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JulieDonnelly
Member
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Joined: 14 Sep 2007
Posts: 20
Location: Houston, TX
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 Posted: 09/21/07 - 22:16 Post subject: Runner's knee
Yes, I've had clients come into my office who have had knee pain for years. The problem is that the odds are it isn't your knee that is the cause of the problem, it's just the symptom of a major spasm in your quads.
The quadriceps form the front of the thigh and then merge into the patella tendon just above your kneecap. As the muscle tightens it pulls up on the tendon and your kneecap is moved up, plus it is pulling the lower leg bone up toward the thigh bone, and compressing the cartiledge at the joint.
If it is the lateral quadricep muscle that is tight (the most common condition) it will be pulling your kneecap to the outside and up, making your knee feel like someone is hitting it with a hammer each time you try to bend your knee.
If you go to http://www.julstro.com you can read about repetitive strain injuries, pay special attention to the section titled "Muscles and Pain," and "What's Happening Exactly." I think you'll find it interesting.
You can either work the muscle out yourself by massaging it deeply from the top of your leg to your knee, or you can go to a good deep-muscle massage therapist who will do it for you. After you release the tension in the quadriceps, do the stretch for the iliopsoas (low back muscle) that is shown in the sections I just mentioned. These two muscles work together to cause knee pain so you need to release the tension in both in order to get relief.
Wishing you well,
Julie Donnelly
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