The importance of proper stretching
Symptoms
- Pain felt at the front of your knee, around the kneecap (patella)
- Pain with walking, squatting, kneeling and stair climbing
- Pain under the kneecap when walking downstairs or downhill
How is it caused?
- Muscle imbalance: tight IT band , quadriceps weakness, hamstring weakness
- Poor alignment: flat feet, high arches, genu valgus or “knocked knees”
How is it treated?
- Stretching: IT Band, Hamstrings, Quadriceps
- Strengthening: Quadriceps, Gluteus minimus and medius, Hamstrings
- Taping for the Patella (kneecap)
- Assess footwear: see you local running store or podiatrist
- Activity modification: control symptoms before increasing running distances
- Icing for pain control
Happy Running!
