Sick of runners knee

jen_23

Hi all,

I completed the half marathon today after months in Physio for runners knee. At mile 10 it came on me again even though my last long run was 13 miles and no issues and I had a pre marathon Physio session.

I still finished in 2hrs 7 mins after a few stops to manipulate my knee to allow me to keep running 😣.

I'm wondering has anyone any advice? Is there anything else other than Physio people have had good results with? I foam roll and I do Crossfit as well but it still doesn't seem to be disappearing. I'm aiming for the full marathon next year so I need to kick this thing

Thanks

thehamo

jen_23 wrote: »

Hi all,

I completed the half marathon today after months in Physio for runners knee. At mile 10 it came on me again even though my last long run was 13 miles and no issues and I had a pre marathon Physio session.

I still finished in 2hrs 7 mins after a few stops to manipulate my knee to allow me to keep running 😣.

I'm wondering has anyone any advice? Is there anything else other than Physio people have had good results with? I foam roll and I do Crossfit as well but it still doesn't seem to be disappearing. I'm aiming for the full marathon next year so I need to kick this thing

Thanks

What exactly has the physio diagnosed you with and how did they go about treating it?

average_runner

jen_23 wrote: »

Hi all,

I completed the half marathon today after months in Physio for runners knee. At mile 10 it came on me again even though my last long run was 13 miles and no issues and I had a pre marathon Physio session.

I still finished in 2hrs 7 mins after a few stops to manipulate my knee to allow me to keep running 😣.

I'm wondering has anyone any advice? Is there anything else other than Physio people have had good results with? I foam roll and I do Crossfit as well but it still doesn't seem to be disappearing. I'm aiming for the full marathon next year so I need to kick this thing

Thanks

I have a mild version of runners knee right now, taken the week off as a bit run down also.

Basically you will need to do strengthening exercises, hip rotations etc. Also have a knee strap which i will use.

kapa

Hi thehamo, I feel your pain. I have a bad knee also and cannot get rid of it. I am taking glucosamine which helps a lot and turmeric is a natural anti-inflamatory. I also find that yoga helps, it is much better after it.

biketard

I get it too. What's helped for me is VERY slowly building up the miles, doing core exercises, using a roller and keeping my knees/thighs warm.

I've only had it once in the past year now and that was cos I upped the miles too quickly and ran in cold/wet weather without sufficient insulation on my thighs/knees.

thehamo

kapa wrote: »

Hi thehamo, I feel your pain. I have a bad knee also and cannot get rid of it. I am taking glucosamine which helps a lot and turmeric is a natural anti-inflamatory. I also find that yoga helps, it is much better after it.

Not the OP but thanks.for your concern

Enduro

Runners' Knee is a result of assymetric muscle development, I think! I developed it after training for my first marathon (which was my first running race). I haven't had a recurrence since then, which I attribute to doing lots of cycling, since cycling is training up a different group of muscles. So more cross training, such as cycling, would be worth trying.

vanderlyle

Hi jen, I suffered with it last year, but it cleared up after getting good advice from a physiotherapist. You need to see someone who will get to the root cause of the issue. Simply foam rolling and getting it massaged may provide relief but will not find the underlying cause. For me the pain was in my right knee and the cause was an issue in my right foot, but everybody is different.

jen_23

Thanks everyone for the replies, it's great to get advice and tips from you all )

thehamo wrote: »

What exactly has the physio diagnosed you with and how did they go about treating it?

It's Runners knee caused by a tight IT band apparently. It seems nothing works though - between foam rolling, Physio and crossfit to try and strengthen quads and hips it seems to keep reoccurring. I just don't seem to be able to escape it!

biketard wrote: »

I get it too. What's helped for me is VERY slowly building up the miles, doing core exercises, using a roller and keeping my knees/thighs warm.
I cut back and started building miles slower when I first encountered the problem and that seemed to work for me too until now!

I've only had it once in the past year now and that was cos I upped the miles too quickly and ran in cold/wet weather without sufficient insulation on my thighs/knees.

I never thought of that but it's possible the weather conditions may have helped the flare up?

Enduro wrote: »

Runners' Knee is a result of assymetric muscle development, I think! I developed it after training for my first marathon (which was my first running race). I haven't had a recurrence since then, which I attribute to doing lots of cycling, since cycling is training up a different group of muscles. So more cross training, such as cycling, would be worth trying.

I hate cycling ! (Hate might be strong but I haven't cycled since my teens!) but I've heard it a few times now that it would be good so I think I might have to suck it up and just do it

vanderlyle wrote: »

Hi jen, I suffered with it last year, but it cleared up after getting good advice from a physiotherapist. You need to see someone who will get to the root cause of the issue. Simply foam rolling and getting it massaged may provide relief but will not find the underlying cause. For me the pain was in my right knee and the cause was an issue in my right foot, but everybody is different.

This is exactly what I've been doing is foam rolling and regular Physio - once a week for a few months and I seem to get a few more miles up but it creeps back. My right knee too - it's awful when it kicks in
My Physio has suggested that maybe my body just isn't built for long distance running???

Notwork Error

jen_23 wrote: »

My Physio has suggested that maybe my body just isn't built for long distance running???

Get a new physio or better yet, a sports injury therapist with a running background. I can't believe a physio said that for what is in the grand scale of things, a small issue. a pain yeah but nothing serious but nothing suprises me anymore.

Like Vanderlyle said, getting the cause is the main thing and not merely treating it.

double GG

I take it you do a lot of road running? Is it just the one knee? Your left?

The natural camber in a road ( tends to be more pronounced on secondary roads) can be quite problematic for tight IT bands as you're generally running with the one leg slightly up on the road.

Again it can be from a multitude of causes but I would suggest seeing a different physio/ therapist.

thehamo

double GG wrote: »

I take it you do a lot of road running? Is it just the one knee? Your left?

The natural camber in a road ( tends to be more pronounced on secondary roads) can be quite problematic for tight IT bands as you're generally running with the one leg slightly up on the road.

Again it can be from a multitude of causes but I would suggest seeing a different physio/ therapist.

True that, I can be any amount of causes. "runners knee" is a nice generic term therapist and trainers alike throw around because they don't REALLY know whats going on. The go to diagnosis is always Tight IT band. But what you really need to know is why is the IT band tight in the first place?

There are too many reasons as to why people get knee pain when running to say what it is without fully assessing a person. I, like others, would suggest trying a new physio and getting a second opinion.

tunney

thehamo wrote: »

True that, I can be any amount of causes. "runners knee" is a nice generic term therapist and trainers alike throw around because they don't REALLY know whats going on. The go to diagnosis is always Tight IT band. But what you really need to know is why is the IT band tight in the first place?

There are too many reasons as to why people get knee pain when running to say what it is without fully assessing a person. I, like others, would suggest trying a new physio and getting a second opinion.

Most physios treat the cause, or what they say is the cause, of the injury rather than the acute symptoms. learn to switch off the TFL. learn to know when you are going to be in trouble and treat pre-emptively.

Most importantly learn to run. I'd venture a guess the OPs technique is poor and they recruit the wrong muscles. Running isn't something you just do, its a skill as well.