Oh Snap! Is That Rice Krispies? Or Runner’s Knee?

Oh Snap! Do I hear Rice Krispies? Or is that runner’s knee? Not only is runner’s knee a pain, it also commonly announces itself snapping, crackling, and popping. Runners with knee pain often suffer from Runner’s Knee or patellofemoral pain syndrome(PFPS). Runner’s knee is anterior knee pain or chondromalacia of the patella. Runners experience knee pain resulting from a mistracking kneecap or patella irritating the groove on the thigh bone or femur. When the knee moves, The patella moves anytime the knee moves and glides across the front of the knee within the groove. One or both knees can be affected.

Pinpointing the cause and developing an effective treatment strategy is complicated. Several factors must be considered. Soft tissue components in the knee connect to the thigh or femur and shin or tibia bones. Anatomical and biomechanical issues starting from the hips to the toes can cause knee pain. Weight, age, current training regiment and an the runner’s biomechanics help reveal the reason for runner’s knee and help in determining the best treatment methodology.

Runners who over-pronate are more susceptible to runner’s knee. Look at your training footwear to see if you are a pronator. If you are a pronator your feet feet roll inward too much and you may have flat feet. Your outer soles will show wear along the inside of the ball of the foot. Having Wide hips or undeveloped thigh muscles can also lead to runner’s knee.