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Pain on outside of knee
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About 10 miles into a marathon last weekend I started to get pain in the outside of my left knee, below the kneecap. It was quite a sharp pain, worse when going downhill. After the race, it was painful on walking and I found it hard to bend the knee with weight on the leg. I iced it and rested and after 2 days it felt fine, but I still rested for 3 more days.
This morning I went for a gentle 4 mile run. It started to feel uncomfortable during the last 5 mins. Now it is a bit painful when going downstairs. It's a weird feeling as though something is "pulling apart" in the side of my knee. It's worse if I've been sitting still.
Has anyone had anything similar? Will it go away if I'm sensible and rest it? I'm supposed to be running a 30mile race in 5 weeks...
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I have the same thing as a direct result from last marathon. In my case i think it is IT band and I am seeing a sports physio on monday for what will probably be a very painful session while she sorts it out. It's got to be done tho as IT band won't resolve itself.
Your problem sounds quite bad and as you have a big race coming up I would advice getting a proffessional opinion quick sharp.
Hope you sort it out swiftly
Philippa
Almost certainly itbs. IMHO. The stretches for it are generally rubbish. You are better off buying a foam roller and rolling the side of you leg from hip to knee. Lots about itbs on the web. Start working on it asp and stretch out other muscles in your leg. Often caused by running on camber or shoes starting to fail. There are some bands you can get to go round your knee. I tried them and found them totally rubbish. Others have found them useful but I'm guessing they have suffered with this for a while.
Good luck
Well done you.
Harri, have a look here about ITBS.
Yeah Paul anyone who's had ITB probs has probably had the pleasure
of a foam roller.
The physio I work with had never heard of them. And when I was whinging about my shoulder DOMS from climbing he looked like this
and asked me what 'doms' were. That's 30 years experience for you!
Thankyou! I hadn't thought about ITBS, I was assuming it was something within the knee joint itself- but this makes perfect sense.
Siance, the article is great, I've printed it out and will be starting the exercises tonight. And I'm off to order a foam roller now.
Yes I want to get a foam roller. I've had a quick look and there seem to be different sizes around - and prices.
Paul - you seem to be well informed, perhaps you could advice on which roller and where to get it. (Or any one else of course)
many thanks
Philippa
Harri, give it time. Apparently the ITB has the tensile strength of steel - it's one tough band and has a carp blood supply so is slow to heal. Any pain while running will delay healing, so don't run if it's sore at all.
If you follow the advice from the site and find it's getting worse, consider stopping the stretching but keep with the strengthening etc.
Stretching made mine worse. My ITB wasn't tight to start with but I thought 'it can't do any harm' Wrong!
Be prepared for some discomfort if you're new to foam rollering. Ignore the fact the woman in the pic on the site is smiling using one
it shows no mercy. My first time with one nearly had me weeping on the floor 
I have one ! it is called the medieval toture device in our house but it does work very well ,just grit your teeth and bear it.
good luck
I think that I have a very similar condition. Similar pain in my right knee when I run or swim or sometimes sit. I will check out these foam roller torture devices of which you speak. I think that the stretches are quite good. Won't cure but will help in my experience.
My physio suspects that I caused my injury wearing an 'old' pair of shoes, though I actually think I hurt my knees going for a walk!
Thanks for sharing this question, and everyone for the advice.
Knees grrr, who needs them!
defo sounds like itbs. i went to the physio with this for at the start of the year. most people seem to be advising the good old foam roller and while this is defo a good tool, but i also found a rigourouse stretching regime helped me out and i found one particular stretch helped me tremendously.
i can't find a picture of it online anywhere tho
http://www.physiosupplies.com/acatalog/Fitness_Rollers.html
Try above for foam rollers, i'm ordering one myself. Delivery is free and the prices, as far as i can see, pretty much the same everywhere (Please correct me if i'm wrong!).
I'm a little unsure which size i should be ordering but i'm ordering the larger one myself.
I read this thread the other day and saw the 'rollers are magic' quotes and thought great! Now i've seen the 'medieval torture rack' posts and i'm not relly looking forward to using one, but as Harry777 says, us runners are tough!
lol bikermouse... that's how I feel!
I'm not sure that I'm doing this roller thing right. Are you supposed to be supporting yourself propped up on your arms? I keep falling over... perhaps I need to do some upper body work
I've had a few days off and the knee feels ok now. I might try a gentle run tomorrow.
Just had sports massage - very painful - ITbands very tight. Also a few other knots that I didn't know about till she stuck her thumbs in them. Feel great now. She highly recomends a foam roller.
so what with foam roller, my rebounder for core strenth etc, monthly physio sessions (ouch) I should be sorted - daren't say i....y free
Thanks Craig but I would never go to a chiropractor. When I need that sort of treatment I go to a cranial osteopath. He is in fact my partners uncle and brought cranial to this country. He is retired now but was the president of the British School of Osteopathy. Works complete magic.
I totally agree with getting the right sort of treatment when it's needed but maintenence is a good idea all the time to hopefully prevent major things happening.
all the best
Philippa
Harri, for foam roller technique, have a look on Youtube, there's some good vids showing you how to do it. Prop yourself up on your elbow. Roll nice and slow, the best way is to slowly compress the tissue with small movement, rather than larger rolling movements. That way the tissue accommodates the pressure better.
Flipperjane, I now work with an osteo and I've learnt more with him than at the previous practice I was at with physios. I've worked with good physios though. Osteos seem to have more knowledge: 5 years study vs 3 years must count for something
Jane, its what you know I suppose, when I had my problems I went to several Osteo's and well to say they were a waste of money is an understatement but its same as anything some are good some not so, I fianally got sorted by a Mctiminy Chiropractor (SUPERB) for one of the sessions with the Osteo he simply put electrodes on my back and left me there for 15 mins trust me it doesnt do anything about having your right leg half inch longer than your left cos my pelvis had dropped, which is what had bought about the ITBS, look around and most important listen to other people.
I hadn't kept up with this thread since posting at the beginning. Thx for the pay on the back PF! I got my roller on eBay. £11 including postage, its from an on line Physio store. Happy to post a link later if anyone is interested.
Don't over do the rolling. Little and often works for me. You can also use it on calfs, glutes, hams, quads. Although any one watching you roll your quads might think you are trying to hump the carpet! Lol.
Ops. Pay=pat! As in on the back! Silly blackberry!!
Good job I don't have any carpet then. Ho hum, Yes I saw some videos for other parts of the body. I tried it on my calves which have historically been rather tight though at the moment they seem to be reasonably ok. I'd like them to stay that way.
Once I get the tracking on my knee sorted I hope to be able to run again. I have plenty to keep me going through the winter months.
Eeeek - resistance bands. Be very careful, see a physio before using one. Get the correct exercises.
I use a resistance band, however after spraining my knee I discovered that one of the exercises that I was doing was actually agrevating it. Trouble is, you only find out afterward.
Well, I tried to go for a run this weekend and now both my knees hurt. A lot. I think I need to admit defeat and go to a physio.
Classybird, I sympathise
This is the first time I've ever been for a run and ended up feeling worse afterwards than before! Had to happen some time I guess.
Poor classybird. I don't know the answer...
I've got a physio appt on thursday. At the moment my knees don't feel too bad, cos I haven't run since Sat. I'm wondering whether I should go for a run tomorrow, just so I have some symptoms? Or is that stupid?