The March 2011 issue of Runners World had a section in entitled The Big 7 Body Breakdowns and how to recover from the most common injuries. This was a well timed article with most people started to ramp up their training for the spring running season. Let's face it, there are times when running hurts. Make no mistake about it. There is however a difference between a body part hurting and a body part in significant or extreme pain. Since I know that some of you might not read running publications I am going to take the next few days and review The Big 7 Body Breakdowns. Any one of these breakdowns has the potential to occur with any of us, so here we go....
Number 1 on the list is the infamous Runner's Knee.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome or "runners knee" is the irritation of cartilage on the underside of the patella (kneecap). About 40 percent of running injuries are knee injuries. And 13 percent of runners suffered from knee pain in the past year, according to 4,500 respondents to runnersworld.com poll. PFPS typically flares up during or after long runs, after extended periods of sitting, or while descending hills and stairs.
Who is at risk? Anyone with biomechanical factors that put extra load on the knee is vulnerable to PFPS. Risk factors include overpronation (excessive inward foot rolling) and weak quads, hips, or glutes.
Can you run through it? Yes, but taking extra rest days and reducing your mileage is necessary. Run every other day and only go as far as you can go without pain. Some runners find that uphill running is less painful, so you can simulate running on a treadmill. Uphill running has the added value of working your glutes. Strong gluteal muscles help control hip and thigh movement, preventing the knees from turning inward. Avoid running downhill, which can exacerbate pain. Bicycling may speed your recovery by strengthening the quads. Elliptical training and swimming are other knee-friendly activities.
Rehab it. Strengthen weak hip and glute muscles with lateral side steps. Place a loop of resistance band just above your ankles or your knees. Separate your feet and bend your knees, lowering down into a slightly crouched position. While staying in that position, walk sideways 10 to 15 steps, keeping your feet straight and your upper body still. Then reverse directions. Postrun icing also provides relief in the early stages of this injury. Heat works best once the injury is healthy and no longer in an acute stage.
Prevent a relapse. Shorten your stride and try to land with your knee slightly bent, which can take up to 30 percent load off the joint. Count the number of steps you take per minute and increase by 5 to 10 percent per minute. Keep your knee tracking correctly by strengthening your knee's support muscles like quads and glutes with exercises like lateral steps and squats. It is also very important to stretch your hip flexors. I personally think the squat is the absolute best exercise to strengthen your quads and your glutes. Below I put in two pictures that I had recently taken for a work related project but fit nicely here in this blog post. When you are going to perform a proper squat you want to ensure that your feet are shoulder width apart or slightly more than shoulder width, your feet are straight (keep your toes pointed directly in front of you), keep your back, neck and head straight. (see image on top). The movement from the starting position is very deliberate. Bend at your knees while keeping your back, neck and head straight. Push your buttocks out as you go down just like you would if you were going to go sit down in a chair. Come down as far as you can go without hurting yourself but do NOT pass the 90 degree angle. (see image on the bottom) You do not want your buttocks to be lower than your knees. Once you reach the down position, you push yourself back up. You will feel the strain in your glutes and quads almost immediately. This is a basic squat. There are many more variations but for our purposes this one simple exercise if performed properly can and will help you get through your knee pain by strengthening muscles that affect how you run.
In the end, it comes down to knowing your body and knowing when the pain is just irritating or if the pain appears to be coming from a more serious issue. The very last thing any of us want is to run ourselves into an injury that derails us from the goals we have set for ourselves.
The information I have provided are excerpts from Runners World. To read the entire article I encourage you to purchase the March 2011 issue and turn to page 50.
Happy Running
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