Contents:
- Medical Video: Stretches for Runners
- Can you run if you have knee pain?
- The best running track for knee pain
- How does the road surface affect knee pain
Medical Video: Stretches for Runners
If you often run, you may often feel one of the common complaints is knee pain. The pressure and movement when you run can indeed make your kneecap hurt. However, this pain can come and disappear suddenly so you might be hesitant if you want to run again. Even though you can run safely if you choose the right running track. Here it is the secret to choosing the best running track if you experience knee pain.
Can you run if you have knee pain?
If you experience serious knee pain, you should first wait until your knees really recover and then exercise again. However, if knee pain only appears occasionally or does not feel so annoying, you can still run.
However, make sure you stretch the muscles in the knee and leg area well before running. After running, compress your knees with ice wrapped in a towel to prevent inflammation and pain.
You also have to run with the right sports shoes. This means the size should not be too small, the quality must be good, and the shape can support your feet perfectly as long as you run.
The best running track for knee pain
Your running track also determines whether knee pain can attack you suddenly. Therefore, you should be wise to choose the most friendly path for the knee.
According to a study in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport in 2010, apparently the running track with the surface of fresh grass is the best choice for the knee. Especially when compared to roads with asphalt surfaces.
The study participants wore special running shoes that could measure the pressure received by the knee and leg while running. Apparently, running on the asphalt surface puts pressure up to 12 percent greater than running on the grass.
Other research in Research in Sport Medicine in 2012 revealed similar results. In this study, experts compared running pressure on concrete, grass and synthetic rubber. Again, the grassy road is the safest running track for the knee.
Meanwhile, according to a bone surgeon specialist from the University Wexner Medical Center in the United States, Dr. Timothy Miller, run on treadmill still safer than running on asphalt or concrete roads. However, this still depends on the speed you choose when running on treadmill.
How does the road surface affect knee pain
As explained by Dr. Timothy Miller, when running on the surface of the grass, your feet will tread on the ground longer and more often than running on asphalt and concrete roads. The longer and often your feet tread, the pressure received by the legs until the knee decreases. This is because the pressure will be distributed evenly to the entire surface of the foot.
Whereas if you run on asphalt or concrete roads, your feet may only be tread for a split second. Even just the heel and foot pads that touch the ground, not the entire surface of the foot. As a result the pressure received becomes sharper. That's why the muscles and joints in your knee must work harder and eventually be more susceptible to pain. So, you should avoid running on asphalt or concrete roads.
