How To Prevent Knee Pain When Running
How to prevent knee pain? What is the best painkiller for knee pain? How to get rid of knee pain fast? Frustrated with niggling knee pain when running, and not able to perform at your best in your chosen sport because of stiffness, tightness or discomfort in and around your knee?
It doesn’t have to be that way.
You can prevent knee pain when running – hundreds of our patients are proof of that, so this New Year, stop knee pain when running, get back to playing your best, and enjoy your workouts again!
Why Do I Have Knee Pain When Running?
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome or Runner’s Knee is a dull pain around the front of the knee.
It may be caused by a structural defect where you have imbalances in the supporting muscles of your knee. It can also be caused by a certain way of walking or running which means your knee is out of alignment, and the force from walking or running puts too much stress on the knee joint.
Often people try to address the knee pain directly but fail to fix the root cause which could be your walking or running pattern.
One of the services you can choose at our clinics is a Free Running Evaluation, which allows you to get an expert analysis of your running pattern so you can discover how to get rid of knee pain when running and improve your performance.
Should I Run With Knee Pain?
If you have knee pain, the safest advice is to avoid running – at least until you speak to a medical professional.
We know that keeping active is more than just a way to keep fit, it’s something that you love…
But if you run or play sports with knee pain, you might be turning a minor problem that’s currently an annoying niggle into a major injury that requires surgery.
If you choose to push through the pain, it may result in a long time stuck on the treatment table, and on the sidelines – and we know that’s the last thing you want to do.
How To Prevent Knee Pain When Running
Knee pain can be a complex issue, however here are 5 ways that help runners prevent knee pain. To find out exactly how to prevent your knee pain, our team is ready and waiting to speak to you!
Wear The Right Shoes and Insoles
Make sure your running shoes and insoles fit correctly, are supportive, and provide adequate cushioning and shock absorption. Look for shoes with extra cushioning and stability features to reduce the impact on your knees while running.
Custom orthotic insoles can be a really powerful way to reduce knee pain, as well as other issues such as foot, ankle and hip pain.
Strengthen Muscles That Support Your Knee
Strengthening the muscles around your knees can help prevent knee pain when running. Focus on strengthening your quadriceps and hip muscles, as well as your core, to prevent knee pain.
Warm Up Before Running
Make sure you warm up properly before running to prevent knee pain. Make sure to stretch your quads, hamstrings, calves, and hips before running to prevent injuries.
Avoid Running On Hard Surfaces
Running on hard surfaces such as concrete can put extra pressure and stress on your knees when running. Try to run on grass, dirt, or other softer surfaces instead.
Do Overdo It
Listen to your body and don’t push yourself too hard. Increase your running mileage slowly and give your body enough time to rest and recover.
Following these simple tips can help prevent knee pain when running and keep you running safely and comfortably.
Get Expert Help For Your Knee Pain When Running
If you’re struggling with knee pain when running, and it’s lasted more than a week, it’s becoming more frequent or painful, then our advice would be to get help from knee pain specialists who work with athletes and active people through specialist sports performance programs like ours.
At PREP Performance Center in Chicago, we are able to provide natural knee pain relief, whilst helping you get faster, fitter, and stronger when running, and playing sports.
To speak to a member of our team and find out how we can treat knee pain when you run, arrange a Free Running Evaluation.
But hurry, demand at our clinic is extremely high, so contact us today to arrange your Free Running Evaluation or call us on (773) 609-1847.
Other Free Resources To Prevent and Treat Sports Injuries
Read Our Blog – How To Prevent Sports Injuries – 5 Proven Strategies
Read Our Blog – 6 Best Exercises To Eliminate Your Knee Pain
Follow Us On Social Media – Prep Performance Center Facebook, Prep Performance Center Twitter and Prep Performance Center YouTube
6 Best Exercises to Eliminate your Knee Pain
Knee pain is one of the most common issues we treat in our Chicago clinic, as people seek out physical therapy to ease the discomfort and improve their function.
But should you be doing exercise if your knees hurt, and what are the best exercises for knee pain relief?
We share 6 of the best physical therapy exercises for knee pain which offer a natural, drug-free way to relieve long term, and help you stay healthy, active and be able to perform at your best with your hobbies and sports.
Whether you are a 15-year-old basketball player, a 50-year-old runner, or a 75-year-old grandma, knee pain can limit our ability to do the things we love to do.
Our patients often report achy knees, stiffness in the knees, and knee pain with walking or going up and down stairs. If you’re a more active person, knee pain with running, jumping, and/or landing can also be affected.
This can cause a major limitation in one’s daily life and often stops patients from exercise and recreational activities, choosing to stay at home instead of enjoying the activities they love.
When the pain is ignored, the condition can often worsen and cause more functional limitations if left untreated.
General knee pain is often treated quickly with a thorough movement assessment and physical therapy program that will address strength and mobility deficits that are contributing to the pain.
“Why Do My Knees Hurt?”
If you’re just started to get knee pain, or you’ve been struggling for years, you are probably wondering “why do my knees hurt?”.
More often than not, it is because some muscles are tight, others are weak and your body is not doing a good job of absorbing and dispersing the shock encountered throughout the day.
When we walk, the approximate force exerted on our knees is approximately 3x our body weight.
Therefore, those muscles can fatigue over time if not properly trained and that’s why exercises for your knees are vital.
It’s also important to seek care sooner rather than later so you avoid joint damage or early degeneration.
Over time the joint and surrounding cartilage can also break down, knee muscles may be tight and other muscles (such as the glutes, and hips) may weaken.
Now don’t get scared, not all pain is treated equally and this is not something you need to worry about.
Arthritis, a normal progression of “wear and tear” on our joints and bones, plagues approximately 32 million people. That means that the majority of people over the age of 50 have arthritis.
While some of these numbers seem scary, it’s important to note that if you get the right treatment (and perform the right knee exercises), you should be able to drastically reduce the time needed to get you back to doing the activities you love.
How Physical Therapy Can Stop Your Knee Pain
When you see a Doctor of Physical Therapy they will complete a full body evaluation that will identify strengths and weaknesses, mobility and flexibility deficits throughout your body and more specifically your knee.
Then together you and the Physical Therapist will develop a plan of care that will help you meet your goals and establish a timeline for expected return to your life without knee pain!
It’s important to note that in most states you can go see a physical therapist WITHOUT having to see a Medical Doctor or Specialist so if you realise you need expert help, and you’re sick and tired of relying on medication to numb the pain, you can reach out to us TODAY – Simply arrange your Discovery Visit or call us on (773) 609-1847 and find out what options are suitable for you.
For those in Illinois, Direct Access was established in 2018 and has made getting rid of that knee pain more accessible, more affordable, and a faster solution to eliminating knee pain. Since 2018, we’ve noticed a large increase in patients who want fast, drug-free relief from common issues.
6 Physical Therapy Exercises For Knee Pain Relief
Thomas Test Stretch
Seated Piriformis Stretch
Bridges
Sidelying ABD
Sit to stand (Knee Pain)
Sidestepping/Duck Walks
Stop Knee Pain That’s Ruining Your Sports Performance
You love your sport but knee pain can leave you missing practice, on the sideline for important games, and unable to perform at your best.
It’s frustrating, and we understand how much knee pain can impact your life.
At our Chicago clinic, we are currently offering a limited number of Peak Performance Assessments where you can discover how to eliminate knee pain, recover faster and become faster, stronger and better at your sport.
At PREP Performance Center, we have dedicated sports injury specialists and sports performance programs which have helped hundreds of professional and amateur athletes as well as those who simply want to keep fit and healthy.
Contact us today to arrange your Peak Performance Assessment or call us on (773) 609-1847.
Other Free Resources To Prevent And Treat Knee Pain
Read Our Blog – How To Prevent Sports Injuries – 5 Proven Strategies
Read Our Blog – 7 Tips To Recover From Knee Replacement Surgery Fast
Read Our Blog – 10 Ways To Improve Knee Extension
Follow Us On Social Media – Prep Performance Center Facebook, Prep Performance Center Twitter and Prep Performance Center YouTube
