Hello LTS Community!
We are so excited to have this opportunity to spread our knowledge to you via this blog. We hope to turn it into a series and potentially field questions and select topics based on specific issues you may be facing as you strive to stay active during these crazy times. We will start with a quick word about us and dive into the good stuff!
With our first post, we would like to briefly touch on one of the most common injuries acquired by almost all runners, Anterior Knee Pain.
Anterior Knee Pain aka front of the knee pain aka patellar tendon pain is an issue that plagues so many runners and it can be caused by a multitude of biomechanical issues. This blurb is intended to give you general insight into two possibilities as to why you may be suffering from anterior knee pain.
Tight Anterior Cord
Tight quads and hip flexors will likely put excessive tension on the patellar tendon and its insertion at the tibial tuberosity (bony ridge just below the kneecap) and the bottom of the patella (kneecap). Common causes of tight musculature include prolonged postures – like sitting for work or leisure, poor warm up pre-activity, poor recovery post-activity and compensation from past or current injuries.
A simple way to address this issue is to you take at least 5 minutes to stretch your hip flexors and quads before and after any physical activity. This can take significant pressure off the anterior aspect of your knee. (See attached pictures below and attached link for videos and instructions – NOTE: we have included multiple options of the same stretch, pick the one that best suits your needs!)
Poor Running Posture
Upper body posture and foot strike position that is less than optimal during running can slowly chip away at the health of your knees. 2 main things to consider:
Does your foot land under your center of mass with every strike and is your foot landing in the center of the foot and not on the toe or heel? Variations from the optimal biomechanics of running put your knees at a disadvantage. Excessive anterior shearing of the femur on the tibia can result from one’s foot consistently landing ahead of the center of mass while running.
Is your upper body slouched forward or leaning back behind your hips? These two mistakes can again transfer excessive amounts of your momentum through your knee joint and patellar tendon instead of straight down through the leg and into the ground.
Pain does not always have to originate directly from where you are feeling the discomfort. Runners especially need to look at the whole picture to see what they are repetitively doing that is putting them at risk for injury. Our bodies are meant to move, let’s make sure we are doing it correctly!
If you have persistent issues and need assistance, please call or email us to set up a mobile or telehealth session to evaluate your needs. If you simply have questions for us, please do not hesitate to reach out via email!
The Limitless Therapy Services Team
702.448.3360
For access to the exercises recommended and some instructional content and video demo’s please go to the following website and use the below code:
Patient Portal: Limitless.medbridgego.com
Access Code: KEV7HKBB
"This blog does not provide medical advice. It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read here. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911."
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