Running has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, but this has led to a rise in knee pain.
Running has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, but this has led to a rise in knee pain.
According to a study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), around 4 in 5 runners (79.3%) develop an injury that temporarily prevents them from running at least once a year - and the main location of these injuries is the knee.
“Running itself is good for you but if you develop bad habits or run badly then you will be prone to injury,” says Andy Goldberg OBE, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Wellington Hospital in London, UK.
If you develop knee pain during or after running, it could be due to a number of reasons.
There are many causes of
, but 4 of them are commonly brought on by running: runner’s knee, jumper’s knee, iliotibial (IT) band syndrome and cartilage damage.This is an overuse injury thought to be caused by stress on the joint between your kneecap and thigh bone.
This is caused by overloading the knee, often from jumping. Frequently overloading the knee can wear out a tendon in the joint, making it less able to cope with load-bearing, such as when walking or running.
This is the most common cause of pain around the knee in runners. It's an overuse injury that happens when the connective fibres that stabilise the knee rub against the thigh bone and tighten up.
This is caused by a sudden injury, such as a
, or gradual wear and tear ().If you develop knee pain while running, it’s worth asking yourself the following questions to help determine the cause:
This could be runner’s knee, which you’re more likely to get if you have problems in the alignment of your knee joint and muscle weakness.
These are all signs that you may have jumper’s knee, which is linked to overtraining, poor technique and running on hard surfaces.
This could be IT band syndrome, which is linked to muscle weakness, tightness in the band and having different leg lengths.
This is also a sign of IT band syndrome, which reduces when the IT band relaxes.
This could be cartilage damage caused by osteoarthritis, which is more likely as you get older, if you are female or overweight.
If you mainly experience knee pain following a run this could be a sign of jumper’s knee.
But this may also affect your performance over time, so it's worth monitoring whether the pain gradually starts to affect you during a run as well after.
It’s important to listen to your body and avoid running if you’re in pain. Only start running again when you have recovered and the pain has improved.
To prevent future knee pain or injuries, there are various
you can do to strengthen the muscles around the knee.You can also learn
to help reduce your risk of injury in the future.If you still feel pain after a week’s rest you should see a doctor who may recommend
.You should also see a doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:
Important: Our website provides useful information but is not a substitute for medical advice. You should always seek the advice of your doctor when making decisions about your health.