Runner's Knee A Problem for Women Runners

Many of us are currently training for late summer and early fall races, and as we increase our mileage, so too does the potential for injury. 

Of all the injuries experienced by runners, knee injuries can be the most maddening (and painful).  There is nothing worse than watching as others zip by you while you hobble along in pain, unable to find relief (and stubbornly clinging to your mileage goals).  Yeah, I’ve been there.

“Runner’s Knee” as it’s commonly called, is the most common of all knee injuries and can be especially common in women runners due to the wider placement of their hips, (which increases the tendency to overpronate).

Runner’s Knee usually starts as stiffness and a general ache – the pain feels like it’s both inside and around your knee.  This condition is typically found in runners who overpronate when they run – causing the knee to track improperly and thus put pressure on the inside and middle portion of their knees.  If left unchecked and untreated over time, this condition can lead to chondromalacia, a problem you REALLY don’t want, in which the cartilage in your knee actually begins to break down and disintegrate…and damaged cartilage doesn’t heal.

What to do?

1          - Reduce mileage (or stop running entirely) for at least 2 weeks (sorry)

- Change your shoes to a good motion-control model

- Have a gait analysis done and consider wearing orthotics

- Ice the area and use an anti-inflammatory like Advil

- Stretch and strengthen the supportive muscles around your knee by doing  thigh stretches and squats

- See a good physical therapist that specializes in sports injury

Ignoring this problem will not do you any good, believe me.  Runners Knee is no fun—but the consequences of ignoring the problem can be even worse – never being able to run again!
 

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