When jogging | Pain in the knee – What do I have?

When jogging

Pain in the knee, which does not exist at rest and only occurs when jogging, is not uncommon. This phenomenon is known in medical terminology as “runner’s knee“. There can be a variety of causes for the development of knee pain, which occurs mainly when jogging.

In most cases, the occurrence of such knee complaints can be traced back to a permanent overloading of the lower parts of the musculoskeletal system. This overloading can be promoted by an unfavorably changed leg axis (for example, in the case of bow legs). In addition, a pronounced weakness of the pelvic stabilizers can increase the risk of developing the runner’s knee.

In affected patients, the unloaded hip sinks. As a result, there is excessive tension on the tendon plate of the thigh and pain in the knee, which is mainly felt when jogging. Furthermore, malpositions of the normal foot axis (for example, so-called supersupination), differences in leg length or shortened muscles in the area of the outer side of the thigh can also promote the occurrence of pain in the knee.

Especially people who have just started jogging tend to develop a runner’s knee. This is due to the fact that these people tend to put too much strain on their bodies at the beginning. In addition, an incorrect running technique and/or unsuitable footwear can cause pain in the knee when jogging.

Patients suffering from the so-called runner’s knee often experience sudden, stabbing pain in the knee when jogging. This pain can be so strong that it makes it impossible to continue running. Even normal walking is almost impossible for the affected person during a pain attack.

The pain occurring in the runner’s knee typically projects onto the knee joint and the outside of the tibial plateau. However, the clinical picture of the runner’s knee can be diagnosed relatively easily by a specialist. Even the description of the perceived symptoms by the affected patient can help to make an initial tentative diagnosis. In addition, imaging procedures such as x-rays or computer tomography (CT) are used for people who suffer from knee pain while jogging.

Read next article in this series:

All articles in this series:

  1. Pain in the knee – What do I have?
  2. Knee pain on the inside
  3. Knee pain on the outside
  4. Knee pain at the front
  5. Knee pain in the hollow of the knee
  6. Clinical pictures
  7. When jogging
  8. Diagnosis
  9. Therapy
  10. When to see a doctor?
  11. About the diagnostic agent