[michaelmcminn]

When I have been running I will sometimes get a very mild pain below my kneecap on the outside. It will vary between either my left or right knee. As I run, it will get slightly worse, but not enough to stop running. Then today while running I had the same pain as I get but then when we started the downhill part after 12km of the trail run, it got worse very fast to the point where I had to walk back to the car. I am waiting to see my physiotherapist but the soonest appointment is 3 weeks out. Any suggestions on what this could be and exercises/stretches to do in the mean time?

Topic

[Pete Dickinson MS,PT]

Pete Dickinson MS,PT on June 6, 2021 at 9:06 am #54636

Pain on the outside of the knee if it’s in the region of your lateral condyle could be the start of a friction syndrome, as the iliotibial band rubs across this bony region. Other pain around the patella can be influenced by restricted fascial tissue. A great place to start treatment is with extensive ball/foam rolling of the medial quad/calf, and lateral hip. Do this prior to running and switch to a walk/jog program. Of course your footwear should be fairly ‘fresh’. Running takes a lot of single leg strength, you should have a lot of single leg deadlifts, step downs etc. in your strength program.
Best of luck,
Pete

[lucye]

lucye on June 8, 2021 at 9:32 am #54690

Re restricted fascia upstream/downstream of the joint – Voodoo flossing has really worked to loosen fascia around my knees/ankles. Here’s one Kelly Starrett video illustrating how to do it:

[l.tregan]

l.tregan on June 20, 2021 at 1:53 pm #54990

I have diagnosed for ITBS following a RMI scan, and plagued by it for 6 months. The pain in my case was only downhill, below the kneecap and exterior side.

In 5 days it went away and never came back with the Walt Reynold protocol.

Just in case that is your syndrome.

Walt Reynolds’s ITB Special Exercise