Running is a great way to get cardiovascular exercise, but it’s also a common trigger of knee pain. This activity is especially likely to cause inner knee pain if you have gait issues or muscle imbalances.
The inner side of the knee is also known as the medial part of the knee. Runners can easily develop medial knee pain; one medical study found that more than 37% of the runners who participated had a knee injury. Physical therapy can play a major role in reducing any inner knee pain you feel after running. For instance, physical therapists can create a post-run exercise program for you. Such a program may include therapeutic exercises like the:
- Lying inner thigh stretch
Purpose: This exercise is designed to help reduce inner knee pain after running by stretching the muscles of your inner thigh.
How to perform the lying inner thigh stretch:
- Take a long bath towel or belt and loop it around the affected foot.
- Lie down flat on your back on the floor or your bed.
- Raise your affected leg upward while keeping your knee straight.
- Stop when you feel a slight stretch in your hamstring.
- Slowly let your leg drop to the side until you feel a stretch in your inner thigh.
- Hold this stretch for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Repeat this stretch two to three times total.
- Seated butterfly stretch
Purpose: This stretch also helps ease tension in your inner thigh muscles, which can help decrease medial knee pain after running.
How to perform the seated butterfly stretch:
- Sit on the floor with your knees bent and the bottoms of your feet pressed together.
- Place a yoga mat under you to increase your comfort if necessary.
- Keep your back straight and head upright.
- Use your forearms or hands to push your thighs toward the ground.
- Stop when you feel a moderate stretch in your inner thighs.
- Hold this stretch for 45 to 60 seconds.
- Repeat this exercise until you’ve done it two to three times.
- Side lunge exercise
Purpose: Side lunges can provide a combination of stretching and strengthening for your inner thigh muscles, which can help address inner knee pain after a run.
How to do the side lunge exercise:
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders.
- Shift your weight away from the leg you want to stretch.
- Bend the weighted leg until you feel a stretch in your other leg.
- Hold this stretch for 15 to 20 seconds.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
- Switch sides and stretch your other leg.
- Continue to repeat this exercise until you’ve completed it two to three times for each leg.
Border Therapy Services offers help for inner knee pain after running
Are you feeling inner knee pain after running? Our Border Therapy Services team wants to help address your pain. We can start by doing a free screening of the affected knee to determine the cause of your pain. Then, our physical therapists can construct a therapy plan that’s unique to your condition and needs. We even offer virtual therapy and at-home care services so you can treat your pain without leaving home.
Contact our team today for more information about our knee pain treatment services or to schedule your initial appointment.