[kaebea]

hi.
I'd really like to hear from anyone who has overcome runners knee, lost weight and is now a regular runner.

I used to run almost daily and i loved being a runner.
then i was diagnosed with patellofemoral syndrome or runners knee.
I've never really gotten over it because just when i think the pain is gone and ease into running again, it returns.

Needless to say, i've packed on pounds. I have about 30 to 40 lbs to loose to be at a healthy weight. i swim 2 days per week, but that's about as much as i can handle the chlorine in the pool without it drying my skin and hair out. I've thought of adding in one day of stationary equipment work out at the recommendation of a trainer at the gym. I've also signed up for a personal trainer, starting weds.

Today i jogged ~ 1 mile with walking breaks toward the end concentrating on toe striking rather than my normal heal striking. Not sure if it will do anything, but hoping if i take it slow, i can build up strength and a better gait.

any advise or recommendations welcome
thanks.

[aneleh]

I've never had knee issues, but when you start running again (I'm sure others have advice) try and stay off asphalt and concrete side walks. Softer surfaces such as grass or mulch would definitely be kinder to your knee. I've also heard that even a treadmill is less stressful on joints.

[kaebea]

that's a good thing to remember.
there's a park nearby with a mile long mowed grass trail that i'm looking forward to running on when the weather gets better

i sooo hope i can get back into running. At least like 3 miles per day. even if they're easy miles. i miss it so.
i was always so much happier and emotionally on an even keel when i used to run. No other workout seems to do quite the same for me...

[BlueToBlue]

I have runner's knee, here is what has helped for me:

• Strength training. If you strengthen the muscles that support the knee, this should help keep your kneecap aligned properly when you bend your knee. Make sure you tell your trainer you have this problem and want to work on stengthening those muscles. It also would be worth a visit to a sports medicine specialist who could tell you specifically what muscles need the most stengthening (it can differ by person, you really need someone to look at your knee).
• Not running. I just completely stopped running for about four months. Even though my knee felt fine after a few weeks, I gave it a good four months to heal. It was miserable because I really wanted to run, but in the big picture, not running for four months was a small sacrifice for being able to run regularly now. I did lots of other cardio--stepmill, elliptical, spinning, row machine, and swimming.
• Treadmill running. I now limit my outdoor runs to just once a week and then only if my knee feels particularly strong. Other than that, I do all my running on a treadmill, with the incline set to at least 1%. The TM is a lot easier on your knee and running on an incline is also much better for your knee (my sports doctor specifically recommended this).
• Flax seed. Adding 1 tbsp of ground flax seed to my morning yogurt (I buy whole seeds and grind them in a coffee grinder, so they are fresh) has made a noticeable difference in how well my knees function.
• Massaging under my kneecap. This is also something my sports doctor told me to do. It's sort of hard to describe, so another good reason to see a sports medicine specialist would be so he/she could show you how to do this. But I sit on the sofa with my leg straight out in front of me (my leg is on the sofa), then push my kneecap down towards my foot just slightly and lightly massage underneath it. I try to do this for 20 min a night. According to my doctor, it increases blood flow to the area, which will increase the size of the capillaries, which somehow makes the runners' knee better. When I first started doing it, the area was very tender, but it has improved quite a bit.
• Seeing a specialist. There are lots of different causes of runners' knee and probably neither your regular doctor or your personal trainer really knows how to diagnose why it is happening for you and how to fix it. This is an important part of your exercise program and your life; insist on having a sports medicine specialist look at your knee. If it doesn't get better, go back.

[MariaMaria]

Originally Posted by BlueToBlue

Seeing a specialist. There are lots of different causes of runners' knee and probably neither or regular doctor or your personal trainer really knows how to diagnose why it is happening for you and how to fix it. This is an important part of your exercise program and your life; insist on having a sports medicine specialist look at your knee. If it doesn't get better, go back.

Yes yes yes.