Recovery from Runners Knee?

[Disney-For-Life]

Hi there,

I recently have come down with Chondromalacia Patellae a.k.a. runners knee. I've never had it before and after a second run in 2 weeks, and am sure that this is what I have. Regardless, I am waiting to see my doctor, have stopped running and have my knee on ice as much as possible. Once the swelling goes down and I have the green light from my doctor, I want to know if there is a good link to the types of rehabilitation (stretching and resistance training) that I should be doing to build my strength back up in this leg.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[skfulkers]

I don't have any good links, but I did have runner's knee last year, so I can offer a little input. My doctor had me (first and foremost) rest the knee for about 2-3 weeks. I was allowed to bike (not on tough hills, though) and pool run during the time off, which kept me sane. He had me start lifting weights with my legs, specifically squats and leg extensions, which both strengthen the muscles around the knee. He also had me ice the knee every day and take NSAIDs to keep the swelling down. Sure enough, in a few weeks, I was good to go again. I had to start back slowly, inserting more walk breaks into my run, but it was well worth it to avoid having the problem resurface.

I still try to lift weights twice a week in order to keep the muscles around the knee strong, as I don't want to deal with runner's knee again.

I know how frustrating that injury can be. My biggest advice is to definitely rest, because this can be a chronic problem if it is not allowed to heal properly. Also, try to examine how you developed the injury in the first place. It could be too many miles, or your shoes, or it could be from running on uneven surface (such as a banked road). After miles and miles of pounding, any type of instablility or inefficiency of your runing gait can lead to mistracking, aka--runner's knee. If you can figure out what caused the injury, you'll be able to avoid it when you start running again.

Hope this helps.

Steve

 

[andromedaslove]

Steve,
Was there swelling with your runner's knee? The reason I ask is that I have been having what I believe to be runners knee, and never experienced any swelling at all. Just pain and clicking inside my right knee especially after one of these long runs training for the marathon. I would think that if there was swelling it would be a much bigger concern.

Dana

 

[skfulkers]

Dana,

No, I didn't have any swelling. Just a dull pain on the inside of the knee, like you said. I would usually start the run fine, and then it would show up after a few miles until it was pretty painful. I was stupid enough to try to run through the pain for awhile, which probably set me back in my recovery.
From what I've gathered, pain on the inside of the knee is usually associated with runner's knee, while pain on the outside of the knee can be from problems with your IT band.

 

[Disney-For-Life]

Thank you for the feedback

I have pain that is located right under my knee cap, and after it becomes inflammed, I can put my hand on my knee and feel a little grinding. After a run, the swelling (which seems to be only slight) lasts for 3-4 days, after which I don't feel any pain at all.

I have a treadmill that has a permanent slight incline that I want to use for cardio while I build up strength - do you guys think that would make things better or worse? I've only have read that I should avoid running, down hill walks, and stairs. Since I don't have access to a pool or a bike (its winter here in Canada anyway), walking on the treadmill might be my only option....

Thanks again!

 

[ultramickeymouse]

Hi,

I started to have this problem about 4 weeks ago. I use a treadmill for most of my training. It started after a 2:45 long treadmill run. I took 2 weeks off(complete) doing ice, Nsaids, and leg lifts trying to strengthen the quad muscles to pull the knee cap back. Lay on back with one knee bent and lift leg slowly and slowly down. Do 5-10 sets of 10.
I had this problem when I was doing Ultras before my 1st 50 miler. My pt measured a 65% normal strength in left knee(as as this time). Did PT for 4 weeks and got things back to normal. Russian Stimulation to force quads really helped.

I am trying to get ready for the Goofy in 4 weeks so it is going to be a struggle since lost all long days!

Robert