Runner's Knee - How to fix ASAP?

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Try dating and find someone to fall in love with.

You'll completely forget about your knee problems in the time it takes for it to heal.

Ice the knee every day. Take Advil every day. STOP RUNNING. A week off won't matter. Otherwise you won't be your team's #1 runner this fall, I can promise you that.

These tips might help.

http://www.runnersworld.com/tag/runners-knee

Usually its an easy issue to overcome but the "asap" mentality is what really ends up prolonging things. I've had to learn that the hard way as have many others. I'd give it a full week off and then the following week only go for a few easy runs. If you start to feel it on a run, just call it quits right there and rest some more. In the mean time do strength workouts instead if they are not painful.

You need to address the underlying issue. Runners knee is not going to be fixed just by resting it.

Your knee typically hurts because some other part (IT band, quads, hammies, etc.) is too tight or weak, it's causing an imbalance and pressure on your knee. You'll need to do stretching/exercises to strengthen all those areas. There's no quick fix, but the sooner you start, the better. If you really want the fastest recovery go to an ortho or a PT.

I went through PT for runners knee several years ago and was allowed to continue running as long as I also did all the stretching/strengthening routines.

My PT also did something called McConnell taping, look it up. It seemed to help a lot.

Runners knee is not usually serious but can become a much bigger problem if the underlying issues are not handled.

You don't mention swelling, plus the pain went away after some running during your race which makes me think its not runners knee.

I would go to a chiropractor and check for an imbalance that could be putting extra pressure on the knee causing the pain. This type injury doesn't get better with rest and what you're experience sounds more like this. The good news if it is an imbalance issue it can be fixed relatively quickly if you're diligent about the about getting the imbalance corrected and there isn't anything that is actually wrong with your knee.

Never really found runner's knee had much to do with underlying issues. More of a too much, too soon/wrong time kind of thing. You probably got it from ramping up your mileage and aggravated the knee by racing on it; take some time off and come back slowly, jumping back every time you have pain. Don't run through the pain ever.

Primo Numero Uno wrote:

You don't mention swelling, plus the pain went away after some running during your race which makes me think its not runners knee.

I would go to a chiropractor and check for an imbalance that could be putting extra pressure on the knee causing the pain. This type injury doesn't get better with rest and what you're experience sounds more like this. The good news if it is an imbalance issue it can be fixed relatively quickly if you're diligent about the about getting the imbalance corrected and there isn't anything that is actually wrong with your knee.

Chiropractic is a last resort!

In this case start a walking program. Walking is running slowed down. If you find that you can do that comfortably for a few days start jog/walking.

Always warm up well before the days you are going to run. This is a huge problem from kids to top professionals to ancient warrior runners! We do not like to warm up but it is crucial. (Always!)

If after really doing the right things you are still having problems see a doctor. Hopefully a running doctor. Then get exercises from him or a great physical therapist/personal trainer.

Running is mostly in the hips. The problem ultimately could be in your hips rather than anywhere else although it is complicated.

Two questions: on your left foot, is your big toe the longest toe on the foot or is it the second toe? What is the wear pattern on the bottom of your left running shoe?

DaveWottleyess wrote:

Primo Numero Uno wrote:

You don't mention swelling, plus the pain went away after some running during your race which makes me think its not runners knee.

I would go to a chiropractor and check for an imbalance that could be putting extra pressure on the knee causing the pain. This type injury doesn't get better with rest and what you're experience sounds more like this. The good news if it is an imbalance issue it can be fixed relatively quickly if you're diligent about the about getting the imbalance corrected and there isn't anything that is actually wrong with your knee.

Running is mostly in the hips. The problem ultimately could be in your hips rather than anywhere else although it is complicated.

This is a very true statement although the rest of your post was garbage.

Start a walking program what a joke. The kid took 4 days off and the issue was the same as before. The fact that this started so soon after a break lends more credence to the idea that this is an imbalance issue and if that's the case a walking program is a waste of time.

I have no idea why so many on this board are so anti chiropractors. I have been greatly helped by them when dealing with imbalance issues that was causing pain in other area's specifically the knee and calf. And for reference I'm a 2:17 marathoner in my twenties, not an aging hobby jogger with bad knees.

If this turns out to be an imbalance issue then seeing a chiropractor, a couple times a week for a few weeks, and less frequently thereafter, doing core and balance strengthening drills they recommend, WHILE CONTINUING TO RUN SOME will resolve the issue the quickest. The longer you take to see a chiropractor and get properly aligned the longer it will take to resolve the issue. Rest is going to have no positive impact if this is an imbalance issue which it sounds likely to be the case.

Go to the chiropractor and see what it is because those of us on the boards can speculate but don't know for sure what's going on from a far. If it turns out this is some actual injury to the knee or pain caused by growth spurts(can happen in someone your age) then different treatment than I describe will apply. But based on what the OP is describing I believe it is likely this is your straightforward imbalance issue that can be resolved quickly while continuing to run, maybe at a lighter level for a short period of time and may have not impact on your upcoming season.

I know this is an issue of mine. The outsides of my shoes are much more worn, I tend to land on the outside of my foot and roll inwards, which I know is terrible but I can't really control it. On my foot it looks like the second toe is just slightly longer.

STRAIGHT LEG LIFTS

I developed runner's knee in 1969-70. George Sheehan, who I knew from the road runner's scene, took pity on me and sent me to Dr. Richard Schuster, a podiatrist (see the link below). He said I had a classic case of chondromalacia--that is, runner's knee. He took pictures of my knee, legs, and feet, and featured them in one of the first articles he wrote. I had had pain for several months prior to seeing Schuster: I tried cortisone shots; rest; leg strengthening exercises; a whole gamut of things. He fitted me with orthotics (leather with a cork bottom; never a hard material) and I have been running without knee pain since. What did he find? First, Morton's Toe--that is, the second toe is longer than the big toe so the foot tends to roll in (pronate). Second, a foot imbalance, rather severe on my right foot, that caused my foot (actually, feet) to over pronate. And I should say that my shoes had a wear pattern exactly like yours (although you don't say explicitly, outside of the heel and inside on the ball of the foot, which shoes your foot is not supporting you, causing torque on the knee, which causes the patella to rub up against the underlying cartilage). So my suggestion is to get a recommendation on a good sports podiatrist, one who works with runners. Should you happen to live in the Chicago area (northwest suburbs, I can recommend someone very good. And if you do go the sports podiatrist/orthotic route, make sure the mold for the orthotics is taken when you are lying down (and not standing up). Good luck. I still remember how unbelievably frustrating it was.http://www.apma.org/WorkingForYou/NewsDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=8401

Helpmeplease wrote:

I know this is an issue of mine. The outsides of my shoes are much more worn, I tend to land on the outside of my foot and roll inwards, which I know is terrible but I can't really control it. On my foot it looks like the second toe is just slightly longer.

Sounds like amputation is called for.

This is actually pretty easy to fix. You need to strengthen your quad.

Quick question, is runner's knee a tendinitis below the knee like Osgood Shlatters?

Hey man!

Sorry to hear you're having some knee pain, it sucks. I've been there. Just some advice from what worked for me personally...Do you run on crowned roads? What I mean are roads that are slanted at a slight angle at the shoulder.

I had absolutely terrible runners knee for most of high-school. Took tons of time off, PT, icing, cortisone shots, braces and straps, you name it. The solution I found?

Don't do all your runs on the left side of the road (or right if that's what you usually do right now). Alternate with the other side or even better run bike paths, trails, sidewalks even, anything that doesn't have an angle. My runners knee was due to improper patella tracking due to the constant angle the left shoulder of the road forced my leg in.

It'll take a week or two before you'll notice if it helps or not, but that's my advice!

Thank you everyone for good advice. I took more time off, had a week of only short easy runs, then a normalish week of training, all pain free. I assumed it was finally over and today attempted to go 70ish minutes. At around the 40 min mark I noticed the pain coming back and by the 50 min mark the pain got so bad I had to stop running. I was still far from where I started so after stopping for 5ish minutes I had to do a painful run back and my total time was 64 minutes. What went wrong? Last week I did a 62 minute run entirely pain free and felt like my old self. Suddenly this week it was too painful. Today's run was slightly faster than my long run last week, but still not very fast (6:50 pace this week, 7:30 pace last week) Am I ok to continue doing runs as long as they are short enough that it doesn't become painful?

Have you tried different shoes, barefoot running, or how about single-leg step downs/squats?

Orthotics can fix one problem and lead to another. Strengthen the feet and hips to alleviate the stress/medial tilting of the knee. It could be a defective shoe issue, and a shoe change is all you need.