Runner's knee| Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment |Everything You Need To Know

Runner's knee is the name of a common injury to the knee. It happens when your quadriceps muscles pull on your kneecap, causing inflammation and pain. Runner's knee occurs most often in people who do a lot of running and other vigorous activities such as soccer, CrossFit or aerobics.

Runner’s knee, or patellar tendinitis, is a common injury among runners. Runner’s knee occurs when the tendon that connects your kneecap to your shinbone becomes inflamed and rubs against the bone. The pain often starts during exercise and disappears after you stop running, but it can become chronic if left untreated. You can treat a runner's knee with ice therapy, rest, physical therapy exercises, anti-inflammatory medication, stretching exercises, and in severe cases surgery may be an option.

Runner’s knee is a common injury among runners and other athletes. The knees themselves are not affected — instead, the issue lies with the patellar tendon, which connects your kneecap to your shinbone. When this tendon gets overused or injured, it causes pain in the front of your knee. In most cases, a runner's knee can be treated through physical therapy or exercise modifications that reduce strain on the patellar tendon. If you have been diagnosed with runner’s knee, make sure you follow these steps to prevent future issues!

Anterior knee pain is often caused by runner’s knee. This type of discomfort occurs as a result of inflammation and swelling in the patellar tendon, which connects to the kneecap. One way to reduce anterior knee pain is to ice your knees for 15 minutes at a time after you run. Ice can help reduce swelling and relieve irritation. You should also try wearing tape on your knees when you run if you experience any posterior knee pain or discomfort.

Symptoms of runner’s knee

If you run for more than 15 minutes, or if you do a lot of jumping and bouncing movements while running, your knees may start to hurt. This is particularly true if you have weak leg muscles and tendons. The pain tends to be worse after exercise and when you’re sitting down. It can also be painful at night as well as during the day, and it often keeps people from exercising because the knee becomes stiffer with each workout.

It causes pain under the kneecap, especially when you bend your knee to 90 degrees. The pain tends to get worse when running downhill or fast downhill sprints, and may be worse after sitting for long periods of time. Running down stairs will also cause discomfort because it puts more weight on your knees.

Runner's knee causes dull aching pain which increases with walking,squatting ,running,climbing and kneeling.

Causes of Runner's knee

there are many causes of Runner's knee

•Knee Joint overuse

•trauma or misalignment of the kneecap

•arthritis of the knee joint

•Tight or weak muscles of the tight

•Partial and complete dislocation of the kneecap

•Synovial plica syndrome or plica syndrome

Diagnosis of Runner's knee

Doctors can diagnose runners' knees by personal history , X rays ,CT scan or MRI.

Treatment of Runner's knee

You can manage your pain and treat runners knee by following some steps without surgery

Rest

Runner’s knee is a common problem. Most cases of shin splints are caused by something other than runners’ knees, so you do not need to stop running. The pain associated with runner’s knee usually goes away after several weeks, but it can take up to six months for the injury to heal completely. Your doctor may recommend rest and physical therapy, including exercises designed to stretch your hamstrings and tendons.

If you have Runner’s knee, the main treatment is rest. This means taking time off from running or doing exercises that cause pain in your kneecap. You may need to take days or weeks off, depending on how much the problem hurts and how quickly it improves while resting.

Ice

You may also be able to reduce your symptoms by using anti-inflammatory medications or icing the area that hurts. If these steps don't work, you should check with your doctor about possible surgical options.

Compression

knee compression for runner's knee is a very easy way to fix the problem of runner's knee. There are some exercises that can be done at home immediately after you have injured your knees. Some exercise involves a towel and a very light weight, which helps strengthen the kneecap. Make sure after doing this exercise you do not strain too much as it will cause more damage than good if overused. Another exercise involves only one leg and strengthening your calf muscle, which also helps stabilize the kneecap.

Elevation

Elevating your legs is one of the most important things you can do when managing a lower-extremity injury. It helps reduce swelling and pain. Here are some ways to elevate your legs:

While sitting, rest your legs on two pillows or towels stacked together so that they don’t hang too far off the edge of the seat.

If you’re lying down, use cushions under each leg or put folded blankets under them to raise them up higher than your heart.

Use pillows to prop yourself into an elevated position when you sleep; this will help prevent bed sores by keeping pressure off.

Physical therapy

Another option is to do physical therapy exercises for your knees. These focus on stretching the tendons around your knee joint, strengthening muscles around the joint, and improving balance in one leg at a time while standing on a wobble board or other unstable surface. The goal is for these exercises to improve stability of your kneecap. That should also help.

How can I avoid runner's knee?

Avoid running or walking on flat surfaces. It is not just the amount of exercise that bothers your knees, it is how you do it. While jogging on a flat surface can cause knee problems in people with weak knees, uneven terrain has the opposite effect. Jog around a field so that your feet have to navigate uphill and downhill slopes instead of going in a straight line. This will help strengthen your knees and reduce pain from runner’s knees.

Summary

Runner's knee is common in people who run long distances on a regular basis. Many athletes experience this condition, but it can also occur in non-athletes or anyone with certain types of jobs that require continuous kneeling.

By.Dr.Fatma Ragab