Runners are especially prone to knee pain. Jogging too frequently for your fitness level without giving yourself enough time between runs to recover may bring about a gradual onset of knee pain. Another type of knee injury is an acute or sudden injury. Pain on the inside, or medial, portion of the knee generally is from one of two things, a medial ligament disorder, MCL, or a tear in the medial cartilage.
Medial Ligament Disorders
The medial ligament's job is to assist in lateral movement of the knee and stabilization. A sudden twisting motion or falling from a significant height that causes the knee to buckle inwards is often how these injuries occur. Joggers should be wary of the surface they run on so as not to twist their knees and fall. An injury to the MCL can be mild to severe. Sometimes stiffness and pain indicate only a slight strain that takes about two to three weeks to recover. A minor tear in the MCL requires four to six weeks for recovery. If you completely rupture your MCL, expect to need surgery. Recovery from surgery is typically six months long. You might even feel the ligament tear.
Medial Cartilage Tear
Your knee has two mensci made of cartilage that sit between the thigh bone and the shin bone. Their job is to be shock absorbers. When you jog, the menisci allows the thigh bone, knee cap and shin bone to slide against each other without damage to any of the bones. They distribute weight evenly. If, when running, you twist your knee when it is bent, you might incur a meniscal tear. It is possible to tear the cartilage and the MCL at the same time.
Treatment
You can treat a mild knee injury by icing the inside of your knee and immobilizing your knee joint. This should lessen the pain and swelling. You will need to see a doctor to determine if you have a torn meniscus. Do not hope that the problem will go away on its own, or it may never heal properly and you may suffer pain for the rest of your life.
Stretching and Warmups
People who jog frequently can help prevent injury through stretching before a run. Stretching also improves flexibility and relieves stiffness. A proper warmup and stretches reduce strain on the muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints. A short 10-minute walk is an adequate warmup. Then, stretch for five to 10 minutes, especially the calves and hamstrings. The hamstrings and calves connect to the knee joint. An ideal stretch for runners is the knee clasp. Simply lie on grass or a floor and pull both knees into your chest. Hold for 10 seconds. This stretches the hamstrings and also the lower back. Also, you can target the inside of the knee by stretching the inner thighs. To stretch the inner thighs, sit with your legs spread wide like a "V." Incline forward with a straight spine until you feel a stretch.
