Knee pain while running or walking?

Question

Hi, Firstly I wanted to say I am fairly new to running, about 2 months of doing it often. I started a running program on coolrunning.com and it has actually worked and ive been able to run (jog) for 20 minutes straight gradually picking up my pace.

Thing is, one day I was running on a treadmill (it was raining outside) and I usually push through pain and it goes away. Well this day on the treadmill (about 1.5 months ago) I pushed through really bad pain and today im still paying for it. The Interior of my knee hurts randomly especially when i run, although not always but more times than not and it hurts when I fully extend my leg straight.

Medically speaking, according to Doctors and X-Rays there is nothing wrong with my knee and I dont think its my shoes, they're pretty decent. I am going to try one of those elastic knee braces but this pain has really drawn me back in my running given I am an Army Candidate so I need to be able to do this.

Oh and I also stretch and do a warmup

if anyone has anything to say please help.

Answer 1

Something is definitely wrong with your knee. The pain you're describing is not normal. Assuming your doctor knows what he's doing, it sounds like you didn't tear or break anything. You probably strained or severely irritated something though. If you can, you should see a physical therapist. If that's not possible, try some of the techniques on this website: http://www.bigkneepain.com/knee-exercise...

You should also invest in some new shoes. Although you say your shoes are decent, you really need shoes specifically designed for people with knee pain. Go to a athletic shoe store (NOT a big athletic store like Sport Mart, Sports Authority, or Big 5). Describe to a shoe specialist what and where your knee problem is. S/he will watch you walk and/or run then suggest there appropriate shoe for you. If the salesperson doesn't do this or seems clueless then go somewhere else. I recommend Fleet Feet: http://www.fleetfeetsports.com/

You can try various knee braces, but be careful. Only a doctor can recommend the appropriate brace. There are many different types and using the wrong one can do more harm than good. For example, I once severely irritated the tissue on the inside of my knee cap. Certain knee braces would have made it much worse.

DON'T push yourself again until you know what's really going on. Try going back a few weeks on the Couch Potato to 5K plan. Find a week that doesn't hurt. Don't push yourself. If you feel pain, stop. Perhaps see another doctor...

I assume that by "Army Candidate" you mean that you're thinking about joining the Army? If so, you should tell your recruiter about what's going on. My brother (a Marine) had an old ankle injury and had issues getting to bootcamp because of it. He didn't tell his recruiter about it and when he went through the pre-ship inspection at MEPS they sent him back because his ankle didn't look 100% healthy and he didn't have a medical waiver. Your recruiter will know if you need a waiver.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Hi i am a sophomore and run cross country.well we have to run at least two road races in the season. well we train the first couple weeks on cement. then we transition to dirt and grass the typical cross country course. I ran the road races fine but when we went to practice going from cement to dirt kills my knees and chins. so maybe that is your problem.

Answer 3

I had a terrible knee problem and I tried running through it. Sometimes I would have an immediate pain and would have to stop. The doctors said it was something was worn out in my knee in like a miniscus type curve. I went to physical therapy for a few months. And now its two years later. I dont really feel it as much anymore. Running on hard surfaces are bad for your knees so try running on grass or dirt once in awhile. And take breaks when needed. I was told to also strengthen the muscles around the knee, So maybe if you try an ankle weight. lay on your back and lift your legs maybe do it 20 times with 3 sets a day. hope anything helps.

Answer 4

apply medication to it

well you went to the doctor and you do warm ups, how bout you stop jogging for a week and than start slow and not for long and if it pains then rest and start again and next time when it pains just stop and relax and the carry on again.