keeping your knee from hurting

I get sore when I don't hydrate enough. Coconut water? Someone even told me just to put salt in my water even.

I am sure you may already be doing this but a really good strech before and after your run is important. Also it could be the shoes you are wearing not a cheap fix in the short term but long term it would be worth it to check into a shoe store that specializes in shoe fittings.

I use Ben Gay for pain along with an anti-inflammatory like Ibuprofen. But (RICE) Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation is the best remedy.

ICE!. If you can ice it then do it! I pretty much always have to ice my knee after a run after my knee surgery and the weight I put on in gets inflammed quickly afterwards. When I ice it the inflammation goes down and it doesn't hurt as much...then I also take Ibuprofen!

You want to follow the RICE formula to heal faster and speed recovery. Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Rest.. stop joggin for awhile, Ice your knee 20 mins 3 times a day, wrap it with an ace bandage and lay on the couch with your leg elevated above your heart. Remember jogging is not the only cardio exercise. In fact I never jog. You can bike or some other piece of equipment to burn calories. Make sure you are doing some resistance training to strengthen the four muscles (quads) that run thru your kneecap and stabilize your patella.

What type of pain? Can you describe it? (Above the knee, below the knee cap, sharp pain, does it go away while running, inside knee, back of knee etc) Share some details.

How often are you running? Do you stretch after running?

Post workout, do a good stretch and then ice the affected area.

Now lets look at some of the likely causes... Most lower leg injuries are caused by one of four things (or a combination of).

1. SHOES... Improper or worn out Footwear. How new are your shoes? Running shoes tend to lose their support quickly when running. Something to do with slamming your feet into the ground repeatedly for a few miles that breaks em down. I replace mine every 300 miles (I'm on the larger side for running) Most expertes recommend every 500 miles or so.

2. OVERTRAINING - The so called doing too much too soon. People need to build up slowly. The recommendation is to never exceed your previous weeks total by more than 10%. If you run 10 miles this week, you should only run 11 next week (and so on and so forth).

3. BIOMECHANICAL IMBALANCE - We aren't all created equally. Problems in our running form develop muscle imbalances which lead to injuries. The key is to figure out what causes them and address them. This is why we should have a qualified expert look at the way we run and then decide on an appropriate type of footwear or whether we need orthotics.

4. FORM - Sloppy form leads to pain. People should be running in a "Falling Forward" position with knees bent. Your foot should be landing on the mid/fore foot and lead with the hips. Many running shoes actually encourage the opposite and cause excessive heel striking and overstriding (which is counterproductive) As an experiment... Try running on a grass barefoot. Pay attention to how your foot hits the ground. Your form will actually start to correct itself very quickly. With Barefeet you will not be able to heel strike (without excessive pain)

Hope this helps.

ok, I had broken a sesmoid bone a while ago and just got out of a walking boot end of May. I am not a runner but want to be and am taining at a very slow pace (12 minute mile) walking and jogging and building up the distance that I can jog. I am pacing myself to not re injure the foot.

I wear these new balance that are supposed to be the closest thing to orthopedics that you can get... along wtih special insoles... but I am thinking that they are pretty heavy for running at this point.

the pain feels like it is on the inside, but right side of the knee... if that makes any sense. I also sometimes get that same pain when horseback riding, though the pain from that is subsiding *just started lessons a few weeks ago*.

Is the pain above the knee, at the knee or below the knee?

Also who fitted you for the shoes? Hopefully, not the kid at Walmart or Target, or the guy paid on commission who has no knowledge of biomechanics. There is no doubt that everyone's feet are different. And thats why you should go and be professionally fitted. The wrong type of shoes can cause you injuries. Example Motion Control shoes are designed for people who pronate. If you don't pronate and have a neutral foot... they will push you to suppinate which can cause injuries.

Obviously no one can give you an accurate diagnosis over the internet. For that reason alone, I would suggest going to see someone who specializes in running. In my case, I had a gait analysis performed by a sports physiotherapist. A good physiotherapist will also look at and treat your injury, and try to sort out the root cause. Well worth the price of the appointment.

Good Luck!

See a doctor.

That type of pain may indicate early onset osteoarthritis, particularly the pain that is present when you first start moving. Running may be something that you need to discuss with a physician.

I'd encourage you to try to find a non-surgical (aka: "conservative") orthopedic. Some orthopedics who are a little advanced in age and retired from surgical practice may better work with you rather than giving you a knee-jerk (no pun intended) surgical recommendation.

And, in the meantime, do as much leg strengthening exercises as you're able. Swim, if you have access to a pool. Get ankle weights and do leg lifts and extensions, lying and standing, in every direction. The stronger your quads, hamstrings, etc. are the less brunt of impact your joints will have to absorb.

Speaking from experience, not trying to project ...