Painful Quad (above knee) - advice how to proceed

Hi,

first I have to start by saying this is not one of the, but the most amazing program I found during my 4 year search/research/experimentation. I've been doing GB program, mostly Restore series & Fundamentals + several other standalone videos, for the past 3 months, and I have had the best results in my life. Actually I'm 33 now and I haven't been this flexible even in middle school.

But the original problem I'm having, which started my journey of recovery 4 years ago, is still not improving. Every time I go out running, I get a sharp pain just above my knee, slightly to the outter side. It kick's in half a mile into the run, and never stops. That's why I had basically forfeit running, but every few months I go out and give it a shot to see if there is an improvement.

I've felt really optimistic after 3 months of GB because my overall flexibility has greatly improved,  and I went for a run, with the same results - pain above the knee, and I barely walked home after that.

What I noticed during the GB training:

My left and right side are not working the same - my left quad and hip flexors are much tighter, while my right adductor is tighter; also my left ankle has shit dorsiflexion, while right ankle has much better dorsiflexion, but it's vice versa on the extension

My question is: does anybody have the same problems? What would be a best course taken for this?

I'm really eager to try anything to get this better, but I'm feeling quite lost now as nothing seems to help.

 

Thanks,

Marko 

 

 

Hi Marko, being perfectly symmetrical is very very very unusual. Said that probably you should use the front split stretch course for the biggest part on your lower body problem working on the same range of motion until you can feel the side paired completely.

Now..talking about your knee problem...you MUST search for a PT or orthopedic opninion. pain in the knee can be due to spine alignment, hips imbalanced, fott problem. nobody can make a diagnosis on the web.

Do you have muscle tightness further along up the kinetic chain? Like along the spine or glutes?

 

Marko, first question I would ask is if you are heel-striking or doing a mid-foot strike when running/jogging? The way your foot makes contact on the ground and the kinds of shoes you are wearing (wedged, arc-support, etc.,) may be creating misalignment issues up the leg. If you were to run in place, you will notice you will be running on your mid-foot (toes) and then all you have to do is lean slightly forward and you will start moving forward. This straight alignment, with the forward lean happening at your ankles (not your back) will correct most running-related issues. I recommend reading the books The Pose Method , Born to Run and 80/20 Running to self-diagnose. Maybe also go get seen by a physical therapist to see if you have any issues that cannot be visually discerned.