In safe hands with the Montefiore Hospital

Next Sunday, over 20,000 people will take part in the Brighton Marathon. Running 26 miles is the ultimate fitness test, but do your knees pay the price? We ask Sandeep Chauhan, a local Orthopaedic surgeon

Physical activity is key to a happy, healthy life, and running is one of the most popular ways to keep fit. But as with all forms of exercise, if you don’t listen to or prepare your body properly, you run the risk of damaging it.

The knees are one of the most vulnerable parts of a runner’s body so injuries can happen quite easily. If you think about it, they are constantly moving under the forces of your body weight and the hard ground – so it’s not surprising they sometimes hurt!

There is a condition called “runner’s knee” that can develop when you run, particularly after a certain distance when you really push yourself. So while you might be fine for a 5K run, a marathon could leave you limping.

But don’t worry, runner’s knee doesn’t mean you’ve permanently damaged your joints – it’s thought that the pain you experience is the result of bruising to the back of your kneecap where the tendon joins the bone.

“Try to reduce the amount of running you do on concrete as this causes the most damage”

Reducing your training and applying ice will help and taking painkillers such as Ibuprofen can also relieve pain. Try to reduce the amount of running you do on concrete as this causes the most damage – your knees will thank you for runs on grass or the treadmill.

Strengthening your leg muscles, wearing professionally fitted running shoes and seeing a physiotherapist are all beneficial too. Usually runner’s knee will resolve itself with a bit of TLC but sometimes physiotherapy is needed with much success.
Whether your problem is runner’s knee or not, if you don’t see any improvement after a few days of icing and resting then you should seek medical advice. Your GP or physiotherapist is a good place to start but they may send you to a specialist who will diagnose, treat, and help you determine the cause of your injury.

Best of luck to the runners in the Brighton Marathon – I hope you have a great race!

Sandeep Chauhan is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at The Montefiore Hospital in Brighton. Contact The Montefiore Hospital on 01273 828120 or visit www.themontefiorehospital.co.uk