Really, Doc??

I went to the doctor earlier this week to have my knee poked and prodded due to some knee pain I have been experiencing. The appointment was really quick, which is always a good thing. However, the doc had me lay down to examine my knee. The problem with that was that I had on a dress and I felt like he was getting a clear view of my goodies during the examination...LOL. This is a prime example of why my mother always said "Nikky, make sure you always have on a clean pair of undies." You have to read my previous post to understand the significance. After the exam and a few x-rays the doc concluded that I have runner's knee. I've always prided myself on remaining injury free for years, well so much for that.

Runner's knee isn't the worse injury that a person can be plagued with. My poor husband has illitotibial band syndrome (ITBS), which has nagged him for over a year now. I like to think it's really IBS, you know, irritable bowl syndrome. It's common among runners but not limited to that group. The medical term for runner's knee is patellofemoral pain syndrome. But because we are an informal group of people I will just stick with runner's knee. Runner's knee is pain behind the kneecap. It can occur from overuse of the knee from running, walking, jumping, or biking. There are also other reasons why runner's knee occurs. Typical symptoms are pain behind the knee, pain when you walk, or run or sit for a long time. Sometimes the knee swells and you may feel or hear a snapping, popping, or grinding in the knee.

I think I can pinpoint exactly when the injury began to surface. Back in May I started to get really serious about strength training. After each strength training routine I would perform high intensity interval training (HIIT). This included sprint sets for 20 minutes and finishing out the run to get 3-4 miles in. This meant that I was running on back to back days. Typically I would run every other day. One long run (6 miles) and three short runs (3-4 miles). I believe the running on back to back days with such high intensity caused my injury. Initially the pain was inconsistent. In recent months (July and August), the pain has become constant and has required me to use the RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) method. This prompted me to seek some medical help.

After looking at the x-rays, the doc stated that I have some unevenness under the left side of the kneecap due to some wear in that same area. He recommended two options. The first was to get an MRI to rule out something more serious than runner's knee. The second was to treat it with an anti-inflammtory medicine and perform some daily exercises to help treat the condition. I am what one would call a frugal person, so I opted for the meds and exercise. For those who are unaware, an MRI, although covered by insurance has a huge out of pocket expense. A few hundred dollars to be exact and I ain't (yes I said ain't) paying that if I don't have to. The doc said to give the second option three weeks to see if there's any improvement. If not, I am to call him and schedule an MRI.

There should always be a lesson learned from an injury. My lesson is that I need to take it easy and listen to my body. I will be diligent in my exercises and take my meds twice a day as prescribed. Oh, and I will continue to use the RICE method. Hopefully, this will heal my condition because if I can't run this going to be one cranky lady. My husband better stay clear!!

Here's an internet article about runner's knee if you want to read more.

Peace!