Runner's Knee Pain Symptoms & Treatments

Featuring Dr. James McBean, BSc, DC

Duration: 2 minutes, 45 seconds

It’s very common for runners to develop pain which often comes and goes if they’re running, and it becomes more and more persistent as you continue to pursue your running.

Very often, pain by the knee; pain in the lower legs; could be pain in your backside for want of a better term – these are very typical kinds of things which aren’t relieved by just stretching and strengthening. They need to be assessed.

Some of the most common running injuries are shin splints, anterior compartment syndrome, [inaudible] bend syndrome, patellofemoral syndrome, a lot of low back pain and stress fractures – these are the most common injuries that people complain about.

Most runners are familiar with these terms. Well, runners are a curious breed of creature in that they feel that they can continue what they’re doing despite the pain. They’ll run through the pain. This is a very bad idea, and eventually, you will prove to yourself that it’s a very bad idea.

Typically, the basic treatment at home can be rest, ice, compression for any type of swelling, elevation – that sort of an at-home therapy. But really you want to find out what’s causing this problem.

A very common cause is a problem within the sacroiliac joints of the pelvis – they’re not articulating properly, they’re not moving through their full range of motion. The chiropractor can use chiropractic manipulation techniques, adjusting those, freeing up the joints, getting them moving. That’s just one example.

We’re also interested in what’s happened with your feet – whether or not your arches have come down, you’ve over-pronated your feet. And if necessary, we can recommend orthotic devices for your running shoes.

We can look at your running form and decide – perhaps you’ve become a heel-runner as you get older, and you’re causing a great deal of distress to your body, running a very inefficient way. So chiropractors who are particularly interested in running may be able to give you very good advice on how you can change your running form to run a lot lighter on your feet, more effortlessly, and essentially glide along, causing less trauma to your body.

A very important thing to understand is that where you feel the pain is not necessarily the root cause of your problem. It’s a complex problem, it’s a riddle, and a very good person to solve that riddle, to sort it all out, is a chiropractor.

Presenter: Dr. James McBean, Chiropractor, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Chiropractor