The number of young patients has increased in the era of 10 million people engaged in learning.

Adequate warm-up before running

Final stretching

Do not run more than 70 kilometers a week.

Be careful.

 

Knee osteoarthritis, which was once considered exclusive to the elderly due to strenuous activities like running, is now increasingly observed among young people. Medical experts also warn that "many young patients are visiting hospitals due to recent overexertion from strenuous exercise."

According to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, among those who visited hospitals last year due to a typical injury caused by running, 'patellofemoral chondromalacia' accounted for about 35% of all patients aged 20 to 40. Runner's knee, a general term for knee injuries that are common when running such as marathons and jogging, is a musculoskeletal disorder caused by repetitive impact and load, and one of the representative conditions of runner's knee is patellofemoral chondromalacia.

 

Patellar chondromalacia occurs when the kneecap is severely hit, fractured, or dislocated, but it can also develop from excessive and strenuous exercise even without trauma. For this reason, it is a condition that young people with high activity levels are prone to experiencing.

 

Dull pain around the front of the knee cap is usually felt, and symptoms worsen when climbing or descending stairs, squatting, or sitting in one position for a long time. In severe cases, it can lead to degenerative arthritis, requiring appropriate treatment.

Sudden high-intensity exercise can easily cause symptoms to appear, and running on sloped roads, uphill, or downhill paths can also be a cause. Symptoms may improve with a month or two of rest, pain relievers, anti-inflammatory medications, and physical therapy, but if there is no improvement, surgical treatment should also be considered.

 

It is recommended to do about 10 minutes of warm-up exercises before running and to stretch after running to reduce muscle strain. He also explained that when running in the morning, body temperature rises more slowly than in the evening, so you should take your time with warm-up exercises.

He also added, "Simple strength exercises in daily life help protect the knees and ankles," and "Avoid running more than 70 km a week, and maintaining a healthy weight is also a way to reduce joint stress."

 

Additionally, it is recommended to replace running shoes with new ones approximately every 750 to 880 km to maintain proper running posture. However, beginners and the general public who have just started running should avoid wearing carbon plates like those used by professional athletes. Excessive elasticity can increase the risk of Achilles tendinitis and other injuries.

 

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