Learn About Runners Knee

Do you believe you’re suffering from Runner’s Knee? Here are a few ways to help recover at home.

If you feel pain or swelling beneath or on the sides of your kneecap or hear a grinding sound while running, you may be suffering from this condition. It can be dealt with at home most times by taking a few precautious steps.

The issue occurs when your patella rubs against its sides or goes out of its track. The reason is because when you calculate how many steps you take every day and how many times the cartilage had to move to keep you running, and then it’s easy to see why you ended up with this condition.

First off, stop running. You will need to rest your body and avoid high impact activities. Try to avoid carrying anything heavy and elevate your leg whenever possible.

In order to reduce inflammation, start a regimen of ibuprofen for approximately one week and apply ice to the affected area and shin for 10-15 minutes every couple of hours.

You will want to apply anti-inflammatory cream or gel to it, in a massage pattern if possible on sore areas of your joints. Try to do this a couple times a day.

After the pain goes away, you will need to exercise and strengthen your knee and leg. Stretch your quads, hamstring, thighs and gluteus muscles. Try exercises like squats and step-downs. For an easier exercise, place your leg with a pillow under your knee. Tighten your quads and push your knee into the pillow and lift your foot. Do this 15-20 times and then repeat with your foot turned out to target different muscles.

If you do not see or feel any improvement in two weeks, visit your doctor. If you do see improvement, full recovery can be expected in four to six weeks. Surgery is a last resort for it, so take the time to stretch properly and heal fully.