Knee and ankle pain after running?
As autumn has come, the number of people who have chosen to run for exercise has increased significantly. However, if you decide to run steadily, not a brief attempt to enjoy the season, you need to prepare more thoroughly. Running can be exposed to various injuries if you rush forward because a load of several times your weight is applied to your knee and ankle joints.
The most vulnerable area is the knee. Among them, you should be careful of “sepal cartilage softening.” The patella is a knee bone that bends and straightens the knee. If the patella and thigh bones collide with each other due to wrong movements or excessive exercise, and this process continues, the cartilage inside the patella will eventually become soft.
In particular, patellar cartilage softening is at high risk for young people in their 20s and 30s. In order for the kneecap not to rub against the thigh bone, the balance between muscles and tendons around the kneecap is important, but this balance can be temporarily distorted because it is growing in the midst of youth. As a result, the kneecap frequently collides with the thigh bone when bending the knee, which can easily damage the cartilage.
When cartilage softening occurs, the pain gets worse every time you bend your knee and you feel like it’s creaking. When it gets worse, the pain in the knee persists even if you stay still.
Shin Dong-hyeop, director of Gangbuk Himchan Hospital, advised, “If the pain persists in your knee after running or the pain is severe every time you bend your knee,” adding, “If you feel severe weight around your knee or pain below your knee while running, it is better to stop running immediately and rest until the pain subsides.”
Ankles are also dangerous. In particular, wearing shoes that do not absorb shock well or running on uneven or sloping areas has a high risk of ankle sprain. Above all, if the ankle is sprained for a while, it is easy to leave it unattended without any treatment, which increases ankle ligaments and becomes unstable, causing chronic ankle sprains. Therefore, if you have any impact on your ankle, you should carefully examine your condition and receive treatment early if you have swelling and pain.
Foot pain is also common. In this case, reducing the amount of exercise and taking anti-inflammatory analgesics can relieve pain. However, if the pain is severe every time you step on the soles of your feet, it is better to suspect plantar fasciitis and see a doctor.
It is also common to get cramps while running. A temporary paralysis caused by partial blood circulation disorder in the muscles. Director Shin Dong-hyeop said, “At this time, stretch your knees and pull your feet toward your head to stretch your Achilles tendon and calf muscles.” “If the cramps do not stop in this way, you can lightly lower your feet toward the soles of your feet and pull your calf muscles back,” he explained. After the pain is gone, it is recommended to massage the muscles lightly to relax.
Running can cause so many problems if you start running hastily. Therefore, it is recommended to check your physical condition and physical strength before starting.
First of all, if you are overweight, you should pay attention to weight control together, and if you are not using your leg muscles well or if you are a beginner of exercise, you should strengthen your leg muscles by going home from work and stretching your calf muscles.
Running posture is also important. The eyes should be forward and the upper body should be perpendicular to the ground. It is recommended to relax your arms and shoulders, move naturally, and use your ankles when running.
Director Shin Dong-hyeop emphasized, “In particular, if the footsteps are loud, it can put a lot of pressure on the joints without using ankle strength,” adding, “You need to be familiar with the posture where the hip and shoulder joints can ride the right rhythm to reduce the joint burden.”
Don’t exercise too much. Sports experts say that the appropriate time for running is 30 minutes and the distance is 5 to 6 kilometers. However, it is recommended to adjust properly in this standard considering your physical strength, joint condition, and age. Running in pairs with people of similar levels is also a good way to prevent over-face.
Wear shoes as light as possible. Knee and ankle guards or taping can reduce joint fatigue. Director Shin Dong-hyeop advised, “After running and running as far as the body can accept, it is also important to stabilize the body by sufficient stretching, replenishing moisture, and rest.”
Source: Health trend (http://www.k-health.com)