I have had this problem for years and at times, I have had to quit running for a while. This is as good of a description that I can provide:
- Right knee only - sort of around the left side of the kneecap/quadricep when looking down at it...more like in the lower part of the quad, top left of the kneecap.
- It will start to feel tight or stiff and gets somewhat tender if I continue to run.
- No acute pain - more like stiffness, followed by an ache if I keep running through
- Gets worse as I run faster paces or increase mileage
- At slower paces and up to about 50 miles per week during marathon training, the discomfort would gradually increase as mileage increased, but a day or 2 off would cause it to subside again, so for about 3 months during marathon training, I would run every other day, which seemed to work best for me.
- There is no popping or grinding
- I wear a Mueller's Strap under the kneecap and it reduces or slows down the rate at which the stiffness intensifies in the quad or around the knee.
- I always ice it and suppose it helps
- I stretch before and after all runs.
- It usually feels the worst a day or so after a run, but is usually invisible during the run.
I have had this condition for years, tried custom orthotics which made no difference at all and have taken several years off during several periods. Then, when I resume running, it will gradually appear again and I need to try to control it by limiting mileage, keep to slower paces, etc. I thought that it may be patellar tendinitis, but doesn't really fit the symptoms in the www.mayoclinic.com/health/patellar-tendinitis description.
Would having an MRI of the quad the general area be something to consider.
Any feedback is appreciated. I feel that this is limiting my potential as I need to stop or limit the hard training sessions.
Thanks,
Steve
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