Knee injuries

[distracted]

Does anyone have any good exercises to strengthen the muscles that support the knee? I occasionally get problems with them aching/hurting which will disappear after a few weeks inactivity. it's frustrating not being able to get out there and run in the meantime though...

any help greatly appreciated

[fell]

I got runner's knee.
It makes the ligaments along the top of the knee tight because the Illiotibial band (ITB)is tight, which means the ligaments stop being tight if you loosen the ITB through stretching, try hamstring stretches.

[Mrs H.]

there's a big article about knee injuries in CompassSport which came this morning - check it out.

[Harley]

I must agree with Robbo. A member of my family was told by one of the GB athletics squad masseurs that an overtight ITB was a very common cause of runner's knee injuries. Lie on your back, shoulders on the floor one leg flat the other bent but with the foot on the outside of the flat leg then pull the bent knee down across the flat leg feeling the stretch in the ITB. Do lots! and keep the shoulders on the floor.

Of course being composed of straw I can't personally vouch that this actually works but a member of my family swears by it.

[Wattok]

I was given a stretch to do which got me back running to acertain degree but the best way to cure ITB problems in the long run is with the use of a rolling pin, have it on the ground and roll urself along it on your ITB. This loosens it up and the surrounding muscles which are the cause of the tightness. Hurts bad but most effective!

[PorkyFatBoy]

An exercise that I do that I think is for strengthening knees(taken from Steve Bird's "Get Fit for Orienteering") is to stand on one leg and then bend you knee keeping you body upright, then straighten it. Repeat and obviously do both legs.
You can also do it standing on tip-toe which strengthens your ankles.

[redkite]

where abouts on the knee? Is it on one knee or both.

As someone who has had 2 replacement ACL over a 25 year period I unfortunately have plenty of experience of knee injuries. (none through O though)

If it hurts it normally means there is some thing wrong. May be obvious but!! Could be you are just increasing milelage too quickly, in which case lower your training intensity, build up gradually.

If it continues to hurt- rest it and (if you can)take professional advice.

What kind of excercise depends on the injury

This site is sometime ok http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net

[brooner]

I was given a stretch to do which got me back running to acertain degree but the best way to cure ITB problems in the long run is with the use of a rolling pin, have it on the ground and roll urself along it on your ITB. This loosens it up and the surrounding muscles which are the cause of the tightness. Hurts bad but most effective!

i've got an xmas pressie for you wattok

[P2B]

Get yourself referred to a physio. If your GP says 'rest' tell them they should be encouraging exercise as a way of creating a healthy nation!

I had a wonky kneecap (not sure what the medical term was) and it took me about 6 months of pain to convince my GP to refer me. 6 weeks of physio and some exercises that I still do every day later I'm all better.

Helps if you've got private health cover though...

[ifititches]

P2B may have had chondromalacia patellae, or the beginnings of it. It's when the kneecap (patella) is pulled slightly out of line by the way the quads contract.This finally affects the undersurface of it. Would imagine c.p. can also occur as part of the problem with ITB, but am not a knee expert. Put the term into google and you'll find lots of exercises to do for it, most of which are about strengthening and re-educating your quads to contract in the right sequence, but you may also need professional advice if you've got a running gait /foot position that predisposes you to this
In my experience it's very common and often seems to occur after getting over an injury/period of inactivity when training/competition resumes. Often the pain is a lot worse on coming downstairs. In the early stages it can respond dramatically to quads exercises, and it's probably good practice to go on with these to stave off further episodes.

[distracted]

Thanks for all the advice - will attempt to see someone once I'm back in Oxford. the general aching in the knee has gone now but it still feels dodgy. There's a strange click on the outside of the joint and an occasional sharp pain under the top inner part of the kneecap, esp. when squatting. but there's improvement which is good.