Knee pain with stairs. (The Clinic).I'm a 53-year-old female and have been running for a year and a half. About a week ago I suddenly developed pain overnight in both kneecaps. I think this could be runner's knee, but the pain occurs only when I'm going up or down steps, or going from a standing position to a sitting position. It hurts most when going down steps. I don't feel it at all otherwise. I run about 10 to 15 miles per week. I run a fair number of hills because that's all we've got here, but they aren't very steep. Is it OK to continue running since I have no pain while running? Nan Clarke It does sound as if you are suffering from runner's knee, which is patello-femoral pain due to the stress of hill running, especially downhill. Be sure to confirm this with a visit to a sports medicine sports medicine, branch of medicine concerned with physical fitness and with the treatment and prevention of injuries and other disorders related to sports. Knee, leg, back, and shoulder injuries; stiffness and pain in joints; tendinitis; "tennis elbow"; and physician so that you can be sure this is the problem. While you can continue to run if it doesn't hurt, I would modify your training. It is important to make sure you correct the training errors that contributed to the problem. Typically the greatest forces on the kneecap kneecap (patella), saucer-shaped bone at the front of the knee joint; it protects the ends of the femur, or thighbone, and the tibia, the large bone of the foreleg. The kneecap is embedded in the tendon tissue of the quadriceps femoris, a large thigh muscle. are at around 45 to 60 degrees of knee flexion flexion /flex·ion/ (flek´shun) the act of bending or the condition of being bent. flex·ion n. 1. The act of bending a joint or limb in the body by the action of flexors. 2. . One immediate step is to back off hills as much as possible. On hills, the knee is inevitably forced to bend more. If flats are not available, move to the treadmill. Quinque, VA Often, when you develop runner's knee, the vastus medialis vastus me·di·a·lis n. A muscle with origin from the shaft of the femur, with insertion into the tibial tuberosity, with nerve supply from the femoral nerve, and whose action extends the leg. obliqus (VMO VMO Vendor Management Office VMO Veterinary Medical Officer VMO Visiting Medical Officer VMO Vastus Medialis Oblique (muscle) VMO Marine Observation Squadron VMO Volunteer Measuring Official ) of the quadriceps (the inner thigh muscle that attaches to the inner aspect of the patella patella (pətĕl`ə): see kneecap. ) is not working as well as it could. A visit to a physical therapist may be helpful to isolate and strengthen this muscle in both its lengthening (eccentric) and shortening (concentric) modes. Meanwhile, straightleg leg lifts and terminal extensions (seated, weighted knee extensions extending from just the last 30 degrees) can begin to strengthen this muscle. Consider purchasing a Cho-Pat [R] band that can be placed around the patellar patellar of or pertaining to the patella. patellar cartilage a cartilaginous process borne on the medial side of the patella of horses and cattle. tendon to offset the shock absorption of the kneecap. Try it on one knee and see if you notice an improvement. Robert Meislin, M.D. Phoenix, AZ |
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