Run-Down Forums

[Guest]

Hello all; I recently "returned" to running with the purchase of a treadmill (not that I ever gave it up completely, but the last time I ran regularly was during High School track season!).

I have been having some pain behind my knee; it feels as though it is a result of overextension. It's not a constant pain, just a sudden, painful, feeling of weakness at semi-random moments (more often while walking than running). I did find this earlier thread here, and am inclined to think it is related to my hamstring tendon. (Especially when I looked at this drawing from WebMD--it's the furthest one down.)

Does this sound correct? If indeed it is the hamstring tendon, what exactly would constitute a "rest" for it? Since I injured it primarily via brisk walking, would moderate-speed walking or light jogging be okay? It's been hard to figure out what exactly is wrong since I'm not sure of the correct "terms" for everything, so if people just want to point me toward things to search on, that'd be great.

My hamstrings are notoriously tight, and I haven't been fabulous about stretching, so I will definitely work on getting better at that. Almost all my prior sports injuries have been tied to my tight hamstrings, so I really should know better by now!

Thanks in advance; I look forward to learning more and hopefully providing information in the future!

[Micah Ward]

I would recommend a week of complete rest and if that didn't work then a trip to a sports medicine specialist.
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[Dan]

If you think about the mechanics of both walking and running, it's easy to see why that might be. With running, the only time your leg straightens is right at the end of the push-off phase. With walking, there's that point and usually the point right before touch down. (Not many people I've seen bend their knee while walking in order to keep the body weight over the foot at the point of impact, as with running.)

While the forces associated with running are obviously a lot greater than with walking, the number of times you're put in that "risky" position is much less.

Rest till its healed. Simple as that. Ice it down a couple times a day to see if that speeds up the process of reducing inflammation.

Dan
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[erb]

(Oops! Somewhere between registering and my first posting, I got logged out!)

Thank you for the quick and thorough replies! It definitely does make sense regarding the walking and running, Dan. I will take a week off and try icing it a few times--hopefully it will be in good shape for my first snowboarding experience in a week and a half!

Thanks again!