How to Deal with Knee Pain From Running
In this blog you'll find out what to do to get rid of knee pain so you can run again.
Contents include:
Before you read on first you need to know what stage of pain you're at. Read this blog post to find out what stage you're at.
Stage 0 - Seek medical attention
At this stage home treatments aren't appropriate. Seek medical attention in the form of seeing your primary care physician, urgent care or emergency department.
Stage 1 - New injury / Lots of Pain
Primary focus → recovery
At this stage you have a lot of pain either from a new injury or an old pain flared up.
Your primary focus is pain relief so this would be the recovery aspect of STRESD SystemTM
Knee Pain Relief for Runners
Ice
Heat
Massage
How long does it take to get rid of knee pain?
In this stage of your knee pain journey it will take 7- 14 days of working on your knee pain relief routine to get rid of your knee pain.
Read on to learn which technique to use, how often, and how long to use it for.
How long should I use ice for knee pain?
Ice works best when it's on for the right length of time and used frequently for the first 7-14 days after pain starts.
Ice for 20 minutes at a time. 15 minutes is too short. 30 minutes or more has the same effect as using it for 20 minutes.
Ice should be done 5x a day when at this stage of your knee pain journey.
Ice after breakfast
Ice before lunch
Ice after lunch
Ice before dinner
Ice before bed
Is it bad to ice my knee all day?
Yea. You don't want to leave ice on all day without a break.
If you're using a cold pack or chemical ice pack you can give yourself frostbite
If you like ice, it works for your knee pain then use it all day but give your knee a break every 20 minutes. So 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off all day if you'd like.
Can I use heat for knee pain?
Yes! You can use heat for knee pain especially if you notice your pain is worse when you've been sitting or standing still for too long and moving around or a hot shower feels good.
When you use heat for your knee pain use it for the right amount of time and often enough.
Heat for 20 minutes at a time.
15 minutes is too short. 30 minutes or more has the same effect as using it for 20 minutes.
Heat should be done 5x a day when at this stage of your knee pain journey.
Heat after breakfast
that before lunch
Heat after lunar
Heat before dinner
Heat before bed
What's the best heating pad for knee pain?
There are different kinds of heating pads that work well. The kind that works the best for the most people is a moist heat pack... the kind you put in the microwave.
If you don't have access to a microwave but do have access to electricity you can use an electric heating pad.
Can you use a heating pad too long?
Yes you can use a heating pad too long.
Use heat for 20 minutes at a time.
If you use it more than that, or if you don't have adequate sensation in your skin you can use it too long or too hot and burn yourself.
Use heat 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off if you want to use it continuously.
How do I know if a heating pad is hot enough?
A heating pad needs to be warm enough to create these changes in your skin...
Increased warmth
Slight sweating
Pink/red in color (for light skinned person)
It shouldn't be so hot that you can't leave it on for 20 minutes at a time.
Is ice or heat better for knee pain?
Both ice and heat are excellent at home remedies for knee pain. Read on to figure out which one may work for you.
When should you use ice for knee pain?
The best way to decide is to do the opposite of what your knee is...
Is it hot to touch?
Cool it down with ice.
Is it cool and stiff?
Warm it up.
That's the quickest way to explain it.
But here are some more points:
Ice is good when
You like the cool feeling
Red, hot, swollen
After a workout
Tendinitis
Swelling has been increasing
Heat is good when
You like the warm feeling
Before a workout
Feels stiff and tight
Swelling is non-existent or hasn't increased
Tendinopathy
Baker’s Cyst
* BONUS *
If you like both heat and ice, have used both for a few days, multiple times a day and neither is working anymore then use heat followed by ice. Do 20 minutes heat followed by 20 minutes of ice immediately.
This creates a wave effect to help your knee feel better.
The heat and ice combo is especially helpful for knee bursitis.
Does massage help knee pain?
Knee pain in stage 1 of the pain journey can benefit from massage if the problem is caused by a pulled muscle.
Massages work out tightness in the muscle to loosen it up.
How do I know if I pulled a muscle?
A pulled muscle has 2 classic symptoms:
It's painful when you use the muscle
AND
It's painful when you stretch the muscle
Common pulled muscles at the knee
Quads
Hamstrings
Calves
At this stage of your pain journey gentle massage 1x a week can help. It shouldn't make you feel worse so if it does try a lighter touch or discontinue.
Ok as I mentioned above your primary focus at this stage of knee pain is
recovery for pain relief. There are other things to work on to maintain your level of fitness because most people are in stage 1 for about 2 weeks and that cycle starts over again every time the pain gets flared up.
What should you do to stay in shape when your knee hurts?
What exercise can I do when my knee hurts?
Strength exercise when your knee hurts
When your knee hurts you want to do what you can and avoid the painful things.
Pain is not your friend here... it's not no-pain , no-gain. Pain is your body's warning sign.
Typically do strength exercises for other parts of your body: like upper body, core, hips and ankles.
To get a routine customized for your needs get evaluated by your physical therapist.
Some good strength exercises to focus on with a hurt knee may include:
Biceps curls
OH press
Rows
Chest press
Triceps extension
Russian twist
Dying bug arms
4 way SLR
3 way Heel Raise
Should I run through knee pain?
When you're at stage 1 of knee pain you should do active rest: this means avoiding the painful activity. If running makes pain worse, rest. Or if running is the same amount of pain and everything is a 5 or higher on that 1-10 scale... rest.
So instead of running at this time do other cardio activities.
What are cardio activities that don't add pressure to the knee?
Cardio (cardiovascular activities) is anything that increases your heart rate and keeps it up. So you can make just about any activity a cardio one. Some examples include
Walking
Cycling
Swimming
Elliptical
Rowing
Strength routine w/ high reps, low weight, no rest
Are there specific shoes I should wear for my knee pain?
There are no particular running shoes that will make someone in stage 1 of knee pain be able to run without pain.
What's the best knee brace for runners with knee pain?
No knee brace in particular will take away knee pain in stage 1.
If you notice your knee swells up at the end of the day you could consider wearing a knee compression sleeve.
Please note compression sleeves don't reduce swelling, they help prevent it. Don' t put a compression sleeve on an already swollen knee.
What are the best stretches to get rid of knee pain?
Stretching at stage l of the knee pain journey must be gentle.
Stretching at this stage can help a pulled muscle and help loosen up tight joints and muscles. The stretches to the painful area should be gentle, held for a short length of time, and done frequently throughout the day.
You may consider doing "movements" instead of static stretches... this way you'll do the movement of getting into the stretch and then out of it right way.
No forcing movements or stretches, if your body doesn't get into the full stretch at this time… don't worry it's not ready for it yet.
Continue stretching other parts of your body so they don't stiffen up
Some movements and stretches to do now
Heel slide
Prone ham curl
Butt kicks
Gastroc
Soleus
LTR
Active hamstring stretch
What supplement heals knee pain?
The only supplement I have experience with is collagen peptides. collagen is a building block for muscles, tendons and ligament. So if something was going to help it'd be this.
Otherwise increase your protein intake and decrease processed food and refined sugar intake.
Protein, like collagen, builds and repairs injured tissue in your body.
Processed food and refined sugars feed inflammation. So these foods can make pain worse.
Replace the processed food and refined sugars w/ good fats and berries so you won't feel like you're missing out on the flavors or sweetness.
Good fats include
EVOO
Avocado
Raw nuts & seeds
Nut butters
Berries
Strawberry
Blueberry
Raspberry
Blackberry
There you have it. The top recommendations to get rid of knee pain for runners at home.
These recommendations are for runners with knee pain at stage 1.
You'll notice that the main focus is on recovery (or pain relief) techniques and there are still strength exercises, ways to train, stretches to do and there may be some knee braces and supplements that can help.
Once you’ve moved past this stage of knee pain learn what to do next
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