The Five Most Troublesome Running Injuries
- By Mario Fraioli
- Published May. 10, 2012
- Updated Feb. 1, 2013 at 9:03 AM UTC
4. Runner’s Knee
Feel a constant ache underneath your kneecap when you run? You likely are experiencing runner’s knee, or patellofemoral knee syndrome. The main symptom is pain just below the kneecap that usually gets worse as the intensity of exercise increases, says Tucker and Dugas.
What causes runner’s knee? As with the other common running injuries listed here, the answer varies depending on the runner. Everything from uneven running surfaces and poor shoe selection to weak quads and hips, as well as unaddressed biomechanical flaws can contribute to this common injury. In most cases, runner’s knee can be traced to the inability of the tissues surrounding the knee to recover in between runs.
The fix: If your knee continues to hurt, don’t run. If there’s inflammation, work on reducing it with the aforementioned ibuprofen/icing regimen. Long term, switching up the surfaces you run on, making sure you’re running in the proper footwear along with employing some simple form fixes will help keep your cranky knee from getting angry with you.
FILED UNDER: Injury Prevention / Running Injuries TAGS: achilles tendinitis / IT band syndrome / Plantar Fasciitis / runner's knee / Shin Splints
Mario Fraioli
Mario Fraioli is a senior editor at Competitor magazine. A cross-country All-American at Stonehill College in 2003, he now coaches the Prado Women's Racing Team in San Diego and was the men's marathon coach for Costa Rica's 2012 Olympic team. His first book, The Official Rock 'n' Roll Guide To Marathon & Half-Marathon Training (VeloPress, 2013) is available in bookstores, running shops and online.