Dear PT,
I joined a training team and have raised more than $2,000 for the organization’s charity. I am in the last month of training and have had knee pain for about two weeks, especially during long runs. It’s my first marathon and I have raised all of this money. I can still run the race, right?
Wounded and Worried Will,
Hi, Will,
Congratulations on your fundraising and training efforts! The question of when to rest and when it’s OK to push through pain is a frequent one around here. Use your answers to the following questions to guide your decision:
Does the pain improve after running a few miles? If so, you are probably safe to continue running, but try adding stretching and strengthening to your routine. If the pain worsens, try three to five days of rest, ice, and compression (knee sleeve).
You could also try the traffic-light test. Point to the pain – are you pointing to a muscle? Green light. It may need some self-massage and stretching and be OK. Tendon or ligament? Yellow light. Rest a little, try massage and stretching. Joint or bone? Red light. If this pain lasts longer than two weeks, seek professional assistance.
- Do you stretch enough? Most knee pain is a result of tight quads, hip flexors and hamstrings. Use a foam roller or a massage stick on the quads for about a minute and stretch the quads three times a day for 30-60 seconds, especially after runs, when your muscles are the most pliable (pictures 1 and 2).
- Hip weakness is also a common cause of running injuries. Try a single-leg squat: Can you do 20 while maintaining the alignment in picture 3? Check out the Endurance archives for some great hip-strengthening exercises in the “Ask the Doc” section.
- In many cases, pain is a sign of inefficient running. Hip flexibility and strength are two very important factors to focus on to keep you running efficiently and for long-term injury prevention.
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Smruti Shah, PT, DPT is a physical pherapist at Proaxis Therapy. She is a mom, wife, physical therapist and marathon runner.
