Knee injuries are common, especially in high-impact urban areas like Hong Kong. Hong Kong has a unique terrain with steep hills, concrete roads, and crowded pathways that have a high risk of stress and knee injury.
Factors like improper running techniques, inadequate footwear and insufficient recovery prevent a runner from achieving high performance and comfort during sports.
Further Read: The Basics of Running Knee Biomechanics
This blog gives you an understanding of common knee injuries faced by Hong Kong runners and outlines their causes, symptoms and treatments.
We’ll be discussing the following knee injuries in some detail below.
- Runner’s Knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome)
- Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS)
- Patellar Tendonitis (Jumper’s Knee)
- Meniscus Tear & Cartilage Damage
- Stress Fractures
Runner’s Knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome)
Runner’s knee injury is named after running sports since it is the most common injury in running activities. It’s a common overuse injury that causes pain around and behind the kneecap.
Causes
Some of the causes of runner’s knee include:
- Overuse: Overuse is the repetitive use of an activity, such as running long distances often. If you are a runner who runs competitively, you may encounter front knee pain due to repetitive running.
- Weak quadriceps: Weak thigh muscles cannot stabilize the knee cap, therefore causing runner’s knee.
- Poor running mechanics: Poor running form affects how your knee functions, therefore increasing the chance of you getting Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a runner’s knee vary; below are some of the common symptoms.
- Pain around the knee cap: Pain around the knee cap can be severe or mild, depending on the severity of the injury. You feel pain when you walk down or up the stairs or bend your knee.
- Discomfort during running or moving up or down stairs: Discomfort occurs due to putting too much pressure on the patella.
Treatment
The below treatments can help you improve with time; however, if the symptoms get severe, seek medical attention.
- Rest: Resting allows healing. Avoid running after a knee injury or practice low-impact exercises such as swimming.
- Strengthening exercises: Strengthening exercises help loosen tight muscles, therefore preventing knee stress. Strengthening exercises also improve your knee stability.
- Physiotherapy: Physiotherapy enhances balance, flexibility, and mobility through targeted exercises, strength training, and therapeutic techniques for better movement.
Complete Guide: Runner’s Knee: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, & Prevention
Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS)
Iliotibial Band Syndrome is an overuse injury that causes pain at the bobby knob, outside of the knee. An iliotibial band is a thick tissue that runs outside of your thigh, starting from the top of your hip to the outside of your knee.
Causes
- Overuse or Overtraining: If you keep running in the same direction daily or cover more than the recommended mileage, you may get IBS.
- Poor running mechanics: Running down the hill often triggers ITBS.
- Weak quadriceps: Weak lateral gluteal muscles may not stabilize your pelvis, therefore causing excessive tightening of the soft tissues.
Symptoms
- Outer knee pain: You will experience outer knee pain when the iliotibial band causes friction on the lateral epicondyle the moment you extend your knee. This causes your tendons to swell and pain in your knee.
- Pop sound: You may feel a pop sound outside your knee often.
- Pain in the hips: When the Iliotibial band rubs against your greater trochanteric, you feel pain in your hip.
These symptoms may worsen with activity.
Treatments
- Stretching: Stretching relieves knee and hip pain by elongating the iliotibial band to reduce tension.
- Foam rolling: Foam rolling is where you use a foam roller to massage your body.
- Strength training: A physical therapist recommends strength training to lengthen your iliotibial band and decrease tension.
Complete Guide: Iliotibial Band Syndrome: Causes, Treatment, & Prevention
Patellar Tendinitis (Jumper’s Knee)
Jumper’s knee is an overuse injury common among basketball and volleyball players. It is characterized by pain and swelling in the patellar tendon.
Causes
- Repetitive stress: Repetitive stress on your tendon causes small tears in your tendon
- Improper landing mechanics: Improper landing causes mechanical and tension load on your knee cap tendon, due to the eccentric muscle contraction of the quadriceps.
- Weak quadriceps: Weak quadriceps cannot withstand stress placed on the patellar tendon, this results in tears and inflammation.
Symptoms
- Pain below the knee cap: When you have patellar tendonitis, you may experience mild pain that feels like a burning sensation when you kneel down or squat. The pain worsens when your tendon is damaged due to frequent exercise or sports activities.
- Stiffness: You experience stiffness in the morning, which makes it difficult for you to move.
Treatment
- Rest: Resting from sports activities that require you to jump is one way of treating Jumper’s knee. This is because these sports activities stress your knee more therefore increasing the severity of the injury.
- Knee taping: Knee taping is applying tapes on the affected areas, to provide support, reduce inflammation and alleviate pain
- Eccentric strengthening: According to Curwin and Stanish’s book incorporating programmes such as warm-ups, stretching, cooling down with ice and drop squats helps alleviate pain.
Also Read: Patellar Tendinitis: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, & More
Meniscus Tears & Cartilage Damage
Meniscus tears happen due to forcibly rotating your knee while applying full weight. The sudden twists cause damage to your cartilage.
Causes
- Sudden twisting: Sudden twisting occurs during sports where your knee twists and your foot remains firm on the ground.
- Impact injuries: Falls and collisions trigger knee tears
- Wear and tear: Wear and tear on the cartilage increases the chances of an injury.
Symptoms
- Swelling: Inflammation that makes it difficult for you to straighten your knee.
- Locking sensation: This clicking or pop sound comes from your joint.
- Sharp pain: Persistent pain in the knee.
Treatment
- Rest: Taking enough rest aids in the recovery process. Resting means keeping away from running activities that may increase the severity of your knee injury.
- Physical therapy: Physiotherapy helps in reducing future injuries. Physiotherapists can recommend the right exercises to improve your mobility and boost performance.
- Possible surgical intervention: Surgical intervention may be necessary in case of severe pain.
Stress Fractures in the Knee
Stress fractures in the knee are tiny cracks in the bone due to overuse. This knee injury affects the tibia and metatarsals, so as a runner you may experience pain in the shin and feet.
Causes
- Overtraining: Increasing the intensity and duration of your exercises mechanically loads your bones therefore causing stress fractures.
- Lack of recovery: Participating in sports activities when you have not fully recovered, can lead to misalignment and knee stress.
- Poor nutrition: Lack of vitamin D and low calcium levels weakens your bones increasing the chances of fractures.
Symptoms
- Deep knee pain: It begins with mild pain that worsens with activity.
Treatment
- Rest: Resting from a physical activity responsible for a stress fracture is one way of treating the knee injury.
- Gradual return to Running: Avoid quick increasing of your running duration and distance
General Treatment Options
Below are some options that can help you manage and treat running knee injuries.
Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation
A physiotherapist provides you with a plan that you are supposed to adhere to, to enhance mobility, reduce pain and prevent future injuries. That plan might include:
- Strengthening exercises: Strengthening exercises help in strengthening weak muscles therefore decreasing the chances of knee injury. Some of the strengthening exercises include: Lunges, squats, glute bridges and leg presses.
- Stretching: Stretching loosens tight muscles. Tight muscles increase the chances of knee pain and injury. Examples of stretches include: calf stretches, quadriceps stretches and hamstrings.
- Foam rolling and self-massage: Foam rolling and self-massage improve blood circulation, loosen tight muscles and reduce discomfort in your knee. Hamstring rolling improves flexibility while quadriceps rolling loosens tight muscles.
Further Read: Guide to Stretching Before a Run
Rest & Recovery Strategies
Resting promotes healing and prevents injury. Examples of rest and recovery strategies include:
- Reducing high-impact activities: High-impact workouts strain your knee. It’s important to take a rest and indulge in low-impact exercises such as swimming to relieve tension on your knees.
- Ice therapy and elevation: Apply ice to the injured area for 10-20 minutes every 1-2 hours to help numb pain. Elevating the knee improves circulation and reduces inflammation.
Pain Management Options
Managing pain prevents further complications and boosts your recovery process.
- Anti-inflammatory medications: Before taking anti-inflammatory treatments such as ibuprofen, always consult your healthcare provider. Anti-inflammatory treatments reduce pain and swelling.
- Knee braces and taping for support: A knee brace provides support during movement. Knee taping and braces help align and stabilize the knee, improving mobility and reducing strain.
Preventing Knee Injuries While Running
Knee injuries are common when you have an improper running technique, wrong footwear and an incorrect training plan. Here is how you can prevent knee injuries while running.
Proper Running Technique
Improper running technique puts excess stress on your knees, increasing the risk of injury.
- Correcting form
You can reduce knee stress by leaning slightly forward from your ankle. This helps in the even distribution of impact in your body. Another way to maintain the correct running form is by keeping your knees slightly bent. Avoid striding, long strides increase knee stress. While running maintains quicker and shorter strides. - Gradual mileage and intensity increases
Too much and too often are the main causes of knee injuries. Have time to rest to enhance knee recovery from running activities. Also, increase your mileage on a weekly basis to avoid overstressing your knees.
Footwear & Running Gear
Wear supportive running shoes that support your foot type and running style. A good footwear contains a shock absorber that minimizes knee impact. Replace your footwear regularly to avoid running with worn-out shoes.
Always use orthotics if you have biomechanical issues such as flat feet and high arches. Orthotics are better for knee alignment and can be provided by a physical therapist.
Strength & Flexibility Training
Essential strength exercises for runners such as squats, lunges and glute activation improve the flexibility and functionality of your knees.
Stretching and mobility routines are essential as they improve blood circulation and flexibility.
Where to Get Treatment?
If you’re seeking treatment for knee injuries in Hong Kong, several specialized clinics offer expert care. Hong Kong Sports Clinic is a top choice, providing physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and advanced treatments to help you recover effectively. Other options include orthopedic specialists and sports medicine centers, catering to various knee conditions.
Final Thoughts
Address knee pain once you notice knee discomfort. This prevents chronic conditions that affect your overall health and sports activities.
A balanced approach to running, strength training, and recovery maintains your joints’ health and supports long-term performance.
Seek professional help if pain persists despite self-care treatments. A physical therapist can identify underlying issues, provide targeted treatment, and guide a safe recovery for your knee injuries.
FAQs
How do I know if my knee pain is serious?
You will know that your knee pain is serious if it’s hard for you to bear weight. You may also know the knee injury is serious if you notice severe swelling on the knee.
Is it better to rest or walk with knee pain?
It is better to take a rest if you have knee pain. If the knee pain is mild, take gentle movements like walking but if the knee pain is severe avoid activities that can trigger more pain by taking rest.
How to tell if a knee is sprained or torn?
A knee sprain occurs when you make a sudden move and the major ligaments in your knee overstretch. You will know you have a knee torn if you experience severe pain, severe inflammation and difficulty in moving.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK561507/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK561504/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2658948/
Curwin S, Stanish W D. Tendinitis: its etiology and treatment. Lexington, MA: Collamore Press, 1984
