No "Butts" About It!

One of the most overlooked muscle areas of a runner is the backside. Okay, well, maybe it's not "overlooked." Maybe "paid attention to." Nope, that's not quite right either. Hmm... I got it! One of the most under worked muscle groups of runners are the glutes (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus). Yep, the derriere, the bum, the hind quarters, the tush. Weak buttocks have been the culprit in ending more running seasons than possibly any other running-related injury.

The gluteus maximus is the attention getter—the J. Lo of the group. But of the three gluteal muscles, the gluteus medius is a key muscle to focus on when it comes to running. This muscle (along with the gluteus minimus) helps to externally and internally rotate the thigh. It's also a hip abductor (helps to pull the thigh away from the body). Okay, now I know what your thinking, "I don't externally or internally rotate my thigh nor do I abduct my thigh when I run." Correct. However, the gluteus medius is key in stabilization of the hips/pelvis.

When running, the gluteus medius and minimus work together along with the tensor fasciae latae (TFL) to keep the pelvis from dropping to the opposite side. If the gluetus medius is weak, it can affect the stabilization of the hips and plevis during running. If this happens a lot of stress is put on the TFL which can cause patello-femoral pain (runner's knee) and iliotibial band syndrome (ITB) which can present itself as knee pain. Who'd a thunk that a pain in the knee is really from a pain in the butt?!

Unfortunately the repetitive nature of running can actually weaken the gluteus medius. So, what's a runner to do? Work that butt! More accurately, "Work those abductors!" The following simple exercises will whip your gluteus medius back into shape in no time. To maintain strength in these important muscles, be sure to do at least one of the following exercies once or twice a week.

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Knees, Knees, Woe the Knees

In two recent posts, I shared two main causes of knee pain for runners—Iliotibial Band Syndrome and muscle imbalance. There are a few other culprits that may be worth checking out if you've addressed the other two causes and you're still having problems—overpronation and leg-length discrepancy.

Almost every runner pronates to some degree. This is normal, but when a runner overpronates sometimes it can cause problems. There's a really simple test you can do to determine if you over-pronate. All you need is a brown paper grocery bag, a cotton ball, and some cooking oil. Lay the bag flat on the floor. Using a cotton ball, spread a thin layer of cooking oil on the bottom of both feet (bare). Next, carefully step onto the bag to make a set of footprints. Now examine your prints and compare them to the illustration. If you have a solid print, you're what is known as an overpronator. Ever heard of the term "flat-foot?" That's you. If you have slight curve in the middle of your print, you're neutral. If you have a very significant curve in the middle of your prints, you're a underpronator or supinator.

Now having said all of that, not everyone fits perfectly into a category. For example, I have running friends who have flat feet but have a neutral gate and I have running buddies who have high arches that overpronate. Having a gate analysis done where someone observes your actual running gate is the best method for determining your specific gate. Many local running stores as well as sports medicine doctors can examine your gate and help you determine the best running shoe for you.

If you determine that you do overpronate, make sure you use shoes that offer more anti-pronation features. The key word to look for in the shoe description is "stability." If you've tried stability shoes and still have problems, you may want to consult your sports doc and see if orthodics are in order. The sports doc can also help rule out other knee problems that might be causing the pain.

Another possibility for your knee pain could be leg-length discrepancy (one leg shorter than the other). My good friend Gary has been a runner for many years. But a year or so ago, he started having problems with his knees, especially when he upped his mileage. It got so bad that he had to stop running for a while. He went to his sports doc and discovered he actually had one leg longer than the other.

I did a little research and come-to-find-out leg-length difference is often a factor in knee pain. The reason it's a problem is because your body will try to compensate for the discrepancy. For example, your body may try to flatten the foot, drop the hip, or bend the knee to try and make up for the difference in length—all of which adds pressure on the knee.

Putting an orthodic such as a heel raise in the shoe of the shorter leg may be the answer, but you need to have a sports doc determine the cause of the discrepancy first. The difference in length could be something the person was born with and never really noticed until (like my friend) the mileage was upped and the pressure on the knee got to be too much, resulting in pain. Or, the pain could be due to inflexible hips or pelvic rotation, which is often the reason for leg length differences. If inflexible hips or pelvic rotation is the culprit, the doc may prescribe a series of stretches and/or exercises that may completely correct or dramatically reduce the leg-length difference. When this is done, the over compensation should end and your knee pain should go away.
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Now, a good friend of mine—Josh-the Barefoot Runner—will tell you that shoes in general are the culprit. Shoes do tend to make heel-strikers out of many runners. Heel-striking can jar the body causing lots of problems. You can learn to run with a mid-foot or fore-foot strike to alleviate this problem, but it is a little harder to do in shoes. I'm not a heel-striker and I wear shoes. But, if you're interested, check out my post on Josh and his barefoot running. Many barefoot runners will tell you that a whole host of ailments disappeared when they began barefoot running. Josh had several bouts with ITBS and it completely disappeared once he began barefoot running. So, it's definitely worth checking out and you may find that it's just the answer you've been looking for.

Bottom line. Having knee pain doesn't have to mean the end to your running. Take some time and find the root of your problem. Chances are you may be able to correct it and be back on the road in no time!

Need ITB Relief? STRETCH!

ITB (Iliotibial Band Syndrome) is one of the most common aliments of runners. ITB often presents itself as pain on the outside of the knee. Overpronation or underpronation can often be the cause of ITB, but more than not, it's due to inflexibility.

Runners often think ITB is a knee problem. That's because the pain along the outside of the knee is the end result. Actually, the Iliotibial Band is a part of a longer tract which includes the Tensor Fasciae Latae (TFL) that originates at the iliac crest continuing down to the Iliotibial tract and attaching to the tibia in the lower leg just below the knee. This muscle braces the knee when walking. Without the iliotibial band your leg would collapse. Handy muscle, huh?

The real culprit often causing Iliotibial Band Syndrome is the 9-to-5 job desk job. Think about it, if you sit at a desk for 8, 9, 10 hours, your hip flexors aren't living up to their name. They're not flexing. They're stuck in the same bent position, getting tighter and tighter. Then you hop up and go for a run most times without any stretching before or after. A combination that spells Iliotibial Band Syndrome over time for some.

Stretching is one of the best ways to help recover from Iliotibial Band Syndrome as well prevent it from happening in the first place. [Click here] for some great stretching and strengthening exercises for Iliotibial Band Syndrome from Running Times.

Stretching of course isn't the ITB "cure-all" for everyone, but it is worth talking to your sports doc about. Also, if you haven't experienced ITB problems, starting a regular stretching routine consisting of dynamic stretches before your run (i.e., stretches that are comprised of active movement specific to running such as butt kicks, knee lifts, jump squats, side shuffles, etc.) and static stretches after the run (more traditional stretch-and-hold type movements) will hopefully keep you ITB-problem-free. For more information on dynamic and static stretches [click here.]