The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these suggestions to help prevent runner's knee:

• Stay physically fit and maintain a healthy body weight. Those extra pounds add more stress to the knees.
• Always stretch and warm up before any exercise, especially running.
• If you're upping the intensity of your workout, do it slowly. A sudden increase in your workout can stress the knees.
• Invest in quality shoes with plenty of shock absorption. Make sure they're in good shape and fit well. Use shoe inserts if you have flat feet.
• Run in the proper form, leaning forward with the knees bent. Try to run on an even and fairly soft surface.

-- Diana Kohnle