Knee Pain
Pain that occurs around and sometimes even behind the knee joints is called knee pain. This is one of the most important troubles that a runner comes across during running. Usually, knee pain occurs when one tries to run beyond one’s capabilities, say like aiming to run more than 40 miles per week. It occurs in beginners and also in those people who are resuming running after a long gap of resting period.
Causes of Knee Pain
The principle contributing factor for knee pain during running is the imbalance between the thigh muscles and foot muscles. The region surrounding the knee cap has nothing to do with this. Lack of coordination in the foot and thigh muscles, leads to friction in the smooth muscle that lies in the knee region. In the absence of proper lubrication the knee joints go off track.
Often the weak quadriceps lead to weaker joints. Weak quadriceps overpowered by strong hamstrings put undue pressure on knee joints. This makes the knee joints budge under pressure. This results in the imbalance of the knee cap and is responsible for wear and tear of knee cap.
Clinical experience of the orthopedists suggests that the quadriceps angle (‘q’ angle) distortion, is one of the predominant causes of knee pain during running. The ‘q’ angle is an estimate of the effective angle that the quadriceps on an average make during the pulls and pushes. Normal value is below 12 degrees, an abnormal value is usually above 15 degrees. Some of the mechanical factors that contribute to the higher ‘q’ angle are:
- Overprotection of the feet (foot imbalance)
- Broader Hips
- Sublaxting patella
- Weak Vastus Medialis
Relief For Knee Pain
The following treatments are recommended for getting relief from the Knee pain:
- Ice pack
- Antiinflammatory capsules and gels
- “Retrorunning” which helps in strengthening the quadriceps.
