Marathon Medicine

It’s that time of year again. Thousands of people will take to the streets of our nations capital for what is arguably the mass participation sporting highlight of the year. The London Marathon, or to give it it’s correct marketing title the (Virgin Money London Marathon 2017).

The winter training has been done, the miles and miles of pounding the tarmac, the Rhino suits dusted off. Every runner is now ready for 26 miles of fun / pain (delete where appropriate)weaving around the streets of London .Today will ultimately be a great day of achievement for most of the people taking part and for the hundreds of charities set to benefit from the efforts of so many.

Sadly for some though those miles and miles pounding on the roads through the winter will have taken their toll. For some the aches and pains will be harder to shake off. Runner’s knee and other soft tissue conditions can be difficult to diagnose and treat, hopefully the following may give you some information that can help you get back on track again…

Overuse of your knee joints, also known as repetitive injury can lead to a variety of knee conditions. These usually occur due to localised inflammation and irritation to the ligaments and tendons around the knee joint.

Modification in activity including rest combined with physiotherapy usually helps. However, if the problems persist, surgical treatment may be necessary.

Here’s a look at some of the common knee conditions causes by knee overuse injuries.

Jumper’s Knee (Patellar Tendonitis)

When you experience pain to the front of your knee just below your kneecap or patella, it’s a sign of jumper’s knee. The pain may become severe or stay the same affecting any activity you to indulge in.

Detecting it early is crucial. Simple physiotherapy usually helps in curing the condition. Some patients even benefit from simple knee supports. However, if the situation does not improve in spite of good physiotherapy, surgery or injection therapy may become necessary to help you get back to your usual routine and activity. If you experience pain at the front of your knee.

Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome (ITB Syndrome)

This is a common occurrence in runners and other activities like cycling and walking. It often occurs when the intensity or duration of activity is increased. Symptoms include pain around the knee and swelling during/post activity.

Usually, an expert physiotherapist will be able to treat your condition. Some athletes will benefit from the use of equipment such as foam rollers to help massage the muscle. However, in rare cases, surgical treatment might become necessary.

Runner’s Knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome)

The pain in the joint between the kneecap and thighbone is patella-femoral syndrome. This is the most common cause for pain at the front of the knee. It could be caused by knee overuse injuries.

When you are running, the knee is under a lot of stress. This may lead to your kneecap rubbing against the thighbone leading to irritation and ache.

The major symptom is pain around the kneecap. The pain begins slowly, and gets worse if you indulge in a lot of activity or sit for a long time. You may hear grinding or clicking noise when bending or straightening the knee. The knee may feel weak as well.

More often than not, rest and rehabilitation physiotherapy should suffice. Physiotherapy includes correction in alignment or gait problems and improvement in the strength and balance in thigh and leg muscles. If there is no improvement with physiotherapy, and adjuncts such as knee supports surgery may become necessary.

As always if you are suffering from pain around your knee it is always worth getting advice from your physiotherapist or my knee doc.