UKC

I get a recurrent sore knee when running. Its usually on the inside side of the leg. I've noticed a few times that if I go for a bouldering session that cures it! High rockovers seem to be good for it .. exactly the opposite of what I'd expect. Anyone got any clues as to whats going on?

In reply to JimR:

What's going on is that your body is telling you to stop running and get a bicycle. Why do people insist on running around when God gave us bicycles?

In reply to JimR:

No, but I'm sure amputation above the knee would solve the problem!

In reply to Rigid Raider:

When God gave me chronic prostatitis it was his message to get off my bike and start running.

One of my mates who's an elite triathlon athlete suggested that there's a tendon type thing thats cured by tension on a bent knee so wondered if something like that is going on and if anyone else has had similar.

In reply to JimR:

Sounds like tight IT (iliotibial) bands, both me and my gf suffered a similar sounding pain, just above the knee on the inside when she was training for an hm. hamstring stretches and yoga seem to help, as does a foam roller. Rockovers probably help stretch it a bit. There'll be loads of good exercises on youtube (and equally as many rubbish ones).

Try the shoelace yoga pose maybe, that still feels crippling to me.

We pretty much gave up running after our respective challenges, hurts too much.

In reply to Oliver Houston:
But but but the IT band is on the outside of the knee.

Could be the vastus medialus, google that and see if its the same place?
Could be tight groin mucle? Easy to stretch

In reply to Pesda potato:

Its on the lower bit of the knee, on the inside of the leg

In reply to JimR:

There's so much going on in a knee, and such varied trauma caused by running, that it's very hard to give an interweb diagnosis beyond guessing that you're irritating some bit of soft tissue (obviously...).

Quite often chronic soft tissue injury/pain (ie caused by repeated stuff like running) is caused by 'wearing out' the tissue faster than it can be bothered to repair. Sometimes some vigorous and burly movement like a rockover can help to encourage healing by giving it some more straightforward knocking around. It could also just be that climbing and moves like rockovers are helping to stretch out tight muscles/movements and therefore correcting something that is bothering your knee.

I've always found this stuff near impossible to target directly, but have made inroads in particular issues by doing a general regime of strength and movement exercise to tackle my imbalances and weaknesses. I needed a professional eye to point me in the right direction a few years ago, but it has stood me in good stead.

In reply to JimR:

Sounds like a 'runners knee' a mishmash of complaints where there poor tracking of the patella causing soreness on the front and inside of the knee. Stretching the quads can be a help with this so your bouldering might help. You need to treat the cause which could include poor shoes, muscle imbalance etc and if it is a problem seeing a sports physio is likely to be the way forward as ultimately without a diagnosis a cure may be elusive.

In reply to Pesda potato:

A quick google and you appear to be correct. Maybe me and my gf had separate problems (hers being IT... Mine being vastus wotsit), either way copying her stretching and yoga routine seemed to help!

Stopping running also seems to have completely freed me from pain.

JR: stretching the calf and ankle might help if it's below the knee. There's an app called yoga studio (approx £2.50) that has some sessions on stretches for runners (10-30min) that seem pretty good. Free apps are available, but this one was recommended as easiest to use and ad free. It's worked for us anyway.

In reply to SouthernSteve:

Thanks, I'm seeing the physio tomorrow but I had just wondered if anyone else had their knee sorted out by climbing. Its quite remarkable , hobble into the climbing centre and walk out absolutely normal 90 minutes later!

In reply to JimR:

Physio says its tendonitis on the hamstring tendon! Apparently climbing would load nicely in non -impact way thus helping.

In reply to JimR:


Interesting and unusual symptoms. Usually for mildish and intermittent symptoms like this it's good to flare them up immediately before going to the physio to get a really clear picture in the diagnosis. I'm not suggesting the hamstring isn't the culprit, but if it doesn't settle as your health professional has advised that would be the next step. After that, in your age group, it's x-ray and blood tests to rule out arthritis and nasties.

In reply to koalapie:

Unlikely to be of much use though xray or blood test, physio and home stretching is going to be more beneficial than tests. Stretch different muscles and see what works for you

In reply to Pesda potato:

Unusual symptoms, age over 50, unresponsive to physio = x-ray and blood tests (ESR, etc) = standard care.

The x-ray can save on physio bills if it picks up a big osteophyte on knee bone that just requires a temporary reduction in running whereas the blood tests can save a life if they pick up systemic inflammation due to a non-musculoskeletal cause.

In reply to koalapie:


You would be lucky to get this in a NHS service in the UK from every doctor you might see. Many runners skip the doctor and see a private physiotherapist so as not to be told to stop running and take ibuprofen, but moving this up to a more medical/investigational approach is by no means automatic. The current guidelines http://cks.nice.org.uk/knee-pain-assessment#!scenario mention the Australian Guidelines, but these are marked as rescinded. Would this happen automatically in Australia?

In reply to SouthernSteve:

I actually can't access your link from Australia! Age over 50 and unresponsive to conservative management (eg physio) and it's straight to the doctor for blood tests and x-ray, MRI preferably. Now the OP hasn't failed conservative treatment, but, he has quite unusual symptoms which is lowers the threshold for further investigation.