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Pain back of knee and at side
samsunguser
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Started 2 weeks ago towards the end of a long run. Came on without warning and forced me to stop as it felt uncomfortable. Basically first felt at the back of the leg and it was hard to pinpoint but it caused me to limp the rest of the way and the day after. Been to physio. Told it was Itb. The pain that I was feeling at the side of the knee to touch has subsided but when I tried to run earlier this week I managed a mile before i felt it start coming on again. Felt the pain on bending the knee (as if I was bringing the knee up towards me) and also felt when kicking the covers off me in bed. Have been strengthening glutes and rolling daily. Also been swimming and cycling to get me out the doldrums. Anybody else had this?
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Comments
Biggest advice I could give is separate the diagnosis (ITB syndrome) from the root cause of your problem, otherwise you're going to go round in circles.
You need to ask 'Why did I get this condition in the first place?' 'Why is my IT band rubbing abnormally against my knee and why is it tight.'
Running is not the problem as your body is designed to run pain free and lots of people run and don't have your issue.
So what could be going on with you? Well the IT band essentially runs from your pelvis and hip to your knee. So if either of these structures is out of alignment they will not function properly, and therefore the IT band will not function correctly either.
Imagine you had a car. If one of the 4 wheels was out of position then that car wouldn’t drive very smoothly, and would eventually develop a 'condition'. It's not that driving is the problem, it's that that particular car has an issue so when you take it driving it has a problem.
Your body is the same but has 8 wheels - the ankles, knees, hips and shoulders. If the knee 'wheels' or nearby wheels are out of alignment, the knee is not going to work properly and there is going to be extra friction and stress through the joint when you run, and eventually you develop a condition e.g. ITB syndrome and your body gives you a signal which is pain.
If you just try and tackle the symptom by wearing straps, or altering your running technique, or changing shoes then more often than not this will give you temporary relief. Unfortunately it hasn't addressed the ROOT cause, the postural and muscles imbalances, and so the pain either returns in the same place eventually or at a different location as the strap, shoe or altered running pattern has transferred the excessive forces and dysfunction to a different location in the body.
General strengthening exercises on the glutes or just stretching out tight areas are a little silly to be honest as you are just strengthening in imbalances. Before you strengthen you need to straighten. Imagine in response to cracks appearing in the leaning Tower of Pisa someone saying there’s nothing wrong with the tower we just need to put more concrete around it to strengthen it in it’s current leaning position. It would be silly as eventually the cracks would appear again because of the on-going strain. Much better to get the tower straight first - though tourists may not like this!
The same thing is true with so many runners who have ITB syndrome. They just get exercises to strengthen the area. For many people they get no benefit. For many people they do, but all they’ve done is increased the ability of their body to withstand the abnormal strains in their body so eventually the pain comes back in the same location or somewhere nearby perhaps a few weeks later or several years later and they don’t connect the dots.
Try these 3 exercises which will help start the process of getting your ankles, knees and hips into a better alignment and working together as a unit - the way they were designed to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Nusxgj6XhY
Good luck
Ameet
Thanks so much for your very informative response.
I have already started the exercises as you have suggested and I noticed in my left side on the first exercise that there was some discomfort which to me says there is something obviously not right in that area. (Left side is the issue). I didn't feel the same with the right side.
So I will continue and once again thank you.
i had similar symptoms and i'd actually sprained my ACL inside my knee. Is bad knee swollen up more than the other one, at all? My knee filled with fluid and there was a noticeable difference
Thought i'd send in an update.
8 weeks on and 7 of those no running (just swimming and cycling).
Had physio (acupuncture, massage, strengthening exercise guidance)
Have been strengthening glutes with exercises given for all of the 8 weeks daily.
Started a walk/run program and my knee is feeling tight around the quad just above the knee and just doesn't feel right.
Tearing out now - feel disappointed.
Back to physio tomorrow.
For the past 7 weeks have had no problems/discomfort with walking.
Just wanted to vent my frustrations.
ps..was diagnosed as ITB