Recurring Knee/Thigh Pain

[Hol27]

Hello- 5 months ago I was running up a very steep hill when a pain in my outer knee/lower thigh came on gradually and when I turned around to descend the pain was awful and since then I have not been right at all- I have been diagnosed wrong on several occasions by physiotherapists (I've been to see about 4 now) saying it is iliotibial band syndrome.

I finally got admitted for an MRI scan and it showed inflammation of the biceps femoris tendon but nothing else- I have still not got back to running after 5 months because the pain appears when I do a lot of walking around and standing up all day (as my job requires) I can no longer do my hobbies and it is incredibly frustrating and depressing... I am having weekly physiotherapy for the problem but I fear it is never going to go away... has anyone experienced the same thing?

[Renewed Myo Therapy]

Hi
Running is a great hobby but one that requires soft tissue maintenance in order to sustain and maintain this hobby. Without proper consistent maintenance muscle imbalance in the hip region will occur; especially the hip flexors and yes the TFL (Tensor Fascia Latea) & ITB (Illiotibial Band). These muscles can become overactive stressing tendons causing micro-tears in the tendons later causing scar tissue in the tendomusclar area. This can compromise the stability of the tendon & elasticity of the muscles ala recurring injury.

The inflammation and pain may be secondary to the primary problem which lies above the knee (pelvic). Rest, ice and maybe some cross fiber friction therapy from a trained therapist can deal with the secondary problem. While you take a break from running to heal you may want to begin receiving Orthopedic/Sports Massage therapy & Stretching to help tone down overactive tight muscles to help realign the pelvic.

I had the same hobby you had plus karate ;( actually they were not hobbies but actual sports I competed in). I did a minimal amount of stretching and no direct muscles therapy (Orthopedic/Sports Massage therapy) at all. This later on plagued me with an assortment of muscular and soft tissue problems especially in the pelvic region. To day even though I'm a lot better I'm still dealing with some of the residual effects of my indiscretion.

Don’t worry you can get better; rest and proper maintenance is the key to getting better.

I wish you well in your pursuit to wellness
Ray

[Hol27]

Thanks for your reply Ray; I have been seeing my current physiotherapist for about 14 weeks and he has been giving me stretches, massage therapy and all sorts to try and rectify the problem; a few weeks ago we both thought it was working as I felt no pain whilst on my feet all day at work for a few weeks however the pain came just came back again and I’ve been struggling ever since then. I believe my physio is doing everything he can to try and help and he says I will get there, but I’m just scared all his work just isn’t doing anything as I am still unable even to go for a long walk. I will carry on being as patient as I can with it- I just regret starting running without proper knowledge of how not to get injured!

[Sophie Hart]

Don’t give up, start mild exercises. This time consult some good professional physiotherapist rather than consoling some money minting quakes.