NOW the summer is almost over, I want to talk about an injury I’ve seen lots of, especially since the recent Great North Run.

One of the problems that most runners suffer with, if they’re not thoughtful that is, is something called a muscle imbalance.

Basically, too many runners train the same way, on the same paths, for too many nights consecutively - and when they do they get injured.

A visitor to my clinic this week was Sandra, 49, from Consett, who came to me suffering unexplained knee pain.

Once Sandra told me about problem, I asked her to explain more about her routine. We went into her exercise habits and from there it was easy to work out what the problem was.

She had been doing a lot of hill runs and this was causing the muscles in her thigh to be stronger than the muscles in her hamstrings, which in turn causes problems for your knee.

The difference in strength is caused as the thigh muscles are not only used to run up a hill, but also when coming down. They don’t get much chance to rest, and because of this what we call a ‘muscle imbalance’ around the knee joint occurs.

Why is this not good? Well, a muscle imbalance in your thigh increases the pressure on the knee joint and it happens in a way that is not too dissimilar from that of a door handle being forced down, and then being released.

As your knee bends, one muscle in your leg relaxes to allow it to happen and the other works hard to make sure that movement can happen.

If the hamstring or quad muscle is stronger than the other, then movement at the knee will either be restricted, or simply not happen – just like a door handle might get stuck or jammed if the hinge isn’t working correctly.

The surfaces of the knee joint don’t rub together like they’re supposed to, which can lead to cartilage damage, IT Band Syndrome and other painful conditions such as Patella Tendonitis.

The solution is simple: vary your exercise, but also where you do it.

Swimming, bike-riding and using the cross-trainer mixed with Yoga, Pilates and other exercises, means you’re going to be working different muscles while giving others a rest.

You don’t need a complete makeover of your routine, just a few simple changes that could be as routine as changing the route you map out. You could even add a light resistance work out programme to develop other muscles such as your core, which don’t always get a good work out if you’re running on the road night after night.

Tip: Road running is great for stamina, not so for strength. 

If you have any knee or sports injuries right now, claim a copy of my free, special report which shows the BEST ways to get fit quick: It’s 27 pages of advice and is currently available free to Northern Echo readers.

Go here for your free copy: www.paulgoughphysio.com/echo