03-19-12, 03:25 PM | |
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: the mountains
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Suzie,
I am having the same problem. I get all hard-core and finally get my workout groove, and then my left knee gets wonky. It even gets wonky if I walk the dog too much--but that got better since I changed shoes. Apparently I had been wearing a stability shoe but needed a neutral one. I thought that was a load of crap, but it really has helped reduce the pain since I now use the neutral shoe for all of my walking/working out. I bought a foam roller and a ice pack knee thing at Academy, and I am now rolling my IT bands, hamstrings, and quads almost every day after I workout. If the pain is really achey, I wrap the knee in an ace bandage and use the ice pack. That helps a lot. Other than that, I am having to rest more than I really want. In Jan, Feb, and Mar I've had to take off at least 5 days in a row each month because my knee was wonky. I have 20lbs to lose (maybe 25 after all the crap I've eaten today), and I'm frustrated. Some days I feel like I'm falling apart. |
03-19-12, 03:43 PM | |
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: DC
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Have you tried kettlebells? They are intense but low impact. I felt that kb training helped strengten the muscles around my wonky knees but my knees are still wonky but not as much.
If I have to do any Debbie Sieber's lunges/squats/plies, I have to do them slowly and not do the pulsing or any fast paced move. I also do not do as much as they do. I also try to avoid any kind of jumping, or fast moving side-to-side plies. If ever I work my knees too much (e.g. feeling sore) I do a gentler workout the next few days until I know my knees are feeling better again. |
03-19-12, 03:46 PM | |
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: the Sunny South
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In a kickboxing class in July, I heard a "POP" and felt pain. The orthopedist said I had patella-femoral syndrome (which is a fancy way of saying "bad knees"), and sent me to PT. Which my insurance wouldn't pay for. But in the one session I went to, the PT told me that I need to strengthen my hips and work on my flexibility. I thought that this was ludicrous -- I can put my palms on the floor with straight knees -- but I realized that I was the very knucklehead who'd gotten myself into this situation.
Words of advice: Continue moving, but take it easy. Ice. Try strengthening your hips and your abductors/adductors. Floor work -- Strong Stride, Original Buns of Steel, Exhale Core Fusion Thighs and Glutes -- has been my saving grace. And yes, weight loss helps take some of the pressure off; in my case, five pounds has helped a lot. (I am pretty much at my best weight right now.) Really work on eating right, drinking plenty of water. On my doctor's advice, I have tried some glucosamine and Omega 3 supplements, which have seemed to help. I change my shoes frequently -- every 3 to 6 months, depending on the activity -- and I have two pairs of dog walking shoes, which I alternate daily. There is life after high impact. Try Life Force; you can make it a 10-50 minute workout, as high or low impact as you need it to be, and it's about $4.99 on Amazon. Try a Leslie workout, and if you need to up the ante, use hand weights. As I tell my spin classes, there is a difference between exertion and pain. Exertion good, pain bad. You want to make your original equipment last as long as possible! Good luck, friend. AF |
03-19-12, 04:00 PM | |
Join Date: May 2011
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Less cardio and more strengthening!!! If you strengthen the muscles around your knees and ideally the rest of your lower body, you may eventually be able to do higher impact programs without pain or injury. If you can't do squats or lunges, start with simple wall sits and work up. Start gradually and build.
I also second the foam roller suggestion. The cracking sounds you are experiencing can be caused by other factors besides joint surface wear. If your quadriceps become overly tight or have trigger points it can cause your patella (kneecap) to track improperly. That can cause noise and pain on the stairs. Foam rolling and strengthening can really help with soft tissue problems. The most important thing is not to keep adding damage. Educate, strengthen and take the bull by the horns before it's too late. A lot of the discouragement you feel is probably coming from feeling helpless and not knowing. Even if there is a problem, having a plan and hope will make all the difference. And if your doctor can't work with you or appreciate that you are trying to lose weight, get a new doctor. It's sheer laziness for a medical professional to write everything off to weight. As another poster mentioned, plenty of weight appropriate individuals have knee pain. |
03-19-12, 04:04 PM | ||
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
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03-19-12, 04:20 PM | ||
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Island off the NC Coast
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knee issues, knee pain cure, knee strengthening, kneehab, knees, strong knees |
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