Thinking About Knee Injuries And Norwegian Carrot Cake

Hi folks,

It is funny the stuff that we have to think about during an average day. It started this morning with a question from Meg, owner of Studio Xanadeux Photography, about knee weakness in relation to running, and proceeded to Norwegian Carrot Cake late this afternoon. Meg mentioned that I do not have knee injuries in my tags or categories on this blog, and that is true. Maybe this is a critical oversight on my part as knee problems are very common in athletes, especially runners. In fact, I have had surgery on both of my knees in relation to sports injuries, including running.

So where does carrot cake come into my story? I signed onto my blog site, and as usual checked for comment spam, which is captured by a great tool, Akismet. I scan this spam each day to be sure that bona fide comments aren’t misclassified as spam. Today I came across a message, which really made me laugh. Here it is with the embedded links removed (for security’s sake):

“Hrm, Not the best post unfortunately. Sorry to be so blunt! You should try some Norwegian carrot cake (gulrotkake langpanne) to cheer you up instead.”

It still makes me laugh, but I have to admit that I don’t actually like carrot cake - too sweet! What have carrot cake and knees got to do with each other? Weight! In my experience, the number one cause of knee problems is excess weight, but let’s explore Meg’s question a little further, as Meg most certainly does not have a weight problem. I will do this solely based on my personal experience with my own knees, as I am sure that there are treatises on this subject and I want to read my book (‘Inheritance‘ by Christopher Paolini - will Eregon and Saphira succeed in their impossible quest?). Here are my bulletized thoughts on knee concerns:

1. The key to knee problems is the correct diagnosis, some of which you can do yourself, but if in doubt consult a professional.
2. Most knee pain is not a knee problem, but referred pain from thigh muscles, ileo-tibial bands and so-forth. This can be fixed by identifying the offending tight muscle or fascia, applying pressure to see if the ‘knee pain’ is reproduced, and if so roll that region better.
3. If you are overweight, don’t run! Do something else to reduce weight, and then run.
4. Many knee problems are induced by poor running mechanics, combined with other issues, so you have to sort this one out - it can be a long journey, but it is worth it. I have used a combination of Feldenkrais, Chi Running, and lots of patience to yield a running technique that seems to be working well (touch wood!).
5. If your problem is actually inside your knee you must find the right sports physicians/surgeons to fix it. I have had a split meniscus and bucket handle tear, combined with a torn medial collateral ligament and Baker cyst (skiing accident), another damaged meniscus (running), and plicae in both knees (embryogenesis combined with endurance training), all of which were successfully treated with surgery.
6. Don’t ‘run through a knee problem,’ fix it or you’ll regret it.
7. There is a lot more to say, but I’ve got to go and see what Eregon and Saphira are up to.

-k @FitOldDog

 Important Note: These posts do not provide medical advice. You should always consult your physician before undertaking or significantly modifying an exercise program.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin T. Morgan aka FitOldDog, Old Dogs in Training, LLC.