Fortunately, I have not *yet* had to deal with any major knee problems first hand. I have felt the occasional "runner's knee" symptoms (see below) but have always been able to prevent it from getting any worse. If you haven't already read them, I suggest checking out these posts from Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point about the struggles she has had running with her knees.
Knee Problems
How to Fix Knee Problems
~Overuse
~Compensation
~Impact
~Power
The Role of Genes
Genetics play a role in whether or not a person becomes injured. Therefore, some people are simply more prone to injury, however, just because someone is not prone to injury, does not mean they are unable to be injured. Good genes paired with smart training is the key to injury prevention.
Women and Knee Problems
Both the Runner's World Guide to Injury Prevention and The Complete Book of Running for Women acknowledge that women may be more susceptible to injuries, specifically knee problems, and more specifically to the ACL, than men are. A possible reason being that women have wider pelvises which may result in the inward rotation of the knee. Reasons for the high rate of injury to the tissues of the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is not fully understood. "Pain and injury can be due to several different factors, including misalignment, strength imbalances, connective tissue factors, previous trauma, improper footwear, and just plain over training.
What You Can Do
~Assess your Biomechanics.
Get analyzed by a sports physician, trainer, or physical therapist. "In virtually all cases of knee injury, some underlying mechanical issue is at work."
~Get Stronger
Have a physical therapist or trainer analyze the muscle strength in your legk, trunk, hips, and pelvic area and prescribe strengthening exercises. "For knee injuries, you need to focus on correcting imbalances among muscle groups, rather than overall strength."
~Train Smart
Increase training gradually. See below.
Runner's Knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome)
Symptoms: Pain around the kneecap that tends to originate and intensify during runs. Also may be felt when sitting with bent legs, climbing, and/or going down stairs.
Cause: Result of improper tracking of the knee as it glides up and down, usually due to excessive pronation, leg-length discrepancy, muscle imbalance, or iliotibial band tightness.
Treatment:
Apply ice for temporary relief.
Take an anti-inflammatory (asprin or ibuprofen, etc.)
Get a gait analysis from a running health specialist (He or she should recommend proper shoes)
Quad strengthening
Reduce training intensity
Healing Time: Several weeks to several months.
General Injury Prevention Tips
Change footwear
Many knee problems can be corrected with proper footwear or shoe inserts.
~Reduce impact
Run on soft surfaces and vary your terrain. Trail runners actually suffer from fewer impact injuries than road runners do.
Allow your body to recover properly and get enough sleep.
Recovery is not only for your muscles. The body repairs itself during sleep.
Increase mileage & intensity gradually and separately.
First, focus on increasing mileage no more than 10-20% per week and don't attempt to increase mileage and intensity (speed) simultaneously.
Listen to your body.
If something hurts during your run, stop running.
Warm-up before you start your workout. Stretch.
Be careful not to stress cold muslces.
Drink enough, eat right, and take a daily vitamin supplement.
Proper nutrition affects the health of your bones and muscles. Protein is necessary for muscle repair and women need enough calcium to prevent stress fractures.
Hyrdration is important in regulating body temperature and excreting toxins but also for preventing injury...a dehydrated muscle is more susceptible to strains and tears.
Sources
All info was taken from the books, Runner's World Guide to Injury Prevention and The Complete Book of Running for Women. They are both great resources to have. Check them out if you have more questions! And as always, see a doctor or specialist if you are unsure reagarding an injury.
How to Fix Knee Problems
A runner training for a marathon who's regularly putting in training of 50 miles a week can easily strike the ground well over 2 million times per leg each year...It's not unusual for a longtime runner to literally take tens of millions of steps.
~Runner's World Guide to Injury Prevention
Causes of Injury~Runner's World Guide to Injury Prevention
~Overuse
~Compensation
~Impact
~Power
The Role of Genes
Genetics play a role in whether or not a person becomes injured. Therefore, some people are simply more prone to injury, however, just because someone is not prone to injury, does not mean they are unable to be injured. Good genes paired with smart training is the key to injury prevention.
Women and Knee Problems
Both the Runner's World Guide to Injury Prevention and The Complete Book of Running for Women acknowledge that women may be more susceptible to injuries, specifically knee problems, and more specifically to the ACL, than men are. A possible reason being that women have wider pelvises which may result in the inward rotation of the knee. Reasons for the high rate of injury to the tissues of the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is not fully understood. "Pain and injury can be due to several different factors, including misalignment, strength imbalances, connective tissue factors, previous trauma, improper footwear, and just plain over training.
What You Can Do
~Assess your Biomechanics.
Get analyzed by a sports physician, trainer, or physical therapist. "In virtually all cases of knee injury, some underlying mechanical issue is at work."
~Get Stronger
Have a physical therapist or trainer analyze the muscle strength in your legk, trunk, hips, and pelvic area and prescribe strengthening exercises. "For knee injuries, you need to focus on correcting imbalances among muscle groups, rather than overall strength."
~Train Smart
Increase training gradually. See below.
Runner's Knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome)
Symptoms: Pain around the kneecap that tends to originate and intensify during runs. Also may be felt when sitting with bent legs, climbing, and/or going down stairs.
Cause: Result of improper tracking of the knee as it glides up and down, usually due to excessive pronation, leg-length discrepancy, muscle imbalance, or iliotibial band tightness.
Treatment:
Apply ice for temporary relief.
Take an anti-inflammatory (asprin or ibuprofen, etc.)
Get a gait analysis from a running health specialist (He or she should recommend proper shoes)
Quad strengthening
Reduce training intensity
Healing Time: Several weeks to several months.
General Injury Prevention Tips
Change footwear
Many knee problems can be corrected with proper footwear or shoe inserts.
~Reduce impact
Run on soft surfaces and vary your terrain. Trail runners actually suffer from fewer impact injuries than road runners do.
Allow your body to recover properly and get enough sleep.
Recovery is not only for your muscles. The body repairs itself during sleep.
Increase mileage & intensity gradually and separately.
First, focus on increasing mileage no more than 10-20% per week and don't attempt to increase mileage and intensity (speed) simultaneously.
Listen to your body.
If something hurts during your run, stop running.
Warm-up before you start your workout. Stretch.
Be careful not to stress cold muslces.
Drink enough, eat right, and take a daily vitamin supplement.
Proper nutrition affects the health of your bones and muscles. Protein is necessary for muscle repair and women need enough calcium to prevent stress fractures.
Hyrdration is important in regulating body temperature and excreting toxins but also for preventing injury...a dehydrated muscle is more susceptible to strains and tears.
Sources
All info was taken from the books, Runner's World Guide to Injury Prevention and The Complete Book of Running for Women. They are both great resources to have. Check them out if you have more questions! And as always, see a doctor or specialist if you are unsure reagarding an injury.
