Legs, knees, and running shoes

[mozung]

Hi ,
I have come to this forum for an advice because I am really confused about my leg condition. I want to know what shoes I should be wearing for running?
I have attached a link so that you guys can analyze my legs, knees, and feet and determine if I over or under pronate. I was never educated on these things.
I like running and I am new runner. When I was using regular shoes, my co-runner observes that I run weird, and make heavy foot noise after a mile (basically when I am tired). I feel tiredness and pain just above my ankles with regular shoes which goes away after 10, 15 min. I did little investigation and observed my shoes and figured that I might little over pronate. So I went to Shoe store and bought running shoes for over pronation. Now running style is better and I dont make heavy foot noise but now I am suffering with a lot of other issues , like pain in knees, hips, Heels, and uneasiness in Achilles tendon. Moreover now, I unintentionally hesitate to put my heel on the ground with regular shoes.
I have been using new shoes for 3 weeks and still giving it time so that I may get used to it. I don't know.
Should I just quit running believing that running is not for me because of my legs structure? I can run bicycle instead but I will miss running.
Here is a link to pictures. Please forgive mess in the background as I just move in this place and my hairy legs. I had to use boxer otherwise my knees did not have any clear view.
-- http://picasaweb.google.com/10356714...eat=directlink
Thanks in advance for looking

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[gcoe]

Hi Mozung

You clearly are having quite a lot of problems. Looking at static photos of your leg alignment only gives part of the picture. However based on your photos You appear to have

• Genu varum (bow legged) so there are problems with alignment of the knees and these appear to be bony in nature.
• Probable Femoral retroversion causing the leg to be externally rotated most notably on the left leg. this is a rotational problem of the femur (thigh bone). From the photos it is a bit hard to see what is happening at the hips and a look at the trunk and spine would be helpful.
• tibial torsion which is worse on the left - this is often a developmental thing in childhood where the bones compensate for the femoral/hip problem. This needs confirming on testing.
• Both feet are pronated (flat feet) and again more marked on the left.

I don't think you can rely on running shoes to "fix" everything although appropriate shoes are part of the answer.

You should really have a proper analysis of your running (on a treadmill) and a detailed examination of your muscles - the latter is important as you will no doubt have muscles imbalance problems - and such problems can be remedied while bony deformities can't be.

so for definitive advice about whether you should be running in the long term - I couldn't give that. You are right that sometimes if there are too many structural problems it ain't worth it. And you do have structural problems. However if you get so much enjoyment out of it then you owe it to yourself to go get a proper examination by a PT who works with runners. The PT should do both a detailed gait analysis on a treadmill, look in detail and the activity, length and strength of your muscles in the trunk and lower limbs, and examine your runners. a comprehensive programme that corrects muscle imbalance problems along with shoe advice can sometimes tip the scale and make running ok.

[mozung]

Thank you very much Gcoe. You gave me information that I never knew about myself. Feet and legs are perhaps the most neglected parts in body. I will find a PT in my area and visit.
I came to this forum to educate myself so that I can at least ask questions to PT when visiting. and I really appreciate your effort to write me back.
Thanks again , Bye.