The formation of discomfort in the knee during physical activity is a fairly common problem. Most often, such discomfort occurs in athletes who have been involved in relatively recently.
However, in some cases, experienced athletes also experience pain. If the knee swells after running, the specialist will help to figure it out after the diagnosis.
The knee swells after running - what is the reason?
The knee joint has a large number of ligaments, so regular stress on the legs can cause damage, which as a result manifests itself as painful symptoms and swelling.
A sharp or prolonged load can cause an inflammatory process, which manifests itself in the form of discomfort, but in some cases pain appears as a result of pathological diseases.
Incorrect joint movement
Lack of running technique most often leads to incorrect movement of the knee joint. Improper running exercise puts excessive pressure on the joint and causes inflammation and swelling.
Very often, this process occurs among beginner runners who do long races without preparation. Cartilage abnormalities can also contribute to abnormal joint movement when starting training without first warming up the muscles.
Irregular terrain on which the athlete conducts training or poor-quality shoes not intended for sports can contribute to the violation of the necessary movement of the joint.
Traumatic meniscus injury
The cartilage tissue attached to the ligaments in the knee joint is called the meniscus. Damage to this area contributes to the appearance of pain symptoms during jogging.
Pain is formed with sudden movements, which leads to damage to the ligamentous fibers. This type of pain is accompanied by swelling of the knee and loss of mobility. It can occur in absolutely any athlete with prolonged physical exercise.
Dislocated patella
It is considered to be the most common knee problem in joggers. In the absence of timely treatment, such a problem is accompanied by complications of the tumor.
With frequent dislocations, pain becomes a regular companion of the runner, the knee joint decreases its mobility. After a while, the cartilage tissue is destroyed, and chronic diseases appear.
Articular ligament damage
Most often, these types of knee injuries occur with improper running or excessive exercise. When a sprain develops in the ligaments, the runner feels acute pain symptoms, which are accompanied by swelling and swelling in the knee area.
These symptoms are much more common in beginner runners who do not know how to start a workout correctly and overload their legs.
If the ligaments are damaged, the knee reduces mobility, swells and the runner cannot run for a while.
Vascular disorders in the bloodstream feeding the knee area
The knee contains a large number of blood vessels that transport the necessary nutrients for the limb to function properly. These unpleasant symptoms appear most often in adolescence or beginner runners.
Discomfort manifests itself in the form of a tumor and pain symptoms that do not have a specific localization. After a short time, this discomfort goes away on its own without the use of any treatment.
Pathologies that provoke pain after running
With pathological problems, discomfort and swelling of the knee very often appear after training.
These problems include:
- arthritis;
- arthrosis;
- bursitis.
Most often, the swelling occurs after prolonged exercise, which is accompanied by a heavy load on the legs. To eliminate such a problem, it is necessary to use special means to reduce discomfort while driving. In difficult cases, jogging is not recommended or is carried out without intense exertion.
Causes of incorrect leg movement when running
The following reasons are highlighted that provoke the occurrence of the problem:
- Incorrectly chosen shoes for the session. The choice of shoes must be made with an individual approach for each type of foot.
- Lack of positioning of the leg during movement and taking excessively large steps.
- Pinching the upper body resulting in abnormal movement of the whole body.
- The wrong place for training, stones and irregularities.
- Lack of warm-up before starting a workout.
- Incorrectly chosen pace of the lesson.
Also, the right clothes for classes are of great importance. Things should not hinder movement or cause discomfort.
Which doctor should I go to?
If you experience discomfort and swelling in your knees after running, you should visit a traumatologist. If it is not possible to visit a specialist, you can consult with a surgeon, who can refer the patient to an orthopedist and arthrologist.
What to do in case of acute and chronic pain?
In case of pain symptoms and joint swelling, it is recommended to stop exercising and visit a doctor to identify the cause of the pain. The specialist will conduct a diagnostic examination and prescribe the required type of treatment.
Medication assistance
Drug therapy is prescribed in difficult cases and only after a doctor's examination.
The following types of medicines can eliminate pain symptoms:
- Anti-inflammatory ointments and gels - the action of such drugs is aimed at warming up and eliminating unpleasant symptoms and swelling. Ointments such as Diclofenac, Voltaren can be used.
- The use of anti-inflammatory hormonal drugs - used for acute pain symptoms that do not reduce their intensity.
- Physiotherapy procedures aimed at restoring damaged tissues.
- Painkillers - necessary for severe pain, Ibuprofen, Analgin can be prescribed.
- Use of special therapeutic exercises, under the supervision of a specialist.
During the treatment of a tumor in the knee area, it is necessary to completely abandon classes and undergo a course of massage to restore muscle tone. Also, the patient needs to wear a special fixation bandage.
Ethnoscience
With minor symptoms of pain that are not acute in nature, you can use the methods of traditional medicine:
- apply a cold compress, which will not only reduce discomfort, but also eliminate swelling;
- wraps with blue clay. A mixture of thick consistency must be made from clay and water and applied to the damaged area. Wrap the top with a plastic bag and secure with a bandage. Leave overnight;
- compress from propolis. A gauze cut must be moistened with propolis and applied to the damaged area. Leave for a few hours.
When deciding to use traditional medicine, it is necessary to consult a doctor to prevent possible complications.
Preventive measures
In order to prevent possible discomfort, it is recommended to observe the following rules during classes:
- use only flat areas without stones and other possible obstacles;
- consult with a specialist to develop the necessary running mode, taking into account all the features of the body structure;
- choose the right footwear, which will not only fit the leg, but also provided specifically for such purposes;
- gradually increase the pace of running;
- prepare muscles before training;
- do an independent massage to warm up the muscles;
- observe correct breathing.
It is impossible to completely prevent injuries and swelling of the knee while running, very often even experienced athletes are injured. If unpleasant symptoms appear, it is not recommended to ignore the problem and make timely treatment.
The use of running allows not only to develop muscle tissue and to train the whole body, very often slow running is used to prevent many diseases of the joints. In order for the classes not to cause harm, it is necessary to correctly develop a lesson plan and follow all the recommendations of experienced specialists.
