So close....yet so far 😩 week 9 delay. Knee pain.

[zobles]

Was supposed to start week 9 yesterday but haven't been able to run since last Wednesday because I have had knee pain in my right knee for the last few days.

It all started around week 7, No pain at all when running but later that evening I would feel a slight niggle when going down stairs, nothing at all when walking or running and I didn't really think much of it.

It has now progressed to the point where it very occasionally feels unstable and a little wobbly when standing, im aware of the niggle when driving but again no pain at all when walking or running, it's now taking 3 or 4 days after a run to feel normal again, its not a strong ouch sudden pain its an irritating dull niggle itchy pain around and behind the knee cap and it is at It's worse when I'm sat doing nothing and lay in bed! It's slightly swollen too and occasionally feels warm too touch.

I have done some research and it looks like "runners knee". I found some stretches to do before and after each run, I've ordered a support bandage and I'm going to start icing and elevating it. I'm hoping I can finish week 9 next week and then take a few weeks rest doing strengthening stretches before starting the programme again on the hill track. I really don't want to stop at week 8 run 3 but i also do not want to cause a more severe injury.

Any one experienced this and got any advice?

[mrrun Graduate]

Yeah, I did. Do not ignore it, by the sound of it it's beginning to flare up. I had all your symptoms, I ignored them, I kept on running and the the niggle became a proper pain, the knee swelled up, I couldn't walk. You need a physio to look it up, not just any GP. Please go and see either an osteopath who can confirm he/she can deal with it, or a sports physio. Pay them what they ask, you need help and fast. And do NOT run until all is fine again.

Having read a number of queries such as yours I will soon be posting one with my own experience and how the whole sorry business could have been avoided.

I ignored the warning signs and paid handsomely for my ignorance, had to stop running for months and that was the easier part.

I also hope you have done the gait analysis and had proper shoes fitted by a specialist?

Please don't do what I did!

All the best!

[zobles in reply to mrrun]

Hi

Sorry to hear about your experience and thanks for the advice. I will look at finding someone who can take a look at it before i run again then...i doubt I will be spoilt for choice living where I live.

I had gait analysis and bought running shoes around week 4.

[mrrun Graduate in reply to zobles]

No probs, let's hope it's something minor and it will settle down soon.

I come from 'once bitten twice shy' fame. Actually, l was twice bitten, not sure how that works out. Perma shy?

[zobles in reply to mrrun]

I can completely understand why. I have no pain at all today and can walk up and down the stairs. I haven't ran since weds (when I say ran it is an extremely slow jog on a grassy track). I am going to do some knee exercises this morning and see if they are pain free before I do anything else.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

If it seems to have cleared, as your response above suggests, then just take it easy and do some knee strengthening exercises.

If it recurs, I am right behind mrrun's advice.......get a professional opinion.

Do make sure when you run that your footstrike is under your torso, not out in front. Overstriding is often a cause of knee problems, as it invariably creates heelstrike, which despite being mysteriously advocated on the C25k podcasts and app, is best avoided.

[zobles in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Hi. Thanks for the advise. I did the NHS warm up stretches and it felt fine. I headed out to run and completed week 9 run 1. I took it very slowly with the view of If i felt pain I would stop. I didn't feel any pain.

I am now sat on the couch with it iced and elevated just as a precautionary and I am going to then do the NHS knee strengthening exercises and maybe ice it again.

I havent been doing any stretches at all so far, so from today I will warm up with stretches and cool down with strengthening exercises as well as doing strengthening on my rest days and if it happens again will track down a pro to have a look

I dont think i overstride, i consciously try not too and take quite small steps at a very slow pace of 11 mins/km. I had problems with this knee as as teen because my thigh and shin bones grew at a different pace and i haven't ever done exercise that puts strain on my knees.

Fingers crossed and thanks again for the advice. I have found something I love and would hate to be able to not do it.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to zobles]

Do not use static stretching prerun, they are only for use on warm muscles.

Dynamic warmup. runnersworld.com/ask-coach-...

Static postrun nhs.uk/LiveWell/c25k/Pages/...

[zobles]

Thanks for the links...i think the stretches I've done today are dynamic not static, it was these ones

nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pag...

Are they ok?

[zobles]

Update: my knee has played up again since my run on Sunday. Currently wearing a support, resting It, icing and elevating it and taking ibuprofen. Will see how it feels Friday.

Have started looking at physio's in the area too so will likely be seeing one of those in the next few weeks if it continues to persist. So frustrating when it doesn't hurt at all whilst running!