Question for those with bad knees

[pgun3]

I like the Jill Miller Knee Hab also. My knees will get a twinge or pulling feeling in the left one and I roll around on her balls 1 time and it seems to take care of the pulling feeling for awhile. So I must just have a tight muscle in that leg. Hasn't helped my clicking thou but I have to say that I don't do any of the workout. I know I should thou!!!!

[SpiritSong]

I apologize if I bump this thread up 10 times, but attempting to respond to everyone at once wasn't working out.

Thank you for all of the input!

Originally Posted by cpcathy

So it doesn't hurt at all? Is it stiff? Swollen? I'm not a knee expert, but I have RA, and know that my knees need to be coddled! I'd be super careful--unless it's only clicking and not swollen at all. I would do something low impact until I got to a doctor to know for sure. Don't mess around with your knees! I hear knee replacements are painful!

My right knee does not hurt and is not stiff or swollen. There is just the clicking when it is bent (mostly going up or down the stairs). I bet if I pushed it, I would end up with some pain, but I have been coddling the knee ever since the click appeared.

I've had pain with it in the past (once from doing too many stairs and once from lunges in a cardio workout) which went away with rest. This is the first time I remember having the click.

[SpiritSong]

Originally Posted by Carb8985

When my knees bothered me (about three years ago), I found that walking (outside, not Leslie) would make them feel great. Lots of walking and lots of foam rolling on my IT band really "loosened" up and realigned my knees. I too had a knee that would click with any deep knee bends.

I think Leslie for cardio should be ok, then, but I'm not sure if there was something to the outside walking for me that helped.

I should also add that barre has done wonders for strengthening my knees and has kept them pain-free.

I know many people love Strong Knees and swear by it, but in my experience Strong Knees did not help my knees at all. In fact, my knee clicked and hurt more after doing that DVD. I've found that weighted (but gentle) quad work (as seen in barre workouts) is what "fixes" my knees.

I think I will try Leslie then, and just stay away from the boosted walking for now to minimize impact.

Both Strong Knees and KneeHab include massaging the IT band with a ball, so I will be sure to include that as much as possible. If that doesn't work out, I may have to spring for a foam roller. The massage hurts (discomfort), so I bet I am pretty tight there.

I was thinking that barre would be a good idea, but I am running into the "fitting it all in" issue. I am planning to do Leslie in the morning and then Strong Knees/KneeHab in the evening before bed since they each take about a half hour. Maybe I'll try this for October and re-evaluate at the end of the month.

I will keep an eye out for any worsening of my symptoms from Strong Knees. I'm not sure what would actually hurt from doing that DVD (except maybe the quad work would throw me further out of alignment?), but the hamstring stretching with a band is probably a big help because I am so tight in that area (and everywhere else, apparently).

[SpiritSong]

Originally Posted by yogapam

Do you like the water? Swimming, deep water fitness classes, and deep water running are excellent non impact cardio. I did a lot of swimming and deep water running when I was recovering from a ankle fracture a couple of years ago.

Good idea, but I don't have access to a pool. Plus my eyesight is really bad, so I would probably have to invest in prescription goggles in addition to any pool fees. Not happening right now.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

[SpiritSong]

Originally Posted by HRCFitness

Just went to the doctor and found out that I have basically worn down the cartlidge in my knees. He says it's from all the high impact/plyo stuff...yes I love insanity. I'm 40 years old and I am so upset.

He says I have to take it easy for a while and then I can do low impact workouts. He told me not to do any pounding stuff.

I also think my problems came from doing those high impact stuff on my basement floor that only has a carpet on it.

Good luck...but I think your best bet is to go get it checked out.

Sorry about your knees. I wonder if this happens to everyone who performs high impact activities for a long period of time, and if so, should the young people be warned against high impact exercise? Not that it would stop most of them (just like warning about wrinkles/cancer from sun damage and smoking), but maybe some people would like the chance to protect their knees from a young age.

I was never a high impact person myself, so I think my issue is misalignment. I hope to avoid involving my doctor since I doubt he could fix any misalignments himself, so would then have to send me to various professionals who I cannot afford at the present.

[nyskier]

I have bad knees as a result of too much skiing (LOL). You probably have worn out some of the cartilage in your knee. I would stay away from all high-impact--when I do Turbo Fire I have to follow the modifier because all of that jumping would be no good.

I like the suggestion to do some yoga. I also have found that yoga really helps. Good luck!

[Inchworm]

I have definite tight IT Bands, as well as the feeling that something is not in alignment in my hips, maybe because of the IT bands. Lately, though, I 've noticed that going down stairs slightly hurts my right knee and also when I try to do a quad stretch by pulling my bend leg behind me. It's on the outside of right knee and today I actually noticed there is a tenderness to it, almost like a bruised feeling. Does anyone know what this could be?

Thanks,
Kelly

[nyskier]

Inchworm
I think you are describing an LCL strain. Check out this link:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/001079.htm

I get this sometimes just from sleeping with a bent knee. It does seem to come and go, however.