Knee pain post half marathon

June 26, 2019

Hello, I’ve been running 5k weekly for the last 8 months and recently completed a half marathon. Whilst training for the half and increasing the distances I’ve developed left leg knee pain on the left side which was felt only when running.

Immediately following completion of the half, the knee was painful even when walking. However after a few weeks of not running, walking around is now pretty much painless again. But when I do try to run on it again, the pain returns; when walking down stairs & downhill, this seems to aggravate it; when sitting with the knee bent & especially when resting the other leg on it for more than a couple of minutes, this seems to aggravate it also.

Any ideas? Is it best to go through my GP & have a scan or can your facility access what the underlying issue may be?

Baz
June 26, 2019

Hi Baz

You don’t need a scan or a GP – it sounds pretty obvious to what you’ve done and what you need to do.

You probably started with an ITB friction/compression issue due to the amount of training you did. It’s a little like a bruise on the outer part of your knee.

You move in a way to avoid poking the “bruise” (let your foot point out or allow your knee to roll in) and this puts pressure on the way your kneecap moves over the front of your thigh.

Have a look at a single knee squat left v right. Your left will feel more wobbly and unstable.

You need to improve your lower limb control, allow your kneecap to take load (not too much too soon) and her back running – higher cadence, smaller strides and less noise.

We’re great at getting people like you back on your feet.

The Guru

Guru Responded

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