Why Your Knee Hurts When You Run: The 3 Most Common Culprits
Knee pain in runners is rarely random. It’s usually the result of a mismatch between what your body is doing and what it’s ready for, whether that’s a lack of strength, poor running mechanics, or a sharp increase in training load. Below are the three most frequent types of knee pain we see in our clinics in Rozelle and Panania: 1. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) Also known as “runner’s knee,” PFPS is one of the most common injuries we see in runners of all levels. The pain typically shows up around or behind the kneecap and tends to flare with things like running downhill, squatting, lunging, or even just sitting for long periods (like during a car ride or at a desk). What causes it? The kneecap (patella) needs to glide smoothly within a groove in your thigh bone (femur). If there’s poor alignment or uneven pull from the muscles surrounding the knee (especially the quadriceps and glutes) it can cause irritation under the kneecap. Weak hips, tight quads, and poor running technique (...