If you run regularly, you are probably used to a few aches and pains. But this pain doesn’t necessarily mean that running is bad for you or that it causes damage. What can damage your body (and cause knee pain), is improper body alignment and muscle imbalances, which over time, can lead to joint immobility and instability, poor gait mechanics, and ultimately joint pain and injury.

But why do your knees hurt and what can you do about it?

It’s rarely the actual knee that is the problem.  More often than not, it’s the hip or the ankle that is causing pain in the knee. Today we’ll focus on the hip, how it may cause knee pain, and what you can do about it.

Many runners “over stride,” which refers to a tendency toward landing too far in front of yourself when your foot hits the ground. In addition, many of us overuse the hip flexors, quads and lower back muscles rendering them tight, and the glutes and deep muscles of the core are underused.

When we over stride, your quads have to work harder, which leads to increased force on the knee. Your quads are also predominantly ‘fast twitch muscles,’ meaning they fatigue much quicker, which can lead to compensation and possibly injury over time.

The glutes, on the other hand, are very powerful, and fatigue resistant. The gluteal muscles also help to control the hip and are able to prevent over striding. Tapping into the glutes and hips, there are a few tweaks to your training routine that may help to reduce knee pain, and improve strength, mobility and body mechanics overall!  Try these specific exercises to help you control, drive, and push off from your glutes!

To work on hip/glute control click here

To work on getting your leg behind you to strengthen the glutes and mobilize your hip click here

To strengthen the glutes and work on hip extension mobility in a standing, or more functional position, click here and here.

Beacon Physical Therapy

At Beacon Physical Therapy, we want to help you live a happy, healthy, pain-free life. If you are having an issue, make an appointment today. We’d love to meet you and get you back to doing what you love.