Runner's Knee 101 | DOR Podcast #92

 

DOR Podcast #92: The Truth about Runner's Knee

Runner's Knee (also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome) is one of the most common running injuries among new runners. It's so prevalent, yet so misunderstood. In this episode, Nate & Matt take a deep dive into the symptoms, anatomy, and mechanics of Runner's Knee, and they explore what makes it such a complicated, hard-to-diagnose injury. They also review Mizuno's latest update to the Wave Horizon 6, their premium stability trainer featuring a new Enerzy Core in the midsole.  

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Sponsor

This episode sponsored by Karhu. You might know they make a collection of running shoes, but for before or after the run, you can be sure to look good with Karhu's Lifestyle collection. They've recently released fresh seasonal colors to ensure you're stylin' going to and from the track. Go to Karhu.com and use promo code DOR2022 at the time of checkout to receive 20% off from the lifestyle assortment when you purchase $100 or more.


Chapters
0:00 - Intro 
1:38 - The Subjective: How light/heavy do you like your daily trainers? How important is weight to you? 
4:30 - Shoe Review: Mizuno Wave Horizon 6 
21:02 - Is the Wave Horizon worth it at $170? 
24:54 - Wave Horizon comparisons 
29:20 - Who is this shoe for? 
40:10 - What is Runner's Knee? 
47:40 - The anatomy & mechanics of patellofemoral pain 
1:01:21 - The role of muscular activation in treating Runner's Knee
1:10:00 - Wrap-up

Science Blog:
Knee Pain for Runners
By Contributor Ryan Flugaur

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is the most common running injury (Frdericson and Powers 2002) and is an injury I often see in the clinic. It is characterized by a dull achy pain typically around the kneecap that typically occurs with activity or prolonged knee flexion. There are several proposed reasons why an individual may experience patellofemoral pain syndrome while running. These include: quadricep weakness or tightness, gluteal weakness, and poor running mechanics. When treating runners in the clinic I often say, “you need to be fit to run, don't run to get fit”, stating the importance of adequate muscular strength before embarking on such a demanding task such as running. Initially, strength is a good place to start, especially if a runner is currently uninjured. However, for any chronic or new injuries, a running analysis performed by a trained physical therapist can help find a movement impairment that may be contributing to your pain. 

Exercises:
Banded Monster lunge: 30 feet forward and backwards x 3 sets.
Crabwalk: The majority of muscular effort should be felt on the sides of the hip in the gluteus medius. 1 min x 3 sets
Step down: Try not to let the pelvis dip or knee collapse in as you tap the floor. Think about squeezing your glut as you rise up. 3 sets x 15 reps each leg.
Lateral Plank: Add a band to increase the difficulty. 1 min hold x 2 on each side

Recent Episodes

#88: The Value of Full Body Evaluations for Runners
#87: Does Every Shoe Need a Plate? Midsole Trends Today
#86: Stability vs. Support with Brooks Running
#90: Strength Training for Runners
#91: Common Running Form Mistakes

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