How To Get Rid Of Knee Pain Due To Running
You have knee pain and you know if you want to keep running you have to do something to get rid of it. The problem is when you ask other runners what they did you get so many different answers… so what works for you now? You don’t want to try every single thing that’ll take too long… so how do you know which one will work best right now? Keep reading to find out.
Have you ever noticed when you ask a question in the running groups online you get so many different answers of what to do for knee pain after running?
Who is right?
Which is the best thing to do?
If you haven’t done this it looks something like this:
Have you noticed this?
You ask a question in one of the running groups and you get so many different answers.
“You need stronger knees… strength train.”
“No…you need stronger glutes…”
“No… it’s your shoes, get Hoka/Brooks/Saucony/etc”
“No… you need a running assessment.”
“No… you need to rest longer.”
“No… you need to run slower.”
“No… you need to stretch before you run.”
“No… you need to stretch after you run.”
“No… you need to foam roll.”
“No… you need to fuel better.”
“No… you need to drink more water.”
Who’s right?
They’re all right.
And
They’re all wrong.
See all of these things DO work… but which to do now depends on 2 things.
What stage of the knee pain journey are you at?
What are you already doing?
See these things probably all worked for each of these people but none of them did them when they were at the stage of pain you’re at now.
If you have knee pain and add squats, leg press, deadlifts, lunges, etc to your routine but you’re in the early stages of having knee pain and your knee pain is all the time then it’s not that it’s wrong to strength train… it’s just too early for that type of strength training.
Or if you’re in later stages of the knee pain journey and you rest for 2 weeks after every run and aren’t using the appropriate modality after a run then the knee pain will keep coming back after every run… it’s not the right time to rest that long without doing anything else.
So you first need to figure out what stage you’re at and once you know you need to look at what you’re already doing and if those techniques are the appropriate ones.
Let’s say you are in stage 3 - stable pain - and someone says it’s your shoes you need new shoes but you have brand new shoes you don’t want to go just buy new shoes because you’ll just buy pair after pair without success.
Maybe instead you have the right pair (because you got your gait assessed) but you need strength and stretching exercises to keep your whole body supporting your knees and decrease the tightness in your muscles.
Or maybe you’re doing all that but adding in a hot epsom salt bath at the end of the day on your long run days would help you not have pain the day after.
Sound confusing?
It can be!
This is why there are professionals to help guide you through which thing(s) you should be doing now and how to move through the stages.
Different professionals you can talk to are
Running coaches
Personal trainers
Registered Dietitians
Physical Therapists
Massage Therapists
Chiropractors
Or a combination of those people who have created frameworks guiding their clients through the stages and steps to be able to work through the right things at the right time. This is the type of thing I do with my clients.
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