I saw this this morning on an email I got from Active.com - this is me to a T - no wonder I have problems. Guess I just need to get faster.
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
What It Is: Pain and stiffness around the kneecap
You're at Risk: Women who run a 10-minute-per-mile pace or slower
Why: Ideally, your kneecap glides smoothly in the groove at the end of your thighbone. But because women have more flexible joints and a more extreme angle from hip to knee (called the Q angle) than men, their kneecaps are more likely to fall out of alignment. Pain intensifies at slower speeds because the knee goes through less range of motion, putting more demand on a smaller area of the joint.
Prevent It: Strengthen your quads, hamstrings, and glutes with squats and lunges to stabilize your kneecaps and help keep the pelvis level while you run.
Others at Risk: Runners who overpronate, have flat feet or high arches
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3 comments:
I saw this, too, and kind of rolled my eyes at it. I've never seen anything research-based about PFS being worse in slow runners. It's worse in women because of the Q angle. Period. And it's pretty easy to fix with quad exercises most of the time. Nothing like making people feel worse just because they're slow. I'd love to see the study that showed that result!
Interesting!!!
I have been seeing the orthopedist for this issue and similar issue (tight IT band). He told me that the Q angle is the issue and because I have really wide hips, it makes it worse. I have been doing PT all summer to strengthen the muscles around the knee but squats and lunges are not in the mix. I use bands and don't put any pressure on the joint when I'm working it. It's definitely helping. Getting that IT band more flexible also helps.
Not sure about the speed issue. I would think it would be more related to your stride, length of stride and mechanics in general. But what do I know? I don't even run! Good luck! (I feel your pain - literally.)
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