DID TIGHT HAMSTRINGS HURT YOUR KNEE?

The frequency of knee injuries amongst athletes, dancers; and about everyone else, young or old, in any walk of life is on the rise nowadays.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is simply known to us as the pain that occurs between the patella (kneecap) and the femur (thigh bone). What most of might not be aware is that the culprit for the simple and common knee pain can be tight hamstring(s)!

So what are hamstrings and how do they impact us?

Hamstrings are the muscles that run from behind and below our knees up the backs of our thighs and are attached to our “sit bones” or tibia. There are actually three hamstring muscles on the back of each thigh, two on the inside and one on the outside. They are important for various reasons and in addition to bending the knees, they help control the alternating forward-and-backward movements of walking and stability against twisting forces at the knee when we turn a corner, or otherwise.

Hamstring tension can adversely affect our movement, balance and the health of our joints. In general, it is more common among women due to the difference in their pelvic shape which makes the angle at the knee (this is called the Q angle) greater, thus increasing the outward pull on the patella.

The patella (kneecap) has a flat pyramidal shape, so the top side under the skin is flat, and the underside has a ridge. This ridge fits in a groove in the femur (thigh bone). Every time we bend and straighten our knee, the patella slides up and down the groove. If the patella is not perfectly aligned, it can cause pain.

The good news is that paying attention to a few factors can greatly reduce the possibility of Patellofemoral pain syndrome. We must verify the age and condition of our running shoes to ensure we are strongly guarded against knee pain. If possible, we must try and visit a shop specializing in running gear to make sure we wear shoes best suited for our foot type and gait.

Fitness for Beginners There is a multitude of precautions we can take to prevent PFPS from happening. We should try and opt to run on softer surfaces and steadily increase the intensity of our exercise and running program.

Stretching exercises stretch the tight muscles and strengthen the underactive ones in our body and thus, physiotherapy is considered the best treatment for runner’s knee. Experts normally suggest a comprehensive training approach to avoid PFPS which includes dynamic warm-up exercises; corrective strength training; and post workout active stretching.

This is because dynamic warm-up exercises vigorously stretch the muscles that will be required to elongate in a workout, stationary cycling is best suited for this.

We can try two types of strength exercises to make tight hamstrings right: we can strengthen the muscles surrounding and opposing the hamstrings. This will help us in reestablishing balance among the muscle groups in our lower body as the focus is on strengthening the muscles of the lower abdomen and lower back. Alternatively, we can opt for unconventional hamstring contractions (where our hamstrings resist their own lengthening, such as during the lowering phase of a squat or lunge) and moving through a full range of motion in the hips, which can help improve dynamic flexibility in the hamstrings.

We must add here that we must not forget to stretch our hamstrings (and other tight muscles) right after our workout, while our muscles are still warm.

What we shall not forget is that as soon as we experience pain, we must ensure that the workload of our knee is reduced. We must avoid knee-bending activities, downward stairs and slopes until the pain subsides. And if the pain still persists, we must not hesitate in taking a medical opinion to rule out any major health concerns

[Source: http://livebeingfit.com/did-tight-hamstrings-hurt-your-knee/]