Common Injuries

Symptoms: Pain beneath or on the sides of the kneecap.  Pain can worsen over a year or so and can be more severe after running hills. Swelling may also present. In severe cases, you can feel--and actually hear--grinding as the rough cartilage rubs against cartilage when the knee or quadricep is flexed.

Causes:  Excessive pronation (when the arch collapses too much and the foot
rotates too far inward) can cause the kneecap to twist sideways. Fatigued or
weak quadriceps muscles, which aid in proper tracking of the kneecap, can
prevent the kneecap from tracking smoothly. A muscle imbalance between weak quads and tighter hamstrings can also pull the kneecap out of its groove.

Treatment: Decrease running considerably. Ice the knee for 15 minutes two or three times a day. Once the pain and swelling are gone, strengthen quadriceps by doing "step-ups". Stand on a step or box at least 4 inches high. Keep your involved quadriceps tight while you lower the opposite leg slowly toward the floor. Then raise it back up to the box, and relax. Complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions for each leg. Continue increasing repetitions as strength increases. If chondromalacia isn't responding to self-treatment after
four weeks, see an orthopedic physician.

Preventive Measures:  Don't forget to stretch quadriceps and hamstrings. When you start running again, you also might try wearing a rubber sleeve with a hole that fits over the kneecap, which can help the knee track better.
Stretch and strengthen quadriceps, hamstrings and calves.

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