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Lead Stories: Sunday, September 7, 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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The Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Posted January 12th, 2007 at 5:00 PM by Paul Petersen

Section: Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Health & Fitness

Early in the summer of 2006, my “running” hit an all-time low. I use the term “running” loosely, because at that time I had not actually ran in over two months. A better description would be that my overall physical well-being hit an all-time low, as I was suffering from an adductor strain, lower pain back and acute plantar fasciitis all at the same time. My training and racing plans had spiraled into the toilet of pain and inflammation. All I really wanted at that point was just to feel like a healthy twenty-something again … never mind running!

The worst point was in mid-June when I was at a week-long professional conference. I was engaging in my typical travel diet: eating meals at brewpubs every night that consisted primarily of foods high in “vitamin B” (batter). Of course I’d wash these delightful fried foods down with plenty of “hoppy” adult beverages. It sounded good, but it didn’t feel good. Every morning it felt like a chore just to bend over, tie my shoes and limp over to the continental breakfast. The inflammation in my lower back and plantar fascia was at an all-time high.

When I got home from the conference, I was a bit tired of meat, grease, and salt; so my wife and I started making vegetarian cuisines over the next few days just for variety. A week or so later I noticed that my back pain was diminishing, and even my foot was a bit less inflamed. I knew immediately it was the inadvertent change in diet. At that point, I started researching the effects of diet and nutrition on inflammation and applying them religiously. Here is what I found:
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