Maja, 36 years old, trained for a Marathon. A couple of half-marathons she has completed already, this time she wants to create the 42 kilometers. In the preparation phase, you increase your Training volume and also makes the longer runs, you normally is not so used. At once you can feel after just four kilometres, a Press on the outside of your right knee.
A sharp pain pulls the leg up and down, up to the point where Maya can no longer continue to run. Also, further Experiments after two days of break are painful.
What makes problems, it is the bursae in the area of your knee joint. Above him, the so-called Iliotibial Band (IT Band). This is a several inches width of the fiber bundle leads to the outside of the thigh and along the Shin of the head. “The tape is stretched when Running and rubbing at every step of the bursae in the knee,” says orthopedic and sports medicine Pouria Taheri of the Caritas-Klinik Pankow. Due to the constant Rubbing of the mucous membrane could become inflamed pouch. Then the diagnosis of runner’s knee sounds.
How to treat runners knee?
“It is for the runner ultimate body region, because the tape is stabilized, the muscles, and thus the force from the leg to the substrate transfers,” says Taheri. In order to cure the inflammation, helps to rest.
A running break of seven to ten days is advisable. At least you should minimize the weekly mileage. Then, the mucus bag from curing. A balancing sports such as Swimming gets the basic endurance.
Who, on the contrary, under pain, as usual, more risk of a chronic inflammation of the Bursa, or even greater damage, which in the worst case, surgery.
Who is most commonly affected?
Especially a lot of runners are prone to runners knee. Going to the doctor is advisable in that case alone, so that worse injuries, such as, for example, fatigue cracks can be excluded in the tapes. “In treatment I often see is that poor posture of the body plays when you Run a decisive role in the emergence of runner’s knee,” says Taheri.
The optimum running position looks like this: shoulder blades back, chest forward. Upper body straight, stomach tight. “The body’s center of gravity must not tilt to the front, otherwise too much pressure on the knee”, sports medicine. Head up and to the front. So to minimize the probability of incorrect loading, and thus the runner’s knee injury.
How can you prevent it?
As a preventive measure, the medical body recommends stabilizing Exercises such as planks. It keeps the body in the push-up starting position – depending on the variant, on the palms of the hands or on the forearm supported. “It makes sense, movements to install, only holding exercises are out of date,” says Taheri. Finally, you need the rigid support position. “An Arm and a leg, pulling knee to elbow – there are many possibilities of movement, leading to a more intricate muscle structure.”
A strong hold of the apparatus between the chest and the knee leads to the fact that the move comes in the Run propagated from the pelvis and the lumbar spine. More force can be generated than in the lower extremities. The knee is relieved, and a runners knee injury less likely. Also strengthening the gluteal muscles can contribute to this.
Taheri recommends runners to stretch on a regular basis to a runner’s knee to prevent. The tension on the ligaments in the leg would be reduced and the Bursa does not ignite so quickly.
When can you get back?
To make directly long runs, when the pain subsided, like irritation to appear. The entry into the regular program but should be done only in consultation with a doctor. Nothing speaks against the motion, it is advisable to increase the workload gradually.
To recommend the beginning of slow runs with 60 to 70 percent of the normal distance. Then you can increase slowly. It is important that the knee in everyday life, such as Running and climbing stairs, to the touch. To treat “runner’s knee, is not a Sprint, but a Marathon,” says Taheri. “The injury and the pain will come slowly and disappear slowly.”