Stopped After Injury

[TreaclePudding]

Hi

Up until 3 weeks ago I got as far as week 5 of couch to 5K, but had to stop due to leg and knee pain.

I gave up smoking about 6 weeks before starting C25k and had already gained about a stone so was keen to do something to make me feel better about myself and to help with my anxiety struggles.

I wasn’t confident enough to pound the pavements on my own during lockdown, so bought a treadmill (I know nothing beats running outdoors, but need to get my anxiety under control before I can do that 🤦🏻‍♀️). Things were going great and, although my legs felt a bit ‘heavy’ I was coping fine with the runs....started feeling great....but was getting knee twinges in my left leg.

I read the pinned posts and did strength exercises, was drinking enough fluids and was stretching, but none of this helped. My knee pain got a lot worse and did start to swell. Crouching down was very painful in my kneecap. My hip and hamstrings in my left leg were very tight and heavy still, so had to have a break.

I do suffer with sciatica flare-ups as have disc degeneration in my lumbar spine, which affects my left side, and was wondering if the heavy feeling was sciatica but perhaps bad form/instability caused my knee issues. I also tried a knee support, but think the damage was already done 😩

I’m going to rest until I’m completely healed....but before I start again, are there any top tops for treadmill running?

(BTW - I have completed C25K before, about 10 years ago and even did a 5K race...all outdoors! I will get outdoors running again - well that’s my goal anyway 😊)

x

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Welcome to the forum and it sounds like you have already read the guide, so well done on following the advice.

I would suspect your footwear may not be supporting you correctly and would recommend that if you intend to carry on running that you get a gait analysis done at either a specialist running shop or by a physio. You may well have an asymmetry which is exacerbating the problem as it seems to be left sided.

The knee strengthening exercises need to be continued for a reasonable period of time before they will be effective. A very large proportion of knee pain issues are caused by weak supporting musculature, so the exercises can make a significant difference.

These issues can be overcome, so don't despair and remember we are here to help you through the bad times as well as the good times.

Take care.