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Knee pain

Merry Christmas to all and a happy new year. Ready for some serious pain in training!!

Another knee question. Between us we must have every injury in the book!!

I've got a pain running down the outside of my knee down to mid calf area, every time i run. Physio had a quick look and said stretch more.
Anyone had a similar problem and recovered?
Is there something called an 'I.T BAND' in that area?

Anyway I'm taking a month off running and stretching more. Any better suggestions?

Thanks in advance for any suggestion

Comments

  • jonEjonE Posts: 1,113
    http://www.physioroom.com/injuries/knee ... me_sum.php

    Have a look at this and see if the symptoms are similar.But I would have thought that the physio would have picked up on ITBS.
  • pippip Posts: 170
    I get seriuos calf problems mainly tightening and strains and find loads and loads of streching helps to stop the problems as well as deeptissue massage every other week.Idon`t just mean streching before and aftertraining but streching at work ,at home,when i wake up brushing my teeth and various other times when i`ve got a spare few minutes.Igive each calf a good strech for at least a minute.Try it ,what have you got to loose
  • I've been struggling with an IT band issue on my left knee for a little while.

    Initially, I got a gait analysis and invested in some decent running shoes. It could be as simple as this for you – although it wasn't quite that simple for me!

    The problem returned, and after a few sessions of physio and with a personal trainer, I've been told that my big fat ass is to blame! Apparently, my glutes aren't working hard enough. That means all the flexing in my legs is forced through my ankles, which is putting too much pressure on my knees – in turn causing the knee pain. I've got some exercises to try to recruit the glutes. These are squats, single leg squats and lunges in the main. But I've also invested in a foam roller to try to break down the stiff muscle down the sides of each leg, on the thighs, calves and buttocks.

    It's forcing a bit of a change in philosophy in exercise. I'm trying to make myself believe that an hour of these strength exercises is as beneficial as 60 minutes of cardio. Up to now I've been stuck in the mentality that if I'm not sweating like a pig and gasping for breath, I'm not working hard and it's a waste of time!
  • Sounds exactly like my story.
    I also had an MRI and was told that the cartilage is fine, was recommended to physio and apparently need to do stretches, glutes, squats, foam roller and everything written above.
    I haven't done any running since London triathlon. Have been doing the recommended exercises for 4-6 weeks and frankly speaking it feels like I'm wasting my time, knee isn't any better.

    Is there anyone out there that actually benefited from this phsyio stuff?
  • Hi Folks
    Hope you all had a good New Year and the weather is not getting you down to much. Good weather over here South Of France ( sorry)
    Ok onto your Knee, I see this a lot with people who come out to me, and they all say the same thing that it hurts when running. What I have noticed with these people is they think it is the running that is causing the problem so they go to physio who says that the Gluts are not working properly or there running shoes are not right for them, take a few weeks off running do more cycling, strech your IT band, Buy some new trainers, they come back and everything is ok for about 3 weeks when it comes back ( not in all cases). What I advise is
    1. Look at your saddle height, your legs go around approx 80rpm on the bike and you are out for 2,3 + hrs if your saddle height is wrong this will put a lot of stress on the Knee, this is alos the same as if the saddle is in the wrong position, but becase you do not get pain on the bike you dismiss the bike, but the bike is low impact so you do not feel the pain until you start doing high impact such as running.
    My Solution: is to check saddle height, start off with a saddle height of inside leg x 1.09 ( please note this is from the peddle, axle when the crank is inline with the downtube, to the top of the saddle, the measuring tape is inline with the crank,downtube,seatpost) and see how this feels, it might feel odd and low to start with but after a couple of session it will feel normal, but if this is a drop of over 1 cm drop it down by 0.5cm per week util you get to the right height.
    2. When cycling try not to drop your heal to much, is this will lock the leg out straight and again cause pain in the itb just by the knee.
    3. Is Runnig specific!! when you run your feet should land hip width apart, or slightly wider, not realy inline, as this again lengthens the distance the leg has to go to touch the ground causing the hip to drop and stretch the itb causing it to rub onthe outside of the knee causing pain and inflamation. Example stand up put one foot infront of the other inline, can you see how this leg has to stretch more to get there? can you feel a very slight strain at the knee ok put your feet back to hip width apart ( not shoulder width) what diffrence do you feel, well multiply this by quite a few, with the impact you get this from running? . I should presume it is Biomechanically more efficent to run when your feet land hip width apart, it will also make you more stable.
    Hope this helps
    and sorry for going on
    Richard Laidlow
  • TrisurferTrisurfer Posts: 228
    Cheers for all the input.

    I've rested it for 2 weeks now, been streching daily though.

    might try a short run in a week, once I can see the pavement again!! Dam snow! Good time to work on the pool and strength!
  • hussler.hussler. Posts: 390
    Try a Sports Massage on your IT band....IE get it stripped out.... Blumming hurts like hell but 20mins of pain is well worth it as afterwards your IT Bands feel so good!!!

    As mentioned above IT problems stem from weak Glute muscles, this transfers the stress onto everything else....and the area that gets the most hammer is the knee so thats where you feel the pain, where the IT band Inserts into the side of the lower knee area.

    A good Glute conditioning course will solve this problem, also get your gait done and get some trainers that suit it.....
  • TrisurferTrisurfer Posts: 228
    Thanks again.

    I've got fitted running trainers.
    I think part for the cause is during winter training my cycling volume as decreased exponentially. Thus weakening muscles in my legs, causing the im-balance and perhaps part of the cause of the irritation?

    Gonna try the massage route and see what happens!

    thanks again to everyone
  • If you get asymmetrical pain in your I.t.b. it may be worth getting checked for a leg length difference (LLD). As your ITB is a key muscle for stabilising the pelvis when the opposing leg is swinging thru. if you have a difference in the length of your legs then one ITB will possible be working harder than the other due to increased list in the pelvis.

    It is quite normal to have a LLD of up to 1/2" with no underlying cause other than natural human variation. however LLD can also be caused by fractures of your lower limbs.

    Hope that helps.

    Luke
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