Injuries Archives

Some joggers will inevitably experience some hip pain during their running. After knee pain, hip pain is the second most common type of injury or pain amongst runners. Below, one will find some important information on hip pain that is caused by running and one will also find information on how hip pain can be avoided or treated.

Where does the hip pain usually originate from? 

When hip pain is caused by running, the runner will often feel the pain in the area where the hip and thigh meet. In some cases, the runners might feel that the hip pain is coming from a point that is a little higher than the point where the thigh and hip meet.

How is hip pain caused?

It would be very difficult to provide a general answer for the cause of hip pain as the cause will vary from individual to individual. For example, hip pain can be simply caused because a person is running on a hard surface that puts undue pressure on the hip bone. Hip pain can also be caused by worn out shoes or badly fitted shoes. It can also be caused by poor running form, due to weak core muscles and also by the length of the running stride.

Other conditions that can lead to hip pain are weak muscles in the back and a condition called over pronation where one of the ankles rolls over, much more than the other ankle, creating an imbalance that can cause knee or hip pain. In fact, most runners who suffer from hip pain are those who also suffer from knee pain.

How is hip pain treated? 

For immediate treatment of hip pain, one will need to simply rest or at least reduce their running activities to an intensity level that does not cause any hip pain. One can also use ice, gel packs and massages to seek respite from hip pain.

For long term treatment, one might have to do one of the following, depending on the cause of hip pain in the body.

If the hip pain is being caused by weak back muscles, one will have no choice but to strengthen their back and core muscles over a period of time.

If the hip pain is being caused by imbalances or poor running form, one might have to consider a change in footwear and even a change in their running technique. Many people have managed to reduce or eliminate their hip pain by simply reducing the length of their running stride.

In some cases, one might have to seek the help of a orthopedic expert to see if they will need orthotics to correct their running technique, that can then lead to an elimination of hip pain.

One can also possibly eliminate hip pain by simply switching their running surface to something that is a little softer, especially if they were running on concrete. In some cases, simply losing a few pounds will allow a person to eliminate hip pain that is being caused by running.

knee pain from running picture

Knee pain from running can hurt!

Many a runner gives up on running because of knee pain from running. However, the fact of the matter is that knee pain can easily be avoided if a person has the right kind of information on knee pain from running.

Below, one will find information on the causes, treatment and symptoms of knee pain from running.

Symptoms of knee pain from running

Many runners who suffer from knee pain will often feel the pain after they have just completed a long run. The pain will usually originate from just behind the knee cap and might feel like a numbing pain rather than a sharp pain. The pain will usually aggravate when a person has climbed a flight of stairs. Other symptoms of a runner’s knee are when a person feels stiffness or soreness in their knees when they have sat down for long period of time. Some runners also experience a slight clicking sound when they either extend or bend their knees.

Causes of knee pain from running

Knee pain for runners is usually caused by a condition that is medically known as patellofemoral pain syndrome. Among the running community, this condition is simply known as a “runner’s knee”. In a vast majority of cases, this knee pain from running is caused by quadriceps muscles that are quite weak, especially when compared to the strength of the hamstring muscles in the same person. Tight hamstrings can also be another cause of knee pain from running. Weak quadriceps and a tight hamstring can also cause the ankles to roll in when a jogger is running. Technically, the rolling in of ankles is known as the tendency to over pronate, that can in turn cause knee pain.

Treatment for knee pain from running

For reduction of knee pain from running, one can simply ice their knees after a run. However, running with pain is not recommended. One must take a few days off when they are suffering from knee pain from running. During those days off, one should try to stretch out their hamstring muscles and also strengthen their quadriceps muscles.

Quadriceps muscles can be easily strengthened with the help of targeted exercises such as lunges and leg raises.

To reduce knee pain from running, one must also make sure that they have the right kind of shoes that supports the arch type in their foot. To avoid knee pain from running, one must also ensure that they never run on worn out shoes. Ideally, shoes should be changed every 350 miles or so. One should also consider buying two pairs of running shoes that they can alternate every day as it will reduce the chances of knee injuries that can be caused by improper cushioning. If one cannot find a shoe that will match their arch, they can consider buying over the counter arch support products that might reduce their knee pain, especially if it is caused by over pronation.

If none of the above treatment methods work, one should seek professional help of a doctor who will be able to advise on custom fitted orthotic installments that will be able to eliminate or reduce knee pain.

Knees Hurt After Running? – Not Anymore!

One of the most preferred exercises by many people around the globe is running. Running provides the required exercise to complete body which helps in burning the extra calories present in the body. It is necessary that we burn those extra calories present in the body so that we maintain healthy life and be energetic. But there are many people who stop the process of running as their knee hurts after running. There are many reasons behind this particular problem and one has to find the required solution before it creates much trouble.

Pain in the knee after running are considered as the most common problem in many people and can occur either to one leg or both the legs. This completely depends on the person’s stamina and strength apart from the total body weight. Though the pain may stay for about an hour after running, there are few cases where the pain even continues for a longer time which makes the person uncomfortable in carrying out his regular activities. Hence, it is necessary that one find a solution so that they can overcome the problem and carry out their regular activities without any trouble.

Many people complain that their knee hurts after running. This can be due to several reasons such as misalignment of kneecap, an injury occurred prior to your running session or arthritis. If any one of the condition matches to your problem, then you must visit a reputed doctor who will help diagnose the problem behind the pain and will help you provide relief through medications and few important exercises that will ease the pain. Irrespective of the cause of the pain, the main root cause for knee to hurt after you run is due to the shock that your kneecap is receiving.
There are many pre-requisites that one can follow in order to overcome knee hurts after running. The important factor that you have to consider is your footwear. Improper footwear will also cause difficulties while you run and increase the pressure on your kneecap. There are many brands present in the market which have specially designed shoes for running. You can choose the best among all so that you will be comfortable while you run.

The next step which involves is the selection of the running path. Many people run along a concrete path in the parks or along the roadside footpaths. Such surfaces create a greater impact each time you make a pressuring impact on the surface. The return force from the concrete surface is more than the force you apply on the surface. This creates the required shock and creates the pain in knee. You are required to choose a non-concrete surface such as a mud filled track or grass where you have less impact and will help you overcome knee hurts after running problems.

Apart from the above mentioned priorities there are even few other important things that you can consider as protection to your knee cap. Many sports manufacturing companies have provided guards to protect knees in the form of knee caps. You can purchase them and wear before you carry out regular running session in order to prevent knee hurts after running as they will provide the complete support and protection that one requires while they carry out their running activity.

Knee pain while running – Solution

knee pain while running

Knee pain while running can really hurt!

Running with knee pain can be very dangerous.  Every day hundreds of people have to go through knee surgery and in many cases the surgery could have been prevented.

It is a common myth that for every step we take, we damage our knee. Studies have shown that knee injuries are quite in fact more common for runners, but the injuries can easily and quickly be corrected if they are handled properly. In this article there will be given tips on how to cure your knee pain, but if you find the knee pain severe, you must see a doctor. As if you go to them early enough, it might spare you a visit to the surgeon.

If you don't find the pain strong enough to visit the doctor a rule of thumb should be: If the  pain increases for every time you run, stop running for a while. If the pain decreases, it shouldn't really be a big issue. And also, when you are experiencing knee pain while running it is not the proper time to participate in marathons or setting new personal records.

There are also some other precautions you can make to reduce/prevent knee pain:

Surface: Avoid hard surfaces like asphalt. While it might seem the as the easiest paths to take it can be fatal for your knee. A hard surface will return strong force when your feet makes contact with the ground, which creates a strong shock that is observed by the knee. This increases the chances of knee injuries and in general makes the entire running trip less enjoyable. Running on grass or in the woods is therefore preferable. And running in wild doesn't feel as repetive as running on roads etc. If you don't have any woods or grass areas close to where you live, the shoes you wear is a major factor in your knee's health.

Shoes: Knee pain while running is also often caused by your shoes. The main job running shoes does is to absorb the shock from the pavement. When your shoes are of low quality and doesn't really suppress these shocks your knee definitely feels it. The best way to find great running shoes are basically to ask the employees in the shop for advice. Tell them your approximate budget and also ask them for personal experiences with shoes. As in sport stores the majority of the employees are actually runners themselves.

Genetics: Genes are actually the main factor that decides if you feel knee pain while running or not. While it is incredible hard to change your genes it is important to be aware of them. If your family have had a lot of problems with their knees it is likely that you are exposed to knee pain as well. And even though you have the best running equipment in the world you shouldn't push yourself too far with poor genes. 

All in all knee pain while running can be very painful and the best thing is probably to see your local doctor. If you decide not to, make sure to listen very careful to your body while running with knee pain. Pain is the body's method to say that something is wrong. Sometimes it fixes itself, but not always.

Sources: 
Knee pain in general: http://www.medicinenet.com/knee_pain/article.htm 25.12.2011

Runners knee: http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/knee-pain/runners-knee 30.12.2011