My knees hurt after I run and my feet point out or knees point in
Short version: My knees point in when my feet point straight. This makes it hurt when I run.
I'm currently 16. In 9th grade, I switched out of my public school to an independent study one. It's like home schooling, but I meet with a teacher once a week for assignments and do everything myself. It was half way through the year that I switched. I had been running in PE that year and never had any problems. I had finished PE, so it wasn't until a while later when I started running for my own health and not for school. I stretched properly and started off small, but my knees hurt when I stopped running. For a month or two I built up to three miles of slow jogging, but my knees would still hurt.
I started looking online and read something about crows feet, or a similarly named condition. Basically, my feet and knees aren't aligned properly. If my feet point forward, my knees point inward and will touch if I bend them. If my knees point forward, my feet point out. I hadn't noticed this before, but I wasn't looking either, so I don't know how long my legs have been like that.
I talked briefly with a friend of the family who also happens to be a personal trainer. He said that my thighs were a bit weak and showed me an exercise where I sit against a wall and have to strain my muscles to keep myself up. He also said to ice my knees, as there's probably swelling. I did both for two months and saw no change, so I switched to squats. I did those for a while and still didn't notice anything.
Does anyone know anything about this? What can I do?
(2)2 Comments
Sorted by latest first Latest Oldest Best
I have the exact same condition. When I was really young I always "knelt" with my bum on the floor and my legs out to the sides (rather than underneath me). Over the years this contorted my legs and knees. A doctor told my mother I might not be able to run at all. Ever since, when my knees are parallel pointing forward, my feet angle outwards at probably 35 degrees.
I wear down my shoes unevenly, due to this angle in my feet. I always hating running (especially on hard surfaces) due to the knee pain and shin splints.
Then I heard about "barefoot/minimal" running and decided to try it. Taking away the cushy and impact-deadening sneakers forced me to listen to my body and my legs and feet did what came naturally. I have no more pain in my knees or shins even when I run more than 5K. My feet still point outwards, but I've developed a more natural gait that fits my body, as a result of listening to my body. I run all the time in my vibrams, and actually enjoy running on asphalt now!
Before seeing a doctor, self diagnosing always makes things look worse than they may be. I would suggest you go to a specialist running store, with trained staff. Ask the running clubs in your area for a recommendation.
I experienced problems with my feet whenever running longer than 5km. The staff at the running store looked at my gait running on their short track and recommended a different set of shoes. First run out with the new shoes I did 12km without any pain.
Properly trained staff would also suggest you visit a doctor should things look wrong to them.
Terms of Use Privacy policy Contact About Cancellation policy © freshhoot.com2025 All Rights reserved.