Knee Pain When Running or Training? The Problem Is Almost Never in the Knee

Do your knees hurt when you run, jump or play sport? The logical assumption is that the problem lies in the knee itself. But often the root of the pain is in how you step.

Foot, knee and hip: one team

Your feet, knees and hips work together every time your foot hits the ground. If one of them fails, the others suffer. The knee sits in the middle of that chain, so it is often the one that ends up paying for a problem that starts lower down, in your footstrike, or higher up, in the hip.

What the physiotherapist checks

That is why, with sport-related knee pain, the assessment doesn’t stop at the knee:

• How you step, whether walking, running or jumping.
• How your foot, knee and hip line up during movement.
• The strength of the muscles that stabilise the knee and hip.
• Your training load: how much, how often and whether there have been sudden changes.

Strengthen and prevent

With that information, we plan strengthening work for the joint and the whole chain, along with simple guidelines to correct whatever is overloading the knee and to prevent future injuries. The goal isn’t just for it to stop hurting, but for you to be able to keep training.

If your knee hurts when you train, take a look at our physiotherapy and sports rehabilitation services or book your appointment here.

The information in this article is for general information purposes and does not replace the individual assessment of a healthcare professional.