Knee Aches After Running - Does the Pain Chase After You?

Running is an enjoyable and healthy sport, but it can be tough on the body, including the legs, feet and especially the knees. You may feel fine during the actual activity, but after you stop, knee aches can chase you down, fast! Knee aches after running are a common occurrence, and can happen in one or both of your legs. The sensation may vary from a mild ache to an excruciating pain. Aches and pains after running may last less than an hour, or they may continue for hours, even days. Regardless of your particular symptoms, if you experience knee aches after running, you probably just want some relief. Period.

Knee pain problems after exercising can stem from a number of conditions. These pain issues may come from a chronic condition such as degenerative arthritis, or they may be the result of a misalignment of the kneecap, a prior injury, or any number of troublesome conditions.

Only a qualified doctor can definitively diagnose the source of your knee aches after running. But regardless of the particular condition, the root cause is likely to be stress on the knees. You can treat the symptoms with home remedies such as ice/heat or anti-inflammatory medications (all to be prescribed by your physician), but it would be preferable if you could stop the pain problems before they ever start, right?

There are several steps you can take to make sure you are lessening the shock to the knee joint as much as you can. First, you should assess your footwear to insure that it is providing the proper support for running. There are shoes designed especially for running that help keep the foot properly aligned and this, in turn, will improve your gait and help take some stress off the knee joint.

You can also try changing the surface you are running on. For instance, many people run on hard concrete or asphalt surfaces. Running on these types of surfaces can cause a jarring impact to the knee with each step and increase the incidence of knee problems after exercising. Thus, consider running on a specifically designed track or on a treadmill, or even a dirt path instead of the sidewalk. Most importantly, though, to help avoid knee aches and pains after jogging, you should consider wearing a knee brace on one or both knees. Just think about it here for a second...

Knee supports are available to anyone and they are something that you can use right away to help add meaningful support to your knee. Since they don't generally have to be custom made, you don't have to mortgage your house to afford one. A properly fitting, low profile support can really help you when you are out there pushing yourself to keep in shape. Consequently, a knee brace, when properly used, can help to significantly reduce the incidence of knee problems. Supports can come in a variety of sizes and styles, several of which are quite compatible with running.

In the end, you can choose to do nothing for yourself, or you can be proactive. Whatever you choose to do, consider using a knee support because they are affordable and can greatly help reduce your pain because of the meaningful support that they can provide.