I need quick help (Runner's knee)

[Charles9t4]

Here is the story. I bought some new running shoes last week. I have already put about 30 miles on them with no problems they feel great.(Asics Kayano XI) Yesterday I was doing the usual 5.5~6 mile run and at about mile 4 my knee starting hurting like it was "tight" or need to be "popped" back into place. I stopped stretched but nothing changed then as I cam around the last turn which is downhill. It hurt extremely bad. I went home iced it. It was a little swollen. I slept with a heat pad on it last night and thismorning it feels good just a little tight. I am going to swim today and tomorrow.

My question is I made a long drive the other day and my back was pretty tight from sitting so long in a car. Could this of caused my knee to hurt? Is it my shoes? The place where I run does a have a steep bank in some places and my left leg is always the sort leg but I have been running there for about 3 weeks now could that be it?

I guess I just want someone who is a seasoned runner to tell me it will be ok or a way to find out the cause. I am freaking out because I leave for OCS in 47 hours.

 

[Brett327]

Here is the story. I bought some new running shoes last week. I have already put about 30 miles on them with no problems they feel great.(Asics Kayano XI) Yesterday I was doing the usual 5.5~6 mile run and at about mile 4 my knee starting hurting like it was "tight" or need to be "popped" back into place. I stopped stretched but nothing changed then as I cam around the last turn which is downhill. It hurt extremely bad. I went home iced it. It was a little swollen. I slept with a heat pad on it last night and thismorning it feels good just a little tight. I am going to swim today and tomorrow.

My question is I made a long drive the other day and my back was pretty tight from sitting so long in a car. Could this of caused my knee to hurt? Is it my shoes? The place where I run does a have a steep bank in some places and my left leg is always the sort leg but I have been running there for about 3 weeks now could that be it?

I guess I just want someone who is a seasoned runner to tell me it will be ok or a way to find out the cause. I am freaking out because I leave for OCS in 47 hours.

Runner's knee, is usually caused by over/under pronation - basically when your foot strikes more on one side or the other (laterally). I've had this condition for the last 13 years or so and the key is to get what are called "Motion Control" shoes. All the big shoe manufacturers make them and they cost you a little more, but I've been using them for years and I run 15-20 miles a week and I've been pain-free ever since. I would go to a designated "running shoe" store (i.e. not sports locker) and have them evaluate you so you can get the right kind of shoe. They'll likely be familiar with all the common running related aches and pains, so if you describe what's going on, they will hook you up. Hope that helps. Good luck!

Brett

 

[squorch2]

Brett is right on about motion control shoes for pronation problems. I would also advise you to go to a podiatrist - after OCS, obviously - and see if you can get some prescription orthotics (inserts for your shoes) - they go a long way towards helping your knee pain if the motion control footwear don't quite do it.

 

[gagirl]

Just another suggestion from an ortho my husband saw for almost the same thing 1 week before OCS.

He said that if you run on the same side of the road day after day and not on something like a track it can cause severe knee pain and swelling. Once he stared running on a track where it was level everywhere and he iced it it all went away.

Hope that makes some sense. good luck.

 

[feddoc]

Runner's knee, is usually caused by over/under pronation - basically when your foot strikes more on one side or the other (laterally). I've had this condition for the last 13 years or so and the key is to get what are called "Motion Control" shoes. All the big shoe manufacturers make them and they cost you a little more, but I've been using them for years and I run 15-20 miles a week and I've been pain-free ever since. I would go to a designated "running shoe" store (i.e. not sports locker) and have them evaluate you so you can get the right kind of shoe. They'll likely be familiar with all the common running related aches and pains, so if you describe what's going on, they will hook you up. Hope that helps. Good luck!

Brett

What Brett and gagirl said make sense....take a look at a pair of old shoes and see if one side is worn more. That would be a good indication of over/under pronation. Brooks and Saucony make some good 'motion control' shoes. Orthotics will work too...might be a bit less comfortable than the shoes. Oh, go see your orthopod once you get settled.

 

[snow85]

not everyone has a problem with road running, but what gagirl is saying is true--

a road is pitched in the middle to help with drainage, so you're always running horizontally along a slope. ideally, you you want to run 2 miles out on the left side, and then your 2 miles back on the right side-- so that you're actually running back over the same area, and it 'evens out' the wear and tear on your legs. post-surgical patients are not allowed to run on roads for this very reason, and are relegated to completely flat surfaces with no curves, aka the straight parts of the track.

however, for safety's sake, if you're running on a road, always run against traffic. no if's, and's or but's.

one really easy way to tell what kind of shoes you need is to get your feet wet, and then walk along paper or concrete. don't be self-conscious about the fact that you're doing it, because you can mess it up. the shape of the footprint will tell you how you walk, and what type of shoes you need-- high arches, low arches, flat feet (shoes that are flat on the bottom). if you over or under pronate, you will see that too. (heavy print = lots of weight there. no print = no weight.)

once you figure that out, you can go to newbalance.com, for example, and select men's training shoes. near the bottom is a box where you can choose from variety of different shoe functions, like stability, motion control, cushioning, etc.

(asics makes a great shoe, just make sure you have the right one for your foot. your shoes are probably too new to see a pattern in the sole, but if you still have old ones, check them out the way you would read a car tire.)

to give some answers to your questions (not related to your feet/shoes):

1. yes, driving can absolutely cause you to have problems with your back, and with your legs. sometimes it's just for sitting in the same position for so long. keep in mind that your hamstrings connect in your lower back, and also right around your knees. if they were tight from driving, this could definitely cause problems in both areas.

2. yes, it could be where you're running, especially if your legs are not of equal strength. it's more common than you think, and it can cause either leg to hurt. make sure that you're lifting both knees to an equal height, to ensure that they are both being worked equally.

3. you're not likely to do enough stretching in the middle of a workout to work out that sort of discomfort. make sure that you're stretching your IT band, your hamstrings, and your quads, really well. also make sure that you're stretching your calves-- they connect at your knees, too.

 

[Charles9t4]

Thanks for the quick responses.
The shoes I have were reccomended to me by a running specialist at road runner sports. I do tend to run on the outside of my feet and the Kayano XI is specially designed for stability.
I spoke with an Athletic trainer yesterday and he said that my back being tight or hams could of caused it and definetely me left leg being the short leg all the time could of caused it.
Right now I am doing ice and ibuprofen. I feel pretty good today but I am not going to run on it again until my in PRT this next Tuesday. I just want to make sure it is 100%
Thanks again guys.