Working and Knee Ache: Myths and Information

True or false: Working will increase your threat of knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Truly, leisure runners have decrease charges (3.5 p.c) of OA than sedentary people (10 p.c). Solely elite runners {and professional} athletes (13 p.c) demonstrated elevated charges of OA.

In case you are a runner, nonetheless, you in all probability have skilled knee ache. Knee ache or harm is essentially the most generally reported ailment amongst runners and accounts for as much as half of decrease extremity operating accidents.¹

Let’s examine different widespread myths related to knee ache and operating and evaluate them with the information.

Delusion: Knee ache is all the time a direct results of an issue in your knee.

Reality: Not all the time. Knee ache has been linked to deficits above and beneath the knee, together with weak muscular tissues within the hips, trunk, thighs, decrease leg and foot; tight muscular tissues within the thighs and decrease leg; and the quantity of joint mobility in these similar areas.^3,4,5

A whole evaluation by a bodily therapist will be capable of decide whether or not any of those elements are contributing to your ache. In that case, the PT will develop a program to handle these deficits and return you to motion.

Delusion: It’s essential to push via your knee ache to do away with it.

Reality: No, and also you doubtlessly may make issues worse. It is very important deal with the underlying causes in an effort to alleviate your ache. Having a full evaluation of your knee and leg is vital to discovering out what’s driving your ache.

Delusion: Working method has no impact on knee ache.

Reality: There are lots of methods to lower impression drive in your knees if you run, and these might assist lower knee ache. Normally, taking shorter, quicker steps and thus rising your step fee by 5 to 10 p.c can cut back the load in your joints and probably alleviate knee ache.⁵

Switching from a rearfoot strike sample to a forefoot strike sample can drastically lower load to your knee.⁶  Bettering muscular management of your decrease extremity via strengthening can also dampen forces if you run.⁵

Please don’t hesitate to contact your native clinic as we speak and seek the advice of a bodily therapist to find out whether or not any of those methods is best for you.

References:

1. van Gent RN, Siem D, van Middelkoop M, van Os AG, Bierma-Zeinstra SMA, Koes BW.  Determinants of decrease extremity operating accidents in lengthy distance runners: a scientific evaluation.  Br J Sports activities Med. 2007;41(8):469-480.
2. Alentorn-Geli, E, Samuelsson Okay, Musahi V, Inexperienced CL, Bhandari M, Karlsson J.  The affiliation of leisure and aggressive operating with hip and knee osteoarthritis: a scientific evaluation and meta-analysis. J Orthop Sports activities Phys Ther.  2017;47(6):373-390.
3. Powers, C.  The affect of irregular hip mechanis on knee ache: a biomechanical perspective.  J Orthop Sports activities Phys Ther.  2010;40(2):42-51.
4. Patel DR, Villalobos A.  Evalauation and administration of knee ache in younger athletes: oversue accidents of the knee.  Transl Pediatr.  2017;6(3):190-198.
5. Lenhart RL, Smith CR, Vignos MF, Kaiser J, Heiderscheit BC, Thelen DG.  Affect of step fee and quadriceps load distribution on patellofemoral cartilage contract pressures throughout operating.  J Biomech.  2015;48(11):2871-2878.
6. Vannatta CN and Kernozek TW.  Patellofemoral joint stress throughout operating with alterations in foot strike sample.  Med Science Sports activities and Ex.  2015;47(5);1001-1008

Written by Chris Myers, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, Upstream Rehab Institute