Musculoskeletal

If my knees swell when I run, is there an underlying problem that I need to get looked at?

Key Takeaway: Persistent knee swelling while running indicates an underlying problem that should be examined.

If your knees swell when you run, there is for sure an underlying problem and most likely it has to do with your joint alignment, right? So should you get it looked at? Oh, why wouldn't you, right? If you get swelling in a joint, your knees are the largest joint in your body, first of all, and it's really a segue between what should be happening in gait, which is this follow-through from your spine to your foot. And if we have instability in the pelvis, most often what's happening is unnecessary pronation in the forefoot and that's going to cause a lot of medial torque to the knee, which could be the reason that you have an inflammation and swelling. But if you have inflammation and swelling in any joint and it is every time you run, how about maybe take a look at your strength and stability of your knee and then get a handle on the cause of why your knees keep swelling when you run.

If you have swelling in your knees when running, it's likely due to an instability in the pelvis causing unnecessary pronation in the forefoot. To fix this, look into the strength and stability of the knee and get a handle on the underlying cause of why your knees keep swelling when running.

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If your knees swell when you run, there is likely an underlying problem related to your joint alignment. It is recommended to get it looked at by a professional. Swelling in the knees can indicate issues with joint stability and alignment. The knees are the largest joint in the body and play a crucial role in coordinating movement from the spine to the foot. Instability in the pelvis can lead to unnecessary pronation in the forefoot, causing medial torque on the knee and resulting in inflammation and swelling. If you consistently experience swelling in your knees when running, it's important to assess the strength and stability of your knee and determine the root cause of this issue.

How should someone tape their knees for patella chondromalacia?

Prioritize Hip and Adductor Strength to Treat Patella Chondromalacia

If you have patellar chondromalacia, I wouldn't tape your knees right away. What I would be looking at is the stability of your hip and your adductors, your inner thigh and the lateral hip. Oftentimes, chondromalacia is caused by poor knee tracking and a lack of strength in some of the medial regions of the quadriceps, the stability of your lateral hip, and again, kind of too much tension across the hip joint and strain in the hamstrings. Before you tape those types of things, I would be looking at the strength of your medial adductors, your inner thigh and your glutes and your hips, to see if you can resolve the shifting of your fibular head, which is probably what's causing you chondromalacia in the first place.

Before taping your patellar Conger Malaysia I would look at the stability of your hip, adductors and lateral hip, as well as the strength of your medial adductors, inner thigh and glutes to see if you can resolve the shifting of your fibular head that is likely causing the condition.

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If you're dealing with patellar chondromalacia, my recommendation would be to focus on addressing the stability of your hip, adductors (inner thigh), and lateral hip rather than immediately taping your knees. Chondromalacia is often caused by poor knee tracking and weakness in certain areas such as the medial regions of the quadriceps, stability of the lateral hip, and excessive tension or strain in the hamstrings. Before considering taping, it's important to assess and strengthen your medial adductors, inner thigh, glutes, and hips to address any shifting of the fibular head that may be contributing to your chondromalacia.

How do you manage/treat post op ACL patients that only have 18 visits covered by insurance and want to return to sports?

ACL patients limited to 18 visits find success with MELT method for self-care and improved performance

After an ACL tear, you only get about 18 sessions with your PT. The best thing that I do is I send my clients home with the MELT method. I give them self-care techniques that simulate manual therapy so they can continue to improve their balance, their stability, restore some of the connective tissue issues that are living in their body to improve the supportive qualities of their connective tissue system and improve the stability and balance of their hips so that they can bend their knees properly and they get their gait patterning back. So I always believe self-care is really the best health care. So to improve the changes in my private client's sessions, I always just give them the MELT method, send them home with tools and empower them to actively participate in improving their performance and decreasing the tendency of stiffness after an ACL tear so that they can continue to practice at home.

After an ACL tear, I send my clients home with the Melt method to help them improve their balance, stability, and connective tissue quality, as well as restore their gait patterning. This self-care technique allows them to continue improving their performance and decreasing stiffness at home.

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To manage and treat post-op ACL patients with limited insurance coverage and a desire to return to sports, I focus on empowering them to actively participate in their recovery. With only about 18 sessions available, I provide my clients with self-care techniques, specifically the MELT method. This allows them to simulate manual therapy at home and continue improving their balance, stability, and connective tissue health. By addressing connective tissue issues and enhancing the supportive qualities of the connective tissue system, we work towards restoring proper knee bending, gait patterning, and overall performance. I strongly believe that self-care is key to optimal health care. By giving my clients the tools they need and encouraging their active involvement in their recovery process, we aim to improve outcomes and minimize stiffness following an ACL tear.

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Sue Hitzmann answers your Musculoskeletal questions. See all the advice Sue Hitzmann has and get answers to your own Musculoskeletal questions.

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Founder of the MELT Method,  International Neurofascial science & research educator, NY Times bestselling author, podcaster & seeker of consciousness 