Does This Sound Familiar?
In an effort to kick start your new fitness goals and with the best intentions you embark into the world of running…
You start to see big improvements very quickly, being able to run further and faster with each run as well as notice the health benefits of having more energy and looser fitting clothing. You feel good and start to enjoy your regular runs.
After several weeks you start to notice pain in and around your knee, maybe 3k into a run or even 5-6k in.
Initially, the pain subsides after the run and is not noticeable when resting. Over time the pain increases and starts to affect your daily activities such as walking, and going up and down stairs and can even keep you up at night.
You stop running in an effort to rest the knee and allow the pain to subside. In the short term, you start to see the pain decrease but as soon as you start to run or undertake any other physical activity the pain returns.
Over time, the pain becomes constant. This prevents you from continuing to run or general exercise and you see all those health gains slowly disappearing making you feel miserable.
Causes
Knee pain is a common complaint and can be due to a number of different reasons/injuries.
One of the most common sources of pain associated with increased activity levels over a short period of time is a condition called Patella-Femoral Pain or ‘Runners Knee’ (a fancy term of pain between your knee-cap and thigh bone!)
Our bodies have an amazing way of being able to adapt to increased physical demands that we can place through our bodies by making bones, muscles and all those structures in between stronger.
However, if we do too much too soon, our bodies do not have the chance to adapt and therefore increase the risk of injury and associated pain.
The Good News ….
Patella-Femoral Pain can be treated successfully with a combination of strengthening exercises and a graduated return to running/desired exercise.
Strength Exercises
Strengthening muscles that surround your knee as well as around your hip can help both with settling your symptoms as well as prepare your body as you start to return to exercise.
Try these out ……
Wall Assisted Squat
- Stand with your back against the wall, feet shoulder-width apart and about 30 cm away from the way.
- Lower your body by bending at the knees so that your thighs become parallel with the ground.
- If this position is too painful in your knees, lower yourself so that your knees are at a 45° angle.
- Hold for 3-5 secs and return to the start.
- Repeat this 12x and complete 3 sets daily.
Glute Bridge
- Lying on the floor with your feet flat on the floor and knees bent at a 90° angle.
- Squeeze your buttocks and lift your hips up so that your shoulders, hips and knees are aligned.
- Hold for 2 secs and return back to the start
- Repeat this 12x and complete 3 sets daily.
Return to activity
A return to activity can commence once symptoms have settled, starting with shorter, slower runs and slowly building both distance and speed gradually.
If you have any concerns about your knee pain or any other pain/symptoms you may be experiencing, why not book an appointment at The Health Hub to see one of our many friendly professionals?
Here we have combined a number of therapies in order to be able to offer you the complete package to keep fit and healthy. Our simple motto underlines what we believe works best…
ASSESSMENT
- Our assessment follows a holistic approach, taking time to understand the nature and cause of your knee pain as well as an in-depth physical assessment focussing on movement analysis and identifying those structures at fault.
DIAGNOSIS
- Using our detailed assessment, we are able to provide a diagnosis to help shape and guide the treatment and rehabilitation process.
TREATMENT
- Treatment is individualised and centred around your goals, using a range of therapeutic modalities for symptom relief, exercise rehabilitation and education.
RESULTS
- The most important person throughout this whole process is YOU! Throughout your time at The Health Hub, our focus is to help you achieve your goals and to be able to live a fuller and healthier and fitter life.
Kirk Proto Physiotherapist
The Health Hub