Massage for Runner’s Knee: What Actually Works

Because Foam Rolling Alone Won’t Save You

Runner’s knee — or patellofemoral pain syndrome if you want to get fancy — is one of the most common complaints we hear from clients who run regularly.

Pain around or behind the kneecap, usually worse after running, squatting, or walking downhill. Sound familiar?

At Andrea’s Touch, we’ve helped countless runners get back on the road by treating the real problem — not just where it hurts.

What Causes Runner’s Knee?

It’s rarely just the knee’s fault.

The pain comes from imbalances and tightness in the muscles that support your knee — especially when:

• Your quads are tight and pulling your kneecap out of alignment

• Your glutes are underactive, making your knee take all the impact

• Your hip stabilisers are weak, throwing off your gait

• Your IT band is locked down, creating lateral pressure

So while your knee is where you feel the pain — the problem usually starts higher up the chain.

How Massage for Runners Actually Helps

Massage for runners doesn’t just give you temporary relief.

When done right, it helps restore proper muscle balance and reduce the strain on the knee itself.

At Andrea’s Touch, we focus on:

• Releasing tension in the quads, hamstrings, and IT band

• Loosening up the glute medius and piriformis to stabilise the hips

• Working into the calves and adductors, which often get ignored

• Improving circulation to the knee area for faster healing and less inflammation

We also assess your movement to make sure the pain isn’t coming from a postural or gait issue you’re not even aware of.

What You Should Be Doing Alongside Massage

• Strengthen your glutes and core

• Stop overstriding when you run

• Take rest days seriously

• Use massage as maintenance — not just damage control

Final Thought

If your knees hurt every time you run, the solution isn’t more stretching or a new pair of shoes.

It’s understanding what your body’s doing — and treating the tension that’s making your knee do all the work.

Let Andrea’s Touch help you get to the bottom of it — and back to running without pain.