If you experience a sharp and severe or dull aching pain around or behind the kneecap during activities then you may be experiencing Runners Knee.
‘Runners Knee’ (or patellofemoral pain syndrome) is used to describe any of the several conditions that can cause pain around the kneecap. This injury is not restricted solely to runners but to any activity that repeatedly stresses the knee, such as walking up and down the stairs, sitting down or standing up, kneeling or squatting. It is however very common amongst runners
The pain happens due to the knee cap not moving properly. This may be caused by muscular imbalances between one set of muscles and another such as the quadriceps at the front and the hamstrings at the back.
Other possible causes of Runners Knee could be due to overuse such as increasing your training distance quickly rather than gradually increasing the distance and not allowing sufficient recover between training sessions. Also not carrying out regular stretching between sessions is another possible cause as if not carried out properly, the muscles are not given suitable pre-activity range of movement.
Wearing old shoes to run in can cause extra stress at the knee and hip because the sole of the shoe is more worn on one side. This uneven wear can cause the muscles to work harder to support the knee and the body to move properly during activities.
Sports Massage can help with Runners Knee as it can help reduce the pain that is felt as well as reduce and rebalance muscular tension around the injury area and the other muscles in the legs and hips, which is then combined with the soft tissues being gently stretched to aid recovery and long-term progress.
Below are screen prints detailing Runners Knee and how to help recover from the injury. Downloadable PDF documents can be found here
The information contained within this post is solely for general information only. If you do pick up an injury (including 'tightness' 'irritation' or 'niggle') that you’re worried about then the sooner it’s treated the better.
Please contact me using one of the methods below if you would like to discuss how I can help you move with ease.
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