Advice needed on sore knee please...I really want to be able to run!

[OlderNotWiser]

Hiya, I could do with some advice about a long term knee problem I seem to have. I am 40 and have been running (well, jogging perhaps!) for most of my adult life, but in phases ie with periods of time out from it that have been anything from months to years. When I go back to running the same thing happens tho...after a while when I get back up to doing 5 miles or so my knee starts to get pretty sore such that I have to ease off again. The knee then takes a long long time to settle again, months rather than weeks. I have to say, the point at which it cracks up is sooner these days, tho I am carrying a stone extra now which probably doesnt help. My doc has not been hugely interested and has said stop running. I have noticed those adverts for things you strap to your knee that claim to solve knee pain tho...has anyone used one and found it worked..? Any thoughts appreciated!

[Theresa]

I'm 45 and started runing last january for first time ever wearing some adidas runing trainers bought from a sports shop and reduced from £60 to £40 in sale (which is the most i've ever spent n footwear of any sort!). By March I could harldy walk, knees were terrible, epsecially going up and down stairs. Was advised to go to 'proper' runing shop who were marvelous, made me try loads of shoes and had me runing thru their warehouse with my jeans rolled up so they could watch my feet. Was told i had a highish instep and needed extra support. got a pair of asics for £80 and improvement was instant so ...it may be your shoes!

[OlderNotWiser]

Thanks for the thought Theresa, though I have had my gait checked out and supposedly appropriate shoes purchased. Maybe its worth looking into again tho. My local sports centre offers a high tech gait checker these days so perhaps I'll head off there as first thing to check out.