Posted by Clair Davies on October 30, 2003 at 16:37:29:
In Reply to: Runner's knee posted by Bmor on February 12, 2003 at 19:26:41:
As a massage therapist with a great deal of experience in treating runner’s knee, I’ve found it’s usually nothing more serious than referred pain from myofascial trigger points (tiny contraction knots) in overused quadriceps muscles. Too much stretching can actually irritate these trigger points and make the problem worse.
You can treat runner’s knee yourself with self-applied trigger point massage. Simply search for spots in the quadriceps muscles that hurt when you press on them. Then stroke them deeply with your thumbs. Think in terms of repeatedly squeezing the blood out. Do this for half a minute, several times a day, for two or three days. The very best times for this self-therapy is the beginning and end of the day, and before and after running.
For more information about how to find and self-treat trigger points in all parts of the body, go to www.triggerpointbook.com.