Knee pain can result from a number of causes. Overuse, tendon and ligament tears, and tendinitis are several common problems. Some muscle pain can also manifest as knee pain. Running with knee pain can be painful, and you should check with a doctor before running if you have already been diagnosed with a knee injury or disorder. Depending on the type of knee pain you are experiencing, running uphill may be therapeutic and help rehabilitate your knee.
Determine if your knee pain is a result of running uphill, or if the running makes the knee pain any worse. If the knee pain results from the uphill running, or if it is made worse, you should not run uphill. Visit an orthopedic doctor and have her determine the reason for the knee pain. This will also help you determine if you are able to run uphill without it causing more pain.
Strengthen your legs to help take the pressure off the knee joint. If muscles are weak, they won’t be able to properly support the knee joint, which may lead to more knee pain. You will need to strengthen the hamstrings, and especially strengthen the quadriceps muscles.
Stretch the leg muscles before running. You may experience knee pain due to tight muscles, but this can be remedied if you stretch before working out. It is important to stretch all muscles that attach to areas around the knee joint, including the hamstrings, calf muscles, and quads.
Walk slowly uphill and see if the walking causes any pain to the knee. If it doesn’t, try to jog slowly uphill. If that doesn’t cause any pain, go ahead and run uphill. If that does cause pain, slow to a jog, and keep that pace until you strengthen the legs enough to be able to run without pain.