Common Causes of Knee Pain in Runners and How to Treat Them
Common Causes of Knee Pain
Knee pain while running can inhibit runners' ability to improve and later cause chronic knee pain, which can burden daily life. Regardless of experience level, runners may be impacted by structural or non-structural displacements that interfere with improving their performance. This blog will explore how knee pain can develop in runners, how to prevent and treat it, and how physical therapists at Austin Manual Therapy can optimize runners' running experiences.
Overuse Injuries
It is most common to develop knee pain due to the overuse of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the region of the knee. Research has shown that 70-80% of running injuries are due to overuse, and 28% of running injuries occur at the knee. Varied circumstances can cause overuse, whether that is due to lack of rest, wear and tear from varied environmental surfaces (pavements, dirt, gravel, grass, etc.), or excess forces applied to specific placements at the knee. Prolonged stress on a specific location at the knee for an extended time can cause extensive tissue strain.
The major muscles around the knee have a crucial role in movement, stability, and injury prevention. Two major muscle groups have been implemented on the knee, the hamstring, and the quadriceps. The hamstring group is located on the upper back region of the leg, which comprises multiple muscles: semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris. These muscles work together to help the bending of the knee and extension of the hip. The second group is the quadriceps which is located on the upper front region of the leg and is made up of four muscles: vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, and rectus femoris. These muscles work together to help the straightening of the knee and support knee alignment. All of these muscles work hand-in-hand to develop efficient movement and strengthen stability when engaged in running. If there is an instance where these muscles are injured or overused the overall functionality is going to decline.
