to feel uncomfortable. I rested my knee for a day, but over today it has gotten back as strong as before. To be exact the pain is at the very front of the left knee, on the lower part under the kneecap where you can feel through skin some softer tissue. I always run on forest path, which is rather soft ground, warm up walk and wear Adidas supernovas. Should I be worried/ do something to ease it/ just let it rest?
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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Rice it.

    Dont run cobsecutive days

    How long have you had your shoes?
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
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    Does it hurt while you run or at another time? I had some patella femoral issues years ago from doing aerobics every day.
  • enyagoboom
    enyagoboom Posts: 377 Member
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    definitely check your shoes! you may need new ones, or inserts - every time my knees or hips start to feel off i get new sneakers (every six months to a year) or inserts (same)
  • Eva_M97
    Eva_M97 Posts: 49 Member
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    Rice it.

    Dont run cobsecutive days

    How long have you had your shoes?

    I've had my shoes for about 3 weeks, before those I had some old nikes with pretty hard soles
  • Eva_M97
    Eva_M97 Posts: 49 Member
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    enyagoboom wrote: »
    definitely check your shoes! you may need new ones, or inserts - every time my knees or hips start to feel off i get new sneakers (every six months to a year) or inserts (same)

    The woman in the store said they'd be very soft and good for regular use on running :/ I'll Google some reviews of them if I can find but I really hope I won't have to buy new ones so soon since these things are not too cheap !
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Eva_M97 wrote: »
    Rice it.

    Dont run cobsecutive days

    How long have you had your shoes?

    I've had my shoes for about 3 weeks, before those I had some old nikes with pretty hard soles

    So hopefully not the shoes... rest, ice etc
  • Eva_M97
    Eva_M97 Posts: 49 Member
    edited July 2017
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    Does it hurt while you run or at another time? I had some patella femoral issues years ago from doing aerobics every day.

    Hurt for a while towards the end of my run this morning, took a nap and didn't move a lot just some normal walking around during the day but don't remember feeling any discomfort until now later on at home

    + I remember trying to do lunges the other day , that felt the worst on the knee
  • Eva_M97
    Eva_M97 Posts: 49 Member
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    Ok I googled more after finding the right name for the knee part, i might have this, i mean idk but it could be. I know internet makes all medical stuff sound like youre dying but it doesnt sound good so maybe i'll try to get to a doctor :( so sad if this is true, I don't know what I'll do if I have to stop running, really started to enjoy it.. http://www.healthline.com/health/patellar-tendonitis#complications5
  • Frequently_Fabulous
    Frequently_Fabulous Posts: 132 Member
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    So, I'm a doctor (for realsies).
    Knees can be tricky because the pain is so hard to locate and a lot of structures overlap.
    Good news is its unlikely you strained your patellar tendon- it's really tough and hard to hurt.
    I'd put my money on patellofemoral syndrome, especially if the knee starts off painful in a run, goes away *sometimes* while running, and comes back worse in minutes to hours after your run is done.
    That is like 90% of the knee pain I see in young women. I had it myself for about 10 years before fixing it.

    It's an imbalance in the muscles around your kneecap that helps it "track" up and down.
    The quad muscle on the "outside' of the thigh gets stronger than the "inside" quad muscle and it pulls your kneecap off track.
    You need to strengthen those "inner" quad muscles- I trust you can google "patellofemoral syndrome" and look up treatment if you think it fits!
    For me, doing squats daily for about a month fixed my problem and it never came back (yay)

    I also agree with above- RICE it until it stops hurting you while walking
    Feel better soon!
  • Eva_M97
    Eva_M97 Posts: 49 Member
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    So, I'm a doctor (for realsies).
    Knees can be tricky because the pain is so hard to locate and a lot of structures overlap.
    Good news is its unlikely you strained your patellar tendon- it's really tough and hard to hurt.
    I'd put my money on patellofemoral syndrome, especially if the knee starts off painful in a run, goes away *sometimes* while running, and comes back worse in minutes to hours after your run is done.
    That is like 90% of the knee pain I see in young women. I had it myself for about 10 years before fixing it.

    It's an imbalance in the muscles around your kneecap that helps it "track" up and down.
    The quad muscle on the "outside' of the thigh gets stronger than the "inside" quad muscle and it pulls your kneecap off track.
    You need to strengthen those "inner" quad muscles- I trust you can google "patellofemoral syndrome" and look up treatment if you think it fits!
    For me, doing squats daily for about a month fixed my problem and it never came back (yay)

    I also agree with above- RICE it until it stops hurting you while walking
    Feel better soon!

    Thanks!!! I'll look into it
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    edited July 2017
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    So, I'm a doctor (for realsies).
    Knees can be tricky because the pain is so hard to locate and a lot of structures overlap.
    Good news is its unlikely you strained your patellar tendon- it's really tough and hard to hurt.
    I'd put my money on patellofemoral syndrome, especially if the knee starts off painful in a run, goes away *sometimes* while running, and comes back worse in minutes to hours after your run is done.
    That is like 90% of the knee pain I see in young women. I had it myself for about 10 years before fixing it.

    It's an imbalance in the muscles around your kneecap that helps it "track" up and down.
    The quad muscle on the "outside' of the thigh gets stronger than the "inside" quad muscle and it pulls your kneecap off track.
    You need to strengthen those "inner" quad muscles- I trust you can google "patellofemoral syndrome" and look up treatment if you think it fits!
    For me, doing squats daily for about a month fixed my problem and it never came back (yay)

    I also agree with above- RICE it until it stops hurting you while walking
    Feel better soon!

    And youre happy to diagnose over the internet... interesting :huh:
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    So, I'm a doctor (for realsies).
    Knees can be tricky because the pain is so hard to locate and a lot of structures overlap.
    Good news is its unlikely you strained your patellar tendon- it's really tough and hard to hurt.
    I'd put my money on patellofemoral syndrome, especially if the knee starts off painful in a run, goes away *sometimes* while running, and comes back worse in minutes to hours after your run is done.
    That is like 90% of the knee pain I see in young women. I had it myself for about 10 years before fixing it.

    It's an imbalance in the muscles around your kneecap that helps it "track" up and down.
    The quad muscle on the "outside' of the thigh gets stronger than the "inside" quad muscle and it pulls your kneecap off track.
    You need to strengthen those "inner" quad muscles- I trust you can google "patellofemoral syndrome" and look up treatment if you think it fits!
    For me, doing squats daily for about a month fixed my problem and it never came back (yay)

    I also agree with above- RICE it until it stops hurting you while walking
    Feel better soon!

    I would put my money on this, I had it too. I also had mild knee bursitis. The doctor knew to look for it despite not being visibly swollen when I told him that kneeling was painful and he could reproduce the pain by pressing on it and having me straighten my knee. I was told to stop running for a while and use ice on it.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Eva_M97 wrote: »
    I've been jogging pretty much every day for a bit over a month...

    Regardless of what this is, you've got an overuse injury.

    Once you're clear of the pain use a structured plan to get into running, initially I'd recommend Couch to 5K as a good option.

    As above, the knee is complex and has a wide range of potential injuries that can't be diagnosed remotely. That said, there are some preventive mechanisms that will help a number of the options. Generally core strength of muscular imbalance related. Some form of resistance training will help you, and will also improve your running in the round. Personally I prefer body weight training, but there are lots of options.
  • Eva_M97
    Eva_M97 Posts: 49 Member
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    Eva_M97 wrote: »
    I've been jogging pretty much every day for a bit over a month...

    Regardless of what this is, you've got an overuse injury.

    Once you're clear of the pain use a structured plan to get into running, initially I'd recommend Couch to 5K as a good option.

    As above, the knee is complex and has a wide range of potential injuries that can't be diagnosed remotely. That said, there are some preventive mechanisms that will help a number of the options. Generally core strength of muscular imbalance related. Some form of resistance training will help you, and will also improve your running in the round. Personally I prefer body weight training, but there are lots of options.

    I've already done c25k but I'll see if i could use the 10k version for my 10km training , and I've been doing strength training about 3-4 times a week , for the legs especially different types of squats, hip lifts, lunges (except that one really hurt's my knee so not now) but yeah maybe I'll up my sets amount
  • HeliumIsNoble
    HeliumIsNoble Posts: 1,213 Member
    edited July 2017
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    Hah. Funny.

    I had knee pain for over a year before I gave up on it getting better on its own and went to the doctor. Doctor poked it, said pretty much the same as @Frequently_Fabulous, gave me some knee exercises (http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/conditions/osteoarthritis-of-the-knee/knee-pain-exercises.aspx) and told me that if doing those didn't work, I was to come straight back and book with the practice physio.

    Guess what? I don't think I'm going to need to see the physio!
  • maryjaquiss
    maryjaquiss Posts: 307 Member
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    Rest it for at least a week, maybe two - bitter experience talking here! I ran on ITB syndrome (could be another possibility for you) and was out for such a long time because I didn't rest it. You won't lose much fitness over a couple of weeks but you will over months!

    I've been strength training since coming back to running about a year ago (just bodyweight routine) and have found that I've been getting far fewer niggles than I had done in the past.
  • Eva_M97
    Eva_M97 Posts: 49 Member
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    Hmm ok so I'll rice my knee, up my strenght training, add some knee exercises and that should get it better
  • runlaugheatpie
    runlaugheatpie Posts: 376 Member
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    Eva_M97 wrote: »
    Hmm ok so I'll rice my knee, up my strenght training, add some knee exercises and that should get it better

    and don't run every day. most runners have issues with their knees because of overuse AND not training the muscles that support the knees. I'm another runner who didn't do the right thing and have been on and off injured for the last year, slowly finally recovering.

  • KevHex
    KevHex Posts: 256 Member
    edited July 2017
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    Honestly, spend time stretching all your muscles from glutes down, all leg muscles and lower back. I've run several marathons in the past and get knee pain and 9 times out of 10 it is related to tight muscles pulling on your knee cap. The pain and tenderness is likely due to tension in the upper muscle band that connects from the hip area to the knee cap. Use Google or YouTube for running related stretches. Good luck.

    https://youtu.be/iQvqNU1hOgE
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Eva_M97 wrote: »
    Eva_M97 wrote: »
    I've been jogging pretty much every day for a bit over a month...

    Regardless of what this is, you've got an overuse injury.

    Once you're clear of the pain use a structured plan to get into running, initially I'd recommend Couch to 5K as a good option.

    As above, the knee is complex and has a wide range of potential injuries that can't be diagnosed remotely. That said, there are some preventive mechanisms that will help a number of the options. Generally core strength of muscular imbalance related. Some form of resistance training will help you, and will also improve your running in the round. Personally I prefer body weight training, but there are lots of options.

    I've already done c25k but I'll see if i could use the 10k version for my 10km training , and I've been doing strength training about 3-4 times a week , for the legs especially different types of squats, hip lifts, lunges (except that one really hurt's my knee so not now) but yeah maybe I'll up my sets amount

    How long did it take from you doing c25k which is 3 x a week to running nearly every day?