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Erm ... I hate to go against the flow here but if this was a second opinion, and a second physio telling you that persisting with running will cause you grief, then maybe it's just not meant to be?
Running is great, but it's not intrinsically better or worse than any other sport. If I were repeatedly told not to run by physios then I would probably heed their advice. I'd be pissed off and start eating lots of pies. And then find another activity that doesn't load my knees or whatever as much as running.
Caveat: these are sports physios, yes? Coz sports physios are a different beast from NHS physios, and are usually private sector and therefore expensive. But a good one is worth it.
Whatever, good luck!
Sarah, ok you've had 'advice', but that in itself may be questionable as Muttley says. A sports orientated therapist will see the mechanical faults, like any fizz, but will work with you to overcome them.
I see many erm biomechanically challenged patients, but do what I can to help them. I say this often but I only deal with 3 things: inflammation, imbalance and (in)flexibility. Assuming you haven't an acute injury, the fizz should be working with the last 2 with you.
FWIW, a few years ago before I was a therapist I went to a private fizz who wasn't sports related - his view was i needed to stop my sports activities ALL TOGETHER and do 'gentle exercise' instead. Exact quote: "The sort of exercise you can still be doing when you're 70".
Well, I took some of his advice... when I'm 70 I intend to be still doing full press ups, weight lifting (albeit with less weight on the bar), cycling, yomping up hills in all weathers and going out for a plod. Twazzock!
Twazzock. If nothing else, that word has made me happy
It was a bog-standard NHS physio - no sports specialist, I couldn't possibly afford that
I think I'd have to sell a kidney. I might try one more opinion, although it will already be two against running, so is it worth it? The pies are looking mighty tempting 
I also apparently have one leg longer than the other
Oh, the joy.
Sarah.....you'll find most people have one leg longer than another. I do and wear a 4mm wedge under my right heel, which sorted out the ITB problems I had.
Go to a running shop with video gait analysis and just see what options they can come up with. Explain your budget and ask if they can keep the shoes for you until you have saved for them.
I always buy a pair from the shop if I have a gait analysis done and find a new pair I like but shop on ebay for them after that. The shoes I run in are generally £80 new but £45 on ebay.
Sounds to me that your problems are postural and majority of those problems come from muscle weakness and can be helped with muscle strenghtening exercises.
I would recommend that you go see a sports therapist I bet you they will tell you completely opposite to what your physio said.
My student loan doesn't even begin to cover the cost of my accommodation, let alone food, travel, books, etc. The thought of trying to find £40 is slightly terrifying!
My mum is disabled and my Dad retired early due to bowel cancer (hence running for Bowel Cancer UK on Sunday
- I'm doing that one no matter what), so I can't ask them... might try selling some of my old text books on ebay.
Can you get orthotics on the NHS?
Sarah, know how you feel, my physio told me more or less the same apart from the bit about overpronation.
If it's any consolation, I ignored her and am running my second marathon in 3 weeks.
There is some really good training advice on runnersworld.com - strength training that you can do on your own staircase etc, no need to visit expensive gyms or buy anything.
Erm, I don't know whether you can get orthotics on NHS to be honest. I had to pay for mine, they were about £80 from what I remember which I realise now must seem completely out of reach for you at the moment. You can get them from Boots I believe, for a lot less, but which could likely turn out to be a waste of money if they're not right for you. If you can't get a job then ebaying could well bring in some useful cash. My uni bookshop sold second hand books to new students - you could possibly get more money for your books doing this. What are you studying? Is it something you could do any tutoring for some extra cash for example? You could check out moneysavingexpert.com forums for really useful money saving ideas, you could put the money you save towards running shoes / physio etc.
Good luck for your race on Sunday
Hi Sarah
Really sorry to hear you've seen one of those physios. A decent one will realise he's treating a whole person, not just a knee injury. Apart from the fact that you want to run, the same body that holds the iffy knees has a heart that's benefitting quite a lot from it, so as other people have said, don't give up!
As you know you're overpronating, I can't see any reason why you can't buy shoes of t'internet, so long as you speak to a decent running specialist, tell them about your running style, height, weight etc., and go with their advice. I found Up and Running really helpful, but they're not the only ones by any means.
When you get the new shoes, dump the insoles and replace them with sorbothane (possibly not spelt like that!. They'll set you back another 17 quid or so, but they'll last a couple of years through several pairs of running shoes, just keep swapping them over. My fizz recommended them to take the pressure of my knees and they're fab, it's like putting an armchair on the bottom of each foot.
Good luck and all the best
Yes you can get orthotics on the NHS your GP will refer you. Prob best to say its affecting your everyday life, being a student you walk everywhere, so you are having alot of pain, then of course there's the fact your knees are dodgy anyway.
D
How about getting a job? heck, even a few shifts at McD's would pay for a decent pair of shoes.
Well looks as though you're getting some really good, positive support - hope you're feeling better.
My orthotics were expensive, but worth it. You can get them off the shelf and they are much, much cheaper, but if they don't work for you, then it would be a waste of money.
A bit cheeky, but a lot of forumites are medical/sports professionals (physios, podiatrists etc), if you asked really nicely, maybe some of them would be prepared to offer you treatment at a reduced rate - enough to help you get gait/strengthening exercises sorted out.
My orthotics make a huge difference to me - it may be the same for you, so if any kind forumites could help you out, that might be enough for you to get a decent pair of shoes, do the exercises yourself (no need to waste money on gym membership, loads you can do at home) and find yourself making progress.
Pilates is great for core strength - and there are plenty of exercises on here and other sites that you can find to strengthen your core, calves, hamstrings and glutes.
You could also ask for student discount at sports shops, or, once you've found the right pair of shoes for you, search t'interweb for best price. My local shop is independent, run by runners and their prices always match web prices, so if you can find a good one near you, then I'm sure they'll be keen to help you.
Definitely look at going to a doctor - one who is a sports specialist, rather than a normal GP. And no - a physio is NOT a sports specialist.
There may be something that you can do that allows you to strengthen the muscles and tries to resolve the problem rather than making you drop the end result.
I had a friend with knock knees and all gangley and weird looking and there was FA wrong with her running
I think everyone is missing the point here...Cake did a direct Star Wars quote on Page 1 and nobody picked up on it????!!!
Good on you Cake, may the Force be with you.
Now back to your petty biometrics and physio speak.....
Run off road.
May be a little 'dark side' but it's way more fun than tedious tarmac pounding and so much better for the joints.
Hello everyone - I'm feeling much more positive today. More miffed than anything, actually. Silly bint and her 'stop running'. Why not tell me how I can sort myself out???
*deep calming breath*
I'm going to go in to my local Up and Running today and tell them I need to save up, but will they help me find a pair of trainers. Then I'll look for some on the net
I've been googling for exercises that I can do at home, and also looked for some sorbothane insoles/heel pads. Anyone know of a good (meaning cheap) stockist? I don't usually buy off t'internet so am a wee bit wary...
I looked at Sarah's profile and decided to use as many geek reffances as possible to try and cheer her up. Was suprised no one noticed before. Should have quoted firefly more for the kids.
DJ dark side is a p*ss take in joke around these parts for tri.
why not ask them if they need someone to work in the shop for a few hours a week and that way you'd get a staff discount too.
Make sure you tell them you are a member of a running club that will normally get you 10% off and also see if they give a student discount.
if you don't ask you don't get.......
Afternoon all,
glad you're feeling a bit more positive about things Sarah....just read back and agree with everyone - get another opinion! I'm about 3.5 stone overweight, my knees are slightly of the 'knock' variety, but my sports massage therapist and physio just do what they can to make sure I can run. I also went to see a manipulative therapist (i.e. one that manipulates your skeleton, not one that tries to con you out of money
) because my hip was slightly out of alignment. Once he sorted that, it in turn helped my knees a lot (he works for Back to Balance in Edinburgh). I'm sure we're all a bit dodgy body wise, and have sore bits here and there, but a good physio will work with you. Ooh, the therapist also wondered if i needed orthotics - I did, and wear them all the time. They helped a lot. Good luck!
Where I'm from it's an in-joke meaning fell running.