Everything about Knee Pain from Running
Knee pain is common amongst many people, irrespective of age. However, those who run daily are seen more to suffer from this problem. Although running is considered one of the good exercises to keep yourself healthy, it contributes a lot to developing knee aches. Apart from running, knee pain may also result from an injury, ruptured ligament, fractures, or arthritis in the knee. Almost 65% of people of all ages suffer from knee pain. However, there are many methods of treatment to get rid of this problem. This pain can be cured with the help of therapies or diagnosis apart from medication, and there are also many exercises for knee pain.
Knee Pain Causes
There may be many causes of knee joint pain. For example, causes of the pain may be running, injury, knee arthritis, or many other problems.
1. Knee Pain Caused by Running
There are many types of knee pain caused by running. One of such types is known as the runners knee, also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome. The problem arises around the kneecap (patella), and the pain occurs with friction and irritation of the cartilage. Some common symptoms of this disease are joint pain around the front side, aching sensation, and discomfort while getting up, climbing stairs, or squatting movements. Patellar tendonitis is another type of joint pain caused by running. The pain is felt below the kneecap, and you feel stiffness or aching in the joint. Patellar tendonitis gets worse with time. Almost 75% of joint pain results from chronic problems like muscle imbalance and other biomechanical issues caused by running. The joint pain is also caused by running due to training errors.
2. Injury
Injuries may affect your ligament, tendons, cartilage, or bones. For example, some joint injuries in most people are fractures, torn meniscus, patellar tendinitis, bursitis knee, and ACL injury.
A fracture happens when bones of the joint or kneecap break due to a fall or getting any other injury. The meniscus is a cartilage type that is like rubber. It can get torn when the joint is twisted, sometimes it tears when your joint cannot bear weight.
3. Mechanical Problems
Some mechanical problems which cause joint pain are dislocation of the kneecap and foot pain. When the triangular bone of your joint that covers the front part of the kneecap gets dislocated, you suffer from pain. If you have foot pain, you have to walk differently to bear the pain in your foot. But it may cause trouble in your joints, which leads to joint pain.
Why is Knee Pain from Running So Common?
Many factors contribute to joint pain from running. Some of the elements have been discussed below:
1. Changes in the Running Style
When you suddenly change the style of running, it may lead to joint pain if the new style is not as per your body structure. For example, if you suddenly start running from a flat to a sloped surface or start climbing the stairs, you may suffer from joint pain as it will stress this joint of your leg.
2. Only Running
If you do the exercise of only running without doing other activities, you may develop muscle imbalance, which leads to joint pain. Instead, pause in the mid of running and do another exercise like stretching.
3. Position of Foot
You may develop joint pain due to the foot position. People usually have five types of foot positions, including normal foot position, flat feet, and high arches, the foot rolls inwards, and the foot rolls outwards. While running, our body weight shifts from the heel, the middle of the foot, and the toes. The wrong foot position may bring drastic changes to your joint or the joint of the knee. When the force is put into the cap of the joint, it displaces, and you may have joint pain.
4. Imbalance of Muscle
Weakness or tightness of muscle may be the reason for your joint pain. If you have weakness in the muscle, muscle strengthening exercises will help you greatly.
How to Avoid Knee Pain from Running
There are many ways to avoid joint pain from running. Some of these have been mentioned below:
1. Use a Knee Support
A knee brace can be of great help if you feel pain in your joint while running. However, you do not require a knee brace if you have solid and flexible muscles. To avoid the pain while running, you should wear a knee brace with a patellar (kneecap) hole, it provides good support.
2. Excessive Training
Excess amount of training is another common cause of knee pain from running. When you run beyond your body’s ability, the body pressure exerted on your knees causes this pain. In addition, your performance will start decreasing when you continue to exercise without taking adequate rest.
3. Good Quality Footwear
To gain support for your joint, you should always use footwear of the appropriate size. In addition, keep changing your shoes every three months because shoes lose shock-absorbing properties and stop providing good support. Therefore, to avoid joint pain from running, you should always wear quality footwear.
4. Do Other Exercises
Take small breaks in the mid of running and do some stretching or cardiovascular exercises during the pause. If you run without a break, your joint won’t be able to take the pressure off your body, leading to pain. In addition, doing different types of exercises will help you to increase the flexibility and endurance of muscles and strengthen all the parts of your body.
5. Increase the Time Gradually
You should increase the running activity gradually. If you want to cover a lot of distance on the first day, this unnecessary pressure on your joint will create pain. For example, if you start running 5 km a day, continue the distance for one week and increase the space next week. Thus, start with short runs and increase gradually to longer distances to avoid the knee pain from running.
6. Apply Ice
If you suffer from joint pain or inflammation due to running, applying ice packs to the joint will help reduce the pain and inflammation. Ice can be helpful if you feel pain after running.
Knee Pain Exercises
Many exercises help relieve your joint pain. However, avoid using painkillers as they will affect your body. Instead, try to reduce pain by doing the following activities.
1. Prone Leg Raise
Lie on your stomach and keep your head resting on your arms by stretching your leg behind your body. Then, lift your one leg as high as possible without causing pain by placing your pelvic bones on the floor and repeating the process.
2. Place both of Your Knees on the Chest
Lie on your back on the floor. Bring your joints to the chest and hold under this part with both hands. Hold for a few seconds in this position and repeat the process.These exercises will be helpful for people of any age. However, since seniors are more likely to suffer from joint pain, they can try these exercises to avoid joint pain from running.
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Conclusion
Since joint pain from running is a common problem, you should take appropriate measures to avoid this problem. You can cure joint pain by following proper running procedures. Before starting the running activity, you should take some safety measures like wearing the support or footwear of the right choice. If you already have joint pain, you can do some exercises and stretches, by which you can reduce the pain to a great extent.
FAQs
Why do beginners get knee pain from running?
Beginners often have joint pain caused by running due to an excessive increase in activity. A sudden increase in activity puts additional stress on this part of the leg, which causes pain.
Is it normal to get my knee hurt after running?
It is normal to get joint pain for beginners or those who have suddenly increased their running activity. However, if the pain persists for a more extended period, you should visit the doctor as you may have a knee injury.
Why does my front knee get pain after running?
Runners knee is the common cause to get your front joint hurt. When there is friction in your joint cap, or it gets displaced, you may develop it.
How does knee support help?
A knee brace helps to provide support if you have an underlying wounded knee. But you do not need a brace if you have a healthy joint.
How does good footwear help to avoid knee pain?
Good quality footwear of appropriate size is always helpful to eliminate joint pain as it will provide enough support to your knees.
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