My SISTER is having KNEE pains while running??

[RunDiggity]

My sister says that she is really have some funky knee pains when she runs - this happens ALOT and every doctor she has gone to says its nothing and they have done tests and everything...

Any ideas? I told her ice and heat and ibuprofen but she wonders if anyone has had this problem --??

She can run for about a week and then it acts up and bothers her??

 

[kathryn]

Has she been checked by a podiatrist? Sometimes knee pain is because of foot misalignment. Custom orthotics might help (even store-bought orthotics, like Powerstep orthotics can work well for some people).

Maybe she's increasing the intensity/distance too quickly? A general rule is to increase no more than 10% per week in distance, and to not try to increase both distance and intensity (speed) at the same time.

Hope she can find something that helps. On the other hand, maybe she's just not built for running?

 

[pixie9]

It sounds like plain old anterior knee pain to me (of course I'm not sure). Foot orthotics may help. There are a few studies out there that showed the over the counter orthotics actually worked BETTER than the custom ones. Also, a LOT of knee pain can be because of hip mechanics (many people who have weak hips end up having knee pain).

HTH!
Carolyn

 

[andtckrtoo]

Also have her check her shoes for proper fit and make sure they are not too worn out. That makes a difference. The terrain she runs on as well can make a difference - avoid concrete if at all possible.

 

[trooper15]

Has your sister gone to a sportsmedicine specialist? They are not uncommon anymore and I would highly recommend it. Knee injuries are unfortunately pretty common with runners. Where exactly is it? The two most common knee injuries are patellafemoral syndrome or "runners knee" with a soreness usually around the kneecap and agrravated by running or climbing stairs. Pain on the side of the knee (outside) is usually iliotibial band syndrome. ITBS. This is frequently brought on by running on uneven surface, speedworkouts, or downhill running. Anyway, REST is most important as well as proper footwear, orthotics could help alot. A good sportsmedicine MD could help point her in the right direction.

ShellyC

 

[maddiesmum]

Look for the thread on "runner's knee" that was posted and responded to last week for further suggestions.

Clare

 

[kathryn]

> The two most common knee injuries are
>patellafemoral syndrome or "runners knee" with a soreness
>usually around the kneecap and agrravated by running or
>climbing stairs.

Patellafemoral pain syndrome is due to mistracking of the knee. "Runners knee" is usually the term used for chondromalacia patella (and PT's check for it by pressing on your knee while you straighten it, to see if there is any grinding, which is from wearing away of the inner surface of the kneecap.

You mention that she gets this pain after running for a week. Does she run every day? Not good if she's just starting out. The body (muscles, tendons, ligaments) need time to adapt. She might want to start out 3x a week, non-consecutive days, and go from there (if she happens to be running more often than that).

A friend of mine runs marathons, and he has to work back up to things if he's taken time off, otherwise he starts having pains in various parts.

 

[RunDiggity]

thanks ladies - i forwarded my sis a few responses and she is googling things on "runners knee" and my guess is that she probably starts things too quickly but she has had this weird problem for the last year on and off and nobody can ever figure it out. I think its from pushing too hard too quickly and probably the pronation thing, i think she has super flat feet and its hard for her to fit shoes the way it is........

thanks again!!

 

[pixie9]

If she has flat feet, it is imperative that she has the right shoes. She needs something that supports her arches because she has no built in shock absorption.

Carolyn

 

[Reese777]

I haven't read the other posts so forgive me if I repeat anything...she could be wearing the wrong shoes; she could need inserts; she could just have weak knees - can she do lunges and squat? I have knee pain if I slack off on building my quad and it's brutal too...lots of crunching, cracking and pain pain pain. When I build that muscle up though, I'm fine. I hope she can remedy this though, because I know how painful it is to want to run and feel pain!