Knee Pain when Running
On today’s blog we are talking all about Knee Pain when Running. Its a very common complaint we see here at the Physio & Sports Injury Clinic, and left untreated can be very painful. So we are going to try and answer the question: ‘Why does my Knee Hurt when I Run?’
Running is a fantastic sport/hobby, its relivately cheap to do and anyone can do it! This explains the huge popularity for Park Run (The free 5km run every Saturday) with over 6 million registered members worldwide now! However, to be a good runner there’s more to it than meets the eye. Just because you can walk doesn’t mean you were born to run? There is an art to running well & stay injury-free!
Whether you are an experienced runner or a complete novice/beginner - anyone can pick up an injury. The most common areas of injury we see around the knee from running include:
Kneecap (PFPS)
Ligaments (inner or outer)
IT Band
Patella tendon
Cartilage
So Why does my knee hurt during/after running?
There can be various reasons for your knee to hurt from running. Here are my top 4 reasons why?
Training Error!
Ah, that Old Chesnut! No one likes being blamed for causing their own injury when we look for possible causes, but sadly if you set out to do something with no proper plan it usually ends up badly. Plan for what you want to do or achieve, then keep track of some basic stats (so you can analyse for yourself if you’ve done too much week on week!) Doing Too Much - Too Soon is the most common reason for sports/running injury ever! The other thing to look out for is your running speed. You would think running carefully and slow would actually be beneficial to protect your knees, but actually running too slow (plodding along) probably puts more strain/impact on the knees!
Poor footwear
Most people go out for a run in a pair of simple trainers nowadays, but you have got to ask yourself the question - are they fit for the job! Have they got enough tread left on them or are they worn out…? Check out our *Guide to buying new trainers* for the best advice on whats best. On the flip-side novice runners probably don’t need to go and spend a fortune (£200+) on expensive new ASICS or Adidas trainers. Otherwise you’re buying the ferrari of trainers when you’ve only just started out!!
We also carry out Gait Analysis for runners here at the Clinic to look at the way you walk and run. We look to see if we need to modify your running style or if you do need better footwear or insoles for your shoes. (Get in Touch if this is something you are interested in having).
Muscle Weakness
No one thinks of themselves as being weak and manages to live a normal life, but when you run you body has to deal with approx. 6x your bodyweight in extra forces (which you may feel but you can’t physically see). Not many people can lift 6x their body weight!! This is why runners need to be ‘Strong’ to run (but not with extra muscle bulk, but with lean endurance muscle). Nearly every runner I have ever treated here at the Physio Clinic just runs, and does nothing else! That is a big issue and allows people to fall into the repetitve strain injury trap! My tip would be to add in some weekly exercises for the Hips, Hamstrings, quads and Calves!
Poor Flexibility
Along with strength, on the flipside is Flexibility (and also having a balance between the 2). Most of the structures around the knee are held in place by having adequate length & tension. Reduced flexibility allows these structures to rub, pinch or grind together often causing pain, redness and swelling. [For more info about stretching have a read of another blog we wrote - To Stretch or Not to Stretch!] My tip here is to look at: Yoga, Pilates, Foam rolling and Sports Massage which can all help with improving flexibility.
So there you have my 4 main reasons why your Knee may hurt from Running. Remember our usual advice though with any injury… ‘If in doubt - get it checked out by a medical professional!’
If you are suffering with a recent running injury and would like our help to get it sorted quickly, then click the link below to get in touch with us.
Tel. 01492 545 291