Knee pain

In an effort to improve my body composition, I started doing some road running, but after a couple of runs I have a sharp pain on the lateral side of my right knee. I feel the pain when the joint moves through the range of about 60-120 degrees. When the knee is near full extension or flexion it is not a problem. I have iced around the area and taken anti-inflammatories, but I really am not sure what to do as I have not experience this type of pain before. I have always had muscle pulls, or a pelvic tilt in the past as opposed to something like this. Could it be cartilage? The only thing that makes me think it would not be cartilage is that this pain didn’t come on suddenly and I only noticed a couple of hours after I finished a run. Could it be tightness as my body is not used to this type of exercise?

Ok, ice makes it substantially worse, which makes me think the bone is bruised. Dspite what I said in my previous post I remembered I had something similar 2 and a half years ago when I tripped on some concrete steps and hit my knee. I just remembered that cos ice made that significantly worse too. Apparently I bruised the bone then. This pain is in slightly a different position, but is very similar and I’m guessing if my gait is slightly out I could be bruising the bone in one leg and not the other just due to repetitive use that I am not used too. I am feeling it I guess where tibia/fibula articulates with the femur. Hoping a week or so of rest will sort it out!!!

Do you just have a tight IT band? Sounds v.likely.

I haven’t had a massage for ages actually, and I was prone to getting tight IT bands in the past. It’s feeling a lot easier today however, but still slightly painful. Would it be likely to only get tightness in one leg though? And for it o be that intense painwise?

Yes tightness in 1 leg is usual. You arn’t perfectly symetrical.

Ok, cool. Well I’m hoping it’s just that then! Was worried it may have been cartilage or something, as not really sure what that pain would feel like.

What have i said to you in the past about doing long runs on the road…do it on grass maris and add some circuits. Don’t get too caught up with this whole ‘weight/looking lean like Skeletor’ thing.

A great way to get the ITB is to invest in a foam roller. I’ll post a link to some great stuff you can do with it (pdf file) later.

Ah ok cool! I got one actually, but the file should be helpful!