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Lead Stories: Friday, August 29, 2008

Runner’s Knee and the processes of prevention & healing

Posted June 14th, 2007 at 11:00 AM by Courtney Albon

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab

The term “runner’s knee” refers to an inflammation of the tendon, the (ITB), that is located on the outside of the thigh. As injury to this tendon often results from overuse of the knees, and runner’s rely on their knees to function within their sport, the title “runner’s knee” is quite appropriate. The name is, however, deceptively exclusive as runner’s knee describes an ailment common among individuals who are active in a spectrum of activities such as biking, walking, or jumping.

As mentioned above, the inflammation of the ITB can be a result of overuse or overstretching of the tendon in any activity that requires repeated knee bending. Misalignment is also a factor in the injury. If a bone is out of it’s correct position, then the excess stress being placed elsewhere can result in the pulling and inflammation of the ITB. The tendon can also undergo stress because of weak thigh muscles or a direct injury to the knee such as a fall or a blow. Runners with flat feet, or fallen arches, often have knee problems as the ITB is forced to stretch in order to compensate for the missing arch.
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Nonsteroidals, like ibuprofen, can prevent muscle growth

Posted December 16th, 2006 at 7:00 AM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Nutrition, Supplements, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab

Lots of athletes and exercisers take ibuprofen, an over- the-counter medication, and other nonsteroidals to ease pain in their joints and muscles. A study from the University of Florida shows that nonsteroidal drugs inhibit exercise-induced muscle growth and strength.

Athletes train by taking a hard workout and damaging their muscles. They feel sore on the next day and exercise at reduced intensity until their muscles are healed. When they feel no soreness, they take a hard workout again.

When muscles heal from the stress of a hard workout, they are larger and stronger. Damaged muscles release a healing prostaglandin called Cox-2, that causes muscle growth and increased strength. Ibuprofen blocks Cox-2 and therefore will delay or inhibit muscle growth.
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Arnica: the natural alternative for treating sore muscles

Posted December 1st, 2006 at 7:00 AM by Jenna Sumara

Section: Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab

As runners and athletes’ we all tend to experience pain of some sort and eliminating that pain is often our #1 priority. This is especially true if it prevents you from continuing your regular training program. Traditional pain treatment options like Tylenol and Advil are quite reliable but also can lead to some serious, long-term damage to your liver or stomach. However, there is another lesser known pain relief treatment product called Arnica that is starting to gain momentum among runners for treating muscle soreness.

Arnica (or by its scientific name, Arnica Montana or referred to as leopard’s bane) is a flower generally grown in the western states of the US and originally hails from Central Europe. Discovered by Europeans in the 16th century, Arnica has long been used as a holistic treatment Read the rest of this entry »

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