runners knee

Has anyone here had/have runners knee? It's reccommended that I rest, but I recently got more appropriate running shoes which I'm hoping will help. However it's super painful, and I really don't want to rest. It's the most relaxing part of my day. I got it about a year ago and basically ran through the pain, but it wasn't this bad.

has anyone else experienced this..?

I'm going through PT for it now.  I tried resting it, but it got to the point that I could not even run a quarter mile without limping and actually having to go home.  

I would have it checked out, get a MRI and probably start PT.  If it's the same thing, it's due to our knee caps tracking wrong when we run and there are exercises and stretches that can be done to correct the problem.  I would just hate for you to ignore it and have it become a bigger problem.

Good luck, hopefully we can get over this and get back to running

Yeah...Ignoring it made it worse.

I took aspirins and finally let it rest until it was better.

After multiple incidents, I learned to stretch longer/better before and after workouts, eat more protein and especially right after workouts, and to really limit the HIIT. Sprinting is was killed it...

I should probably get a brace too though...

 It's mostly due to one head of the quadriceps being too weak to resist the pull of the others that you wind up with the patella slipping the groove. Best way to fix it is to see a physical therapist to find out which part of the quads need extra work and find out the right way to do it :)

today was the worst, I actually had to stop mid-run and walk a block and a half. I got braces, and was wearing one today and a wrap on the other knee to see which worked better (brace, hands down). I've also expanded my stretching beforehand and take some painkillers 30 minutes before a run.

blackrosesred, your totally right, my sprints have been murder.

I have a protein shake with a quarter cup milk after runs, and usually eat a meal an hour or two hours after.  physical therapy... damn. ok. I'm open to anything really. I'll check it out.

thanks so much for the advice, it helps a lot.

You have to rest and you need a brace with an open patella. The point of the open patella brace is to keep the knee cap in one place. The pain you are feeling is your knee cap slipping out of place and becoming inflamed from the grinding. REST, REST, REST! ICE, ICE, ICE! It is the only cure and the good news is that it works (treatment and diagnosis from my doctor). I tried to push through the pain but it just made it worse. You could also do some permanent damage too. It will go away with rest. My runner's knee did after about a month or so of rest. When you finally fell like you can go make sure you ice after exercise for the following month. I always were a brace on my knee when I run and have not had a problem in 3 years, only some occasional soreness that ice and a 1 or 2 day rest fixes. Melkor is right on with strengthening the muscles around the knee. If you think about it, we where a brace to add support and strength, so adding muscle acts the same way but is an interanal brace.

The first time I got this was on vacation. I went for a run that was full of hills. I believe that the jarring on the down hill is what did it. Does your run consist of hills? If so you should find a flatter path.

I agree with Melkor!  You need to strengthen the muscles in your legs so they are pulling on your knee evenly.

It mostly consists of gradual up/down slopes, its all concrete though, and the shoes I was wearing were really awful (super tore up, missing one sole etc etc). new shoes help a little, but not much. I actually have it in both knees, the right one is worse. thanks for the advice about the brace with the open patella. I'm also a cyclist, but I've started doing tons of lunges and squats to try and strengthen my legs. It's hard to hear I have to rest, you know?

I've also started icing/elevating my knees 30 minutes 2 to 3 times a day. tiger balm, and motrin. thanks everyone so much/