I am hoping that someone is going to be able to help me with this ( and hopefully help me avoid some future disaster).  As you know, I am in the final recovery stages of an IT Band injury.

As part of my recovery, my physical therapist showed me how to tape my knee prior to working out which seems to help.  I have done this diligently.

Now, however, I seem to be developing something new.  While running,  I notice pain/sensitivity on the two "pointy parts" on the front of my knee cap on the taped knee.  It's not severe pain, but it's noticeable.  Soreness continues in these two specific areas several hours after my runs. I have no ITB or other symptoms at all.

Does anyone know what this could be?  Am I revving up for yet another (different) set of problems? What should I do about this?

I have included a picture, with the red dots indicating the location of my pain.

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Tags: knee pain, kneecap, injury, runner's knee

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Ooh - that would be great. The interesting thing is that the heel lift, taping, etc. were all part of my physical therapy. So are you saying that once the injury is healed there is really no need for these things...that they could actually contribute to re-injury? I look forward to seeing your specific recommendations on strength building. Posted by: bmoore on Feb 16, 2009 at 06:45 PM

Ouch!! Several typos in my last sentence of my last comment. Fire my editor!! (Oops, that's me). The corrected last sentence: "In my next post, I will make recommendations on how to develop running-specific strength to help prevent IT band injury." Posted by: bennettc on Feb 15, 2009 at 12:00 PM

I'm glad that you've experienced a reduction in knee pain, especially that you were able to achieve it by your own intervention. As a rule, heel lifts, orthotics and other devices and aids (e.g. taping) attempt to compensate for, not correct the underlying problem. The real issue is a lack of running-specific strength in your lower body, which is very common amongst runners. Developing your running-specific strength will: 1) improve your biomechanics 2) make you more injury resistant 3) improve your performance as a runner. In make next post, I will make some recommendations to develop running-specific strength that you and other Traxee members will be able to incorporate into your training. Posted by: bennettc on Feb 15, 2009 at 11:51 AM

Pure genius! So I stopped taping when I ran on Thursday. Lo and behold, the pain is GREATLY dissipated. So this morning, I got really bold and removed the heel lift in my left shoe that I have been using since my injury. No issues - though it's funny, I did feel a little "off balance." I may have to try this experiment again. Posted by: bmoore on Feb 14, 2009 at 12:53 PM

It must be frustrating to start experiencing new pain, especially after you've already suffered through a long layoff due to the ITB injury. Do the knee pain symptoms start at the beginning of the run, middle or end of the run? Your answer will provide a clue as to what is ailing you. What can you do today? 1) Ice after every run. Ice is nature's anti-inflammatory. Ice 10 minutes on; 10 minutes off; 10 minutes on. 2) Try running without taping your knee. If you experience a reduction in knee pain, you'll know that taping your knee forces a subtle change in biomechanics that results in your new knee pain. Obtain a diagnosis from a sports-injury professional who speciallizes in running injuries. Keep us posted on your progress Posted by: bennettc on Feb 12, 2009 at 05:30 AM