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HELP! Knee pain from a collapsing arch?
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Quick & Dirty: Lateral knee pain on the left knee, doc says it's not ITBS, x-rays and MRI were normal. Docis out of ideas. Went to one of the places that does the 'foot scan', and it showed my left arch collapsing. It's about the only thing I have to go on, but I've tried motion control shoes, stability shoes, and racing flats.

Details:

Doc suspected a torn lateral meniscus. Only hurts when running, but sprinting doesn't seem to bother it -- only slow jogging. Usually starts after a mile. Always stops hurting if I stop running, but doesn't feel as 'stable' as my right knee. Cycling doesn't hurt it, never had knee pain when playing basketball or tennis, but that was 10 years ago. Over the last decade I've tried running off & on but always quit because of the pain. Have also had about a dozen left ankle sprains from high school basketball. I thought it was ITBS, so I did the stretches and exercises for a few months. I could really feel it up my left leg when using the side leg lift machine, that's one of the reasons I thought that it was ITBS.

Dr. doesn't know what else to do, and I'm out of ideas. HELP!
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Re: HELP! Knee pain from a collapsing arch? [robb] [ In reply to ]
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got the same problem, right foot and right leg, from collapsed arch. Once you sprain it so often, and seriously enough, those ligaments can be toast. They can be fixed with surgery however.

Other option is a heel lift on the affected foot, something that prevents the heel from rolling in and flattening when your arch collapses. That stops the torque on the knee. Then it is slow buildup back to running, run/walk stuff for 6 - 8 weeks. 1min on / 4min off, building by one min on per week, dropping the min off per week, too. 6x that, no more. 3x per week, no consecutive days.

To strengthen the affected foot: One-legged stair hops, both up and down the stairs. 10min non-stop, going as long as it takes to fatigue the foot/leg, then switch to other foot/leg. Grasp fingers behind your back to prevent using your arms/momentum to help with the hop. Start with 2-3 sessions of hopping just up, then add hopping back down.

Give it 10 of these sessions, 10min each, and your foot will be a hell of a lot stronger. Then begin the run/walk rehab. Get back to me when you are running again.

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Re: HELP! Knee pain from a collapsing arch? [ironguide] [ In reply to ]
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Sweet. You rock!!!

I'll go check out the heel lifts at the running store. Would a graphite orthotic work just as well? And... Can I put them in any shoe? I'd like to put them in my asics gel ds racers.
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Re: HELP! Knee pain from a collapsing arch? [robb] [ In reply to ]
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I would get a shim that inserts under the back of your arch and below the ankle, not a full orthotic. I got one made here for 8 euros. Any good cobbler can do it. 5 - 8mm high. Wear it as often as possible. Do the leg hops barefoot or with socks on by the way. You'll get big toe blisters quickly, especially as your feet are soft from not running.

Good luck with it.

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ironguides.net : Home of The Method
Join the New Generation of Champions!

--- Your best is our business. ---
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Re: HELP! Knee pain from a collapsing arch? [robb] [ In reply to ]
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You mentioned that it only hurts during slow jogging, not during sprinting. Usually when we sprint our foot plant is closer to the toes (ball of the foot) and when we jog we plant closer to the heel. If this is true for you, you may be heel planting during that jog and while going through the natural motion of the foot plant (heel to toe) your leg will invert (over pronate) due to your collapsing arch. This can make the patella track inward and cause the pain.

The quickness of the foot plant in sprinting may not cause this pain because it will bypass that over-pronation caused by the collapsed arch since the point of impact is beyond it (ball of foot).

I would not recommend hopping (one legged jumps) on a foot until enough strength is built up to guarantee that knee will not continue to track inward. I would try the one legged squats with full foot down, knees pointing forward and the other exercises I recommend in the articles I have posted on this website.

http://www.slowtwitch.com/...chcorn/strength.html

http://www.slowtwitch.com/...hcorn/strength2.html

It is best to strengthen the whole chain and not rely on one or two exercises for a certain area. Your history of ankle sprains tells me this whole area may be weak.

good luck!

maylene wise, cscs


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maylene jackson, cscs
http://www.kidsintraining.org
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Re: HELP! Knee pain from a collapsing arch? [maylene] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks!

You're right about the whole area being weak. Especially noticeable with calf raises and rope jumping.

I'll get started on those exercises right away.
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Re: HELP! Knee pain from a collapsing arch? [maylene] [ In reply to ]
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Ok.... I'm having a hard time with the one-legged squats... Will doing step-ups and walking lunges be just as good... or maybe a 1-legged squat with a bosu ball against a wall?
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Re: HELP! Knee pain from a collapsing arch? [robb] [ In reply to ]
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step ups would be the closest IF you only use the leg on the step to raise you up. The problem with step ups is that people tend to push with the other foot rather than pull up with the leg on the step.

You can also do the one legged squats holding onto something for balance than gradually do it without or with less help.

Make sure (with all exercises) you keep your body straight, do not sway hips or even a foot, to the side to keep you balanced. You want to strengthen everything in the correct path, not strengthen your path of least resistance.

Let me know if this is still confusing.


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maylene jackson, cscs
http://www.kidsintraining.org
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Re: HELP! Knee pain from a collapsing arch? [robb] [ In reply to ]
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I'd doubt if it's a meniscus tear.

I also get lateral knee pain when running but on my right knee. Orthotics have made a huge difference. I'd say it's 90% less common with them.
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Re: HELP! Knee pain from a collapsing arch? [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
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The MRI was negative on the meniscus tear.

Do you just use over the counter orthotics? I tried one of those graphite 1/2 length ones at the shop yesterday, but couldn't really tell if it was doing anything.
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Re: HELP! Knee pain from a collapsing arch? [robb] [ In reply to ]
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"Do you just use over the counter orthotics? "

Mine are custom. They're more expensive but seem to work good for me.
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