Knee issues, need advice :(

jsutera

jsutera

Cathlete
Hi Cathe!
I am in need of your always-sage workout advice. As you probably know by now, I'm an overenthusiastic fitness freak at best...I run, spin, am in my second round of STS (6-monther this time) and I throw in kickboxing and step on occasion too. Recently, I've had some pretty frustrating knee pain and am scared that I've injured myself and you're going to tell me to stop working out, stop running, stop cardio, etc. It's my biggest fear! The only time my knee hurts (this is recent, past 3 weeks or so) is when I run, I think it's the impact that's doing it - it tends to hurt from the outer side of my knee and radiates in. I can usually keep it at bay if I walk and run intermittently and it usually goes away, for the most part after that.

So this is my long-winded way of saying - do you think that through the squats and lunges and such that make up the leg workouts in STS, I may have inadvertently injured myself and if so, should I avoid those leg workouts for awhile to see if it repairs itself? I'm avoiding the doctor like the plague - everytime I go, they are completely useless so I'd rather go to you who I trust and I know will give me a straight answer. :)

Any advice would be most appreciated - from Cathe or from other Cathe-ites reading this. :)
 
Not Cathe but...

when an injury lasts more than a week, it probably is time to see a doc. If yours don't help, then you need to find one who will. I have found that PT has made a world of difference for both my knee and elbow. In the meantime I also use webmd. You can find your body part that hurts and find how to deal with it. The typical recommendations are RICE: rest, ice, compression, elevation. And avoid exercises that make it hurt.
 
I know, I was thinking maybe some PT wouldn't hurt?? I am going to ice it tonight and see if it helps too..I've done the rest part already. God I hate getting hurt, I hope it's nothing serious :(
 
Skip doctor go to a physiotherapist

Hey

I just got back from seeing a PT for my foot... I was really afraid too that they would tell me to stop working out. He didn't - he gave me a bunch of exercises and suggested that I warm up more before running and showed me some biomechanical things that are wrong with my foot that can be solved using a shoe insert.

I am so glad that I went... you should go. You don't want it to get worse and then really have to take time off.

Heather
 
Depends on your insurance and possibly on the requirements of your state (some states allow PTs to practice independently; some don't). If you have Butts&Gutts, the floor work in that is actually spot on to what my PT gave me to do when I was seeing him for knee pain. If the running is what hurts - stop running. At least for a couple of weeks, and do something else that's low impact. Then gently test it out and see how you feel. Ease back into it. You're body is trying to tell you something; you must listen or it will repeat itself more loudly!
 
I just called one and set up an appointment but I am in Canada... I had to pay out of pocket but it was well worth it.
Good luck
Heather
 
Your knee pain sounds exactly like patellofemoral syndrome, i.e. runner's knee.
It is completely curable and preventable but you have to be patient. It is not an injury exactly, rather a pain-condition brought on by muscle imbalances in the leg which pull the knee cap out of alignment. You will have to stop running for a little while, maybe a month, but if you work with a PT you can be back running again really quickly, pain free.

I was treated for this last October. I can now run and powerwalk pain free, where before I couldn't walk at all, especially not up and own stairs. Pain started around the knee cap and radiated inwards, just as you are describing.

I found that once I was able to walk without pain, and this took about a month, the best exercise was treadmill powerwalking with inclines, the higher the better because then I felt no pain at all. Incline walking will also build up the glutes, which you need.

A referral for physio is the ideal solution. There you will learn an hour's worth of exercises which will address the imbalances causing your pain and the exercises you learn you will need to incorporate into your regular routine on a weekly basis for maintenance and to prevent the pain recurring. But this is not difficult, these exercises are great.

The sorts of exercises that you need are exactly the ones a previous poster mentioned: the floorwork from GS legs is PERFECT for treating this condition, as are all the exercises included in the bonus legwork footage on STS. In addition, do some balance exercises to improve your stability so that when you run and every time your foot hits the ground, your muscles are better conditioned to support you through each stride, rather than your joints having to absorb all the shock and also work on balancing you. Do you see what I mean?

At physio my PTs had me do leg presses (sub with wall squats at home), glute presses (donkey kicks with machine where you are pushing your heel and leg up behind you against resistance), hamstring machine, inner and outer thigh work --very important. Running works the front of the quads but not the inner and outer thigh enough, and this imbalance of strength pulls the knee cap out of alignment. I did a lot of work on the glutes also, but the minimus as much as the maximus. The maximus is worked a lot on squats and lunges, but the other 2 glute muscles not so much. Bridge work done lying down using stability ball to work the butt and hamstrings are perfect for this. See GS legs.

Hope this helps,

Clare
 
I experienced the same thing. Over stress from doing jumping (step), running, and weighted squats. I got one of the patellar (sp) knee bands from a sporting goods store (under 15 bucks) and do not exercise without it. It has made all the difference in the world for me - in other words, no pain, and I can still exercise. Good luck!

Heather

maddiesmum said:
Your knee pain sounds exactly like patellofemoral syndrome, i.e. runner's knee.
It is completely curable and preventable but you have to be patient. It is not an injury exactly, rather a pain-condition brought on by muscle imbalances in the leg which pull the knee cap out of alignment. You will have to stop running for a little while, maybe a month, but if you work with a PT you can be back running again really quickly, pain free.

I was treated for this last October. I can now run and powerwalk pain free, where before I couldn't walk at all, especially not up and own stairs. Pain started around the knee cap and radiated inwards, just as you are describing.

I found that once I was able to walk without pain, and this took about a month, the best exercise was treadmill powerwalking with inclines, the higher the better because then I felt no pain at all. Incline walking will also build up the glutes, which you need.

A referral for physio is the ideal solution. There you will learn an hour's worth of exercises which will address the imbalances causing your pain and the exercises you learn you will need to incorporate into your regular routine on a weekly basis for maintenance and to prevent the pain recurring. But this is not difficult, these exercises are great.

The sorts of exercises that you need are exactly the ones a previous poster mentioned: the floorwork from GS legs is PERFECT for treating this condition, as are all the exercises included in the bonus legwork footage on STS. In addition, do some balance exercises to improve your stability so that when you run and every time your foot hits the ground, your muscles are better conditioned to support you through each stride, rather than your joints having to absorb all the shock and also work on balancing you. Do you see what I mean?

At physio my PTs had me do leg presses (sub with wall squats at home), glute presses (donkey kicks with machine where you are pushing your heel and leg up behind you against resistance), hamstring machine, inner and outer thigh work --very important. Running works the front of the quads but not the inner and outer thigh enough, and this imbalance of strength pulls the knee cap out of alignment. I did a lot of work on the glutes also, but the minimus as much as the maximus. The maximus is worked a lot on squats and lunges, but the other 2 glute muscles not so much. Bridge work done lying down using stability ball to work the butt and hamstrings are perfect for this. See GS legs.

Hope this helps,

Clare
Click to expand...
 
I have PF, as well. I had an MRI done and it looked ok, but I still might need to get scoped. I've been wearing one of those knee braces with the hole in the middle for the kneecap.

I've also been doing the Gaiam Strong Knees DVD. I do the 30 min segment 3X week and the 7 minute segment 3X per week. I still have to take a bunch of ibuprofen and can't do any squats, lunges, jumping, running, step, etc.

It's frustrating, but sometimes you just need to slow down in order to fully repair.
 
I have been doing Cathe workouts and running for many years. I have even been able to do so while being pregnant. I have been challenged with knee issues for years. Fortunately through working hard, I have been able to drop weight, which really helps reduce knee issues. That being said, when I run, I always use patella straps. You can get those at any major sports store, or in the medical "braces" area at drug stores.

There is also a double knee strap (cho pat?) - check out roadrunnerssports.com. Good luck and as they say in runners world.. waddle on friends ;).
 
THANK YOU everyone for some great advice! I picked up a knee brace at the pharmacy yesterday before I ran a 5k and it worked REALLY well. My knee is a little sore today but I was actually fine during STS legs today so I think that's a good sign. I will probably still call the dr. to get a referral for PT to make sure there isn't something sinister swirling around in my knee and if it's the runner's knee issue, at least now I know it's not the end of the world, thanks to you all!! Phew ;)
 
GMonkey said:
I've also been doing the Gaiam Strong Knees DVD. I do the 30 min segment 3X week and the 7 minute segment 3X per week.
Click to expand...

I second the recommendation for this DVD. The exercises on it can help balance out the muscles around the knee (both strength and flexiblity). But I would also encourage you to see a PT for a diagnosis, and don't run any more 5ks for a while. If running hurts, it would be better for you to cut back on it. Switch to walking (powerwalking can be an intense exercise as well, but it much more knee friendly.)
 
The video review

Glad to hear that the straps worked... I'll have to look into those. I have found that STS has really helped with the muscle balance of my knees. I think that my foot issue and my knee issues all stem from being almost flat footed. Wearing corrective inserts in my shoes hopefully will help. No matter what you need to work on the source of the problem so that you can move on.


I have been looking at buying the strong knees video and am glad to hear that others like it.


Good luck
Heather
 
lightening16 said:
Glad to hear that the straps worked... I'll have to look into those. I have found that STS has really helped with the muscle balance of my knees. I think that my foot issue and my knee issues all stem from being almost flat footed. Wearing corrective inserts in my shoes hopefully will help. No matter what you need to work on the source of the problem so that you can move on.


I have been looking at buying the strong knees video and am glad to hear that others like it.


Good luck
Heather
Click to expand...

What's interesting in my situation is that my right leg is my stronger leg so it's weird to me that it's that knee that hurts. I mean, STS has definitely strengthened both of my legs but my right has already been better so why would that knee be bugging me now? Maybe I overuse it since it is the dominant? Hmm.
 
When I went for physio I was explaining that my left leg was stronger when I did the leg presses and plate work. He said that my right was actually stronger in the ankle but the left knee was stronger on the left. And to make it weirder my right hip was stronger by alot compared to my left. I am all out of balance.

I was really surprised.
It is so worth going to see someone that really gives you an assessment.
It is also good to get some guidance so you know what your problem is for sure.

I really wish that I had focussed on this when I was younger instead of now in my 30's. It seems a shame that I just thought I had bad knees.
Let us know how it goes!
Heather
 
jsutera said:
What's interesting in my situation is that my right leg is my stronger leg so it's weird to me that it's that knee that hurts. I mean, STS has definitely strengthened both of my legs but my right has already been better so why would that knee be bugging me now? Maybe I overuse it since it is the dominant? Hmm.
Click to expand...
I would guess it's imbalance. Maybe your right quad is stronger, but the hamstring is about the same, so it creates an imbalance. Or the right leg is stronger and some muscles are less flexible, creating an imbalance. Or stronger muscles on that leg are compensating for weaker ones (like the muscle on the inside of the knee).
 
I've realized that I tend to stand one one leg and it is the knee of that leg that bugs me the most... perhaps you have something like that going on? I'm trying to remember not to stand that way, and if I'm going to shift my weight, to try to favor the other leg!
 
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