When you are a runner, numerous factors can lead to knee pain. The majority of knee problems that result from running are classified as overuse injuries. Risk factors for such injuries include increasing distance or intensity too rapidly, poor technique or poor gait mechanics due to factors like flat feet or a leg length discrepancy. Ill-fitting or worn-out shoes, either of which may be too loose, also raise the risk for chronic knee pain.
IT Band
If you feel the pain on the outside of your knee, it may be due to the overuse injury called iliotibial band syndrome. Your IT band runs from your hip to your shin, and crosses your kneecap. Classic symptoms of this syndrome include pain along the outside of your knee. Sometimes you'll also have a clicking sensation due to the IT band tightening and snapping across your knee as you run. Your symptoms may worsen as you run down or up hills. This is usually a progressive injury, so while it might not bother you much at first it can eventually get so bad that you cannot run. Rest, stretching and physical therapy are all treatments for IT band syndrome.
Patellar Tendonitis
Patellar tendinitis is an overuse injury that involves the tendon that connects your patella, or kneecap, to your shin bone. You'll feel this pain below your kneecap. Initially you'll probably feel it only during or after an intense workout. However, the pain may progress so it's present all the time. Your pain may even disrupt your sleep. The treatment is similar to IT band syndrome, with rest, ice and physical therapy frequently prescribed.
Meniscus Wear
Meniscus wear and tear is another common overuse injury among runners, especially those who wear improper footwear. Your knees each have two menisci. These C-shaped pieces of cartilage serve as cushions between your shin and thigh bones. Your meniscus can sustain microscopic tears or fray. It's important to rest and recover from small meniscus tears, which may heal themselves in time, so that you do not end up with a larger meniscus tear.
Considerations
To reduce your risk for overuse injuries that affect your knee, wear shoes that fit properly. Also replace your shoes every six months, or after running 400 to 600 miles on them. Your feet serve as the basis for proper running mechanics. Shoes can help correct foot issues like excessive pronation in which your foot rolls too far inward or stays rolled inward for too long when you run.
References
- "Foot and Ankle International"; Acute and overuse injuries correlated to hours of training in master running athletes; K. Knobloch, et al.; 2008
- "The Sports Medicine Bible"; Lyle J. Micheli and Mark Jenkins;1995
- McKinley Health Center: Where's Your Pain
- "Running Times" magazine: Beating the Band; Brian Fullem; May 2004
- MayoClinic.com: Patellar Tendonitis
- MayoClinic.com: Patellar Tendonitis Causes
