{"id":1586,"date":"2018-05-27T10:00:32","date_gmt":"2018-05-27T10:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/happy-hospitals.com\/blog\/?p=1586"},"modified":"2019-01-10T05:50:59","modified_gmt":"2019-01-10T05:50:59","slug":"runners-knee-causes-symptoms-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/happy-hospitals.com\/blog\/runners-knee-causes-symptoms-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Runner\u2019s Knee: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you a runner and when you run do you experience pain in your knee? If you answered yes then you are part of the increasing number of runners who develop an injury connected to running every other year. Do you live a sedentary type of lifestyle and still feel pain inside your knees<\/a>? Well, you are also predisposed to chondromalacia patellae otherwise known as runner\u2019s knee.

Sometimes when you stand up from a prolonged seating position where you had your knees slightly bent, or you get up from your desk at work, you feel this sort of tight feeling in the area around your knees. This is knee pain<\/a>.
Owing to this disorders name (runner\u2019s knee) there is a misconception that you are predisposed to the condition if you are a runner. This cannot be further from the truth! Why? Because you don\u2019t have to be a runner to suffer from runner\u2019s knee<\/a>. If you cycle often or even walk a lot, you are already predisposed to the condition.

Even if your work involves you sitting at your desk with your knees bent for prolonged hours, you are predisposed to the disorder.According to Sports Health, 25% of the general population, continues to suffer from runner\u2019s knee. When it comes to running, it accounts for up to 40% of knee pain<\/a> complaints.

This article states that chondromalacia (runner\u2019s knee) affects one in four people in the United States. Running is one of the most common causes of chondromalacia but you should know that it\u2019s not the only cause. Any activity that you may be involved in that adds pressure or stress, repeatedly to the joint of your knee<\/a> can end up causing the condition. This includes cycling, walking, skiing and even soccer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Runner\u2019s Knee?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

According to an article by health line, chondromalacia or otherwise known as runner\u2019s knee is a type of condition that occurs when the cartilage just under your kneecap<\/a> abnormally begins to soften up. This softening comes about due to the degeneration of your cartilage.Degeneration occurs when your kneecap is wrongly aligned as it\u2019s sliding over your femur. This will then cause you to feel pain in your knee<\/a> specifically in the front area.Athletes are more susceptible to the condition, especially the young ones. But the old are not spared either as you can also suffer from it if you are an older adult who has knee arthritis<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What Causes Runner\u2019s Knee?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes this condition can manifest itself for reasons that are unknown. Though most times the usual culprit is when the kneecap is misaligned causing the cartilage just under it to degenerate, thereby causing your knee<\/a> to pain.

Wearing worn-out shoes<\/strong> \u2013 Another cause is when you wear shoes that are worn-out while you exercise and even when you exercise on surfaces that are uneven.

Overusing your legs<\/strong> \u2013 When you\u2019re doing lots of strenuous exercises or when you find yourself repeatedly having to bend your knees<\/a>, such actions can damage the tissues found inside your kneecap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


A direct Trauma to your Knee<\/strong> \u2013 If you fall and let\u2019s say you land on your knees, or you get hit by an object on your knee, you might hurt your knee and develop runner\u2019s knee<\/a>.Your bones on your kneecap aren\u2019t lined up (mal-aligned): Sometimes if your kneecap is mal-aligned, it won\u2019t be able to move smoothly which will subsequently cause you pain<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


You have thigh muscles that are weak and also unbalanced<\/strong> \u2013 When you stretch your joint or even bend it your kneecaps are kept in place by some muscles that are found on the front part of your thigh. If these muscles are weak, then you might get the disorder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Exercising the wrong way<\/strong>: For example, if you exercise with shoes that are already worn-out. Also, if you start doing vigorous exercises quickly without building up by starting with less vigorous exercise, you may well be on your way to getting runner\u2019s knee<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flat foot<\/strong>: If you have flat feet, this means that the distribution of forces through your knee<\/a>is changed. This, in turn, makes your cartilage susceptible to being damaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can you Diagnose Runner\u2019s Knee?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Diagnosing the condition is easy. The first thing your doctor will do is to get a history from you. The doctor will need to know how your pain feels like, when and how it started, the kind of movements you make that make the pain worse, and also whether you had in the past injured your knee.

Then the next thing he will do is to conduct a few thorough physical examinations that include, X-rays, CT scans, and even blood tests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Knee<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Grading Runner\u2019s Knee<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The grades range from 1-4. Grade 1 being the one that has the least severity and grade 4 the most severe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n