need to hear recovery stories!!

B

balletgrrl

Cathlete
Hello everyone!

I am feeling REALLY discouraged... I was diagnosed with a knee injury about 3 months ago (patellar femural pain syndrome) and started seeing a physical therapist to get better. I was progressing really well for a while, I even started back with a little bit of Cathe (modifying where needed), but I guess I pushed too hard and now my knees hurt so bad I can barely walk a block without aching pain. I mean, it is not excruciating, just very annoying and makes me want to do nothing but lay around.

I am going back to the doctor to see if I need more x-rays, more PT or what. But has anyone on this forum had a knee injury like this and actually recovered? I've heard that once you injure your knees they are never the same. I really hope this is not always the case bc the thought of never doing IMAX2 again makes me so sad, not to mention all the money wasted on DVD's. Thanks for your help!

Alison
 
I haven't had that particular knee problem but have had a few injuries including illiotibial band syndrome whcih can cause pain on the outside of your knee, usually due to running too many miles! I have also gone thru PT for some injuries. You have to be very careful following an injury NOT to push too hard. I believe you can and will recover. If it were me, I'd go back to PT and see what the therapsit has to say...and seriously Alison...take it very, very slow...perhaps not doing that much step for awhile would help. ...:)...Carole
 
Hi Alison, in February my doctor told me to rest my knees for a week as she believed I had overuse injuries from too much stepping and too many squats and lunges. So I quit the cardio for a week and switched to floor work only for legs. After a week I started back on the cardio but realized right away that my knees were still not prepared for the step. Around that time a PT friend of mine, whom I hadn't seen in years, dropped by for a visit. Was that synchronicity or what? He took a look at my knees, said I had some muscle imbalance there and gave me a lot of tips on how to modify my workouts.

For most of March, I stayed with the floorwork only and very gradually built up to where I could do some cardio. At first I did my step workouts without the step, then started to use a 4" step. I kept the impact out. It was depressing. I felt like I didn't have a workout at all as my body had gotten so used to Cathe's high-intensity routines. But I just kept doing what I could, and just kept listening to my body. It was at this point when I started doing more kickboxing as it didn't aggravate my knees AS LONG AS I kept the impact out of the moves. Since kickboxing is a full body workout, I had a great cardio workout even without the jumps. When I felt that it was time to put in my friend's modifications, I did so. It was mostly positioning my feet at a certain angle and doing not-too-deep squats with a stability ball between my back and the wall. At first I did these without weight, then slowly added weight as I felt more accustomed to the moves.

By April I was back to doing high impact stepping, but I constantly listened to my knees. If they felt "quirky", I'd either take the impact out, or keep the impact but take the step out. And I made sure that I didn't step one day then do my leg work the next. My knees seem happier these days. I have genetically weak bones, thanks to my mom's side of the family. I have osteoarthritis in my spine and I'm sure I'm going to find it in my knees soon, if it's not there already. I miss doing PLB and I've surely lost strength in my legs but kickboxing, wall squats, deadlifts, calf raises, and floor exercises have kept them toned. It's either this or I lose cartilage, which I can't rebuild. I used to do IMAX2 every week. Now I only do it once a month, and with more modifications than usual. These days I try to get my leg work and cardio in one session, which is why I do a lot of kickboxing and circuit workouts for my legs, like CTX-Power Circuits, which I modify as well.

Do see your doctor and PT. My knees are indeed not the same. But this doesn't mean there is nothing I -- or you -- can do. I know this sounds depressing, but sometimes we have to make compromises with our bodies to keep our health. You know the upside to all this? When I put in more kickboxing to my rotations, I lost an inch in my hips. No amount of stepping ever did this. And there's always clean eating. There's a recent thread here about doing only strength training with clean eating. I'd still like to do cardio for my lungs, but if push comes to shove, I know there's hope.:) Hang in there.

Pinky
 
Hi, Allison, I have not had a knee injury but I did have quite a time with Plantar Fasciitis. I did rounds of PT and cortison which usually correct the problem. After a year of little results, I opted for surgery and was on my feet immediately and symptom free. My advice is start with the most simple and least invasive treatment and work with your doctor until you find the thing that works. Initially, I stuck with strength training but dropped all exercise for a time. When I re-started my fitness program I used walking and yoga to start and then wnet into a four month heavy strength training and moderate cardio phase. I responded quickly and am happy to say I am leaner and better muscled than I ever was when cardio was my true love and main focus. I am running again but much more moderately! Good luck to you!
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

- Mary Oliver
 
Hi Alison,

I had a hamstring injury a few years ago that mainly affected the knee area. I was very fortunate to find a great PT who specialized in treating athletes and understood my goals.

In my recovery, I found that I progressed quickly in the beginning and then reached a standstill where it felt like I was regressing. My PT told me that that was not uncommon and tried using some different therapies that helped a lot. You might ask your doctor or PT about trying some different things.

Recovery does take time, but it can happen, especially when someone is as motivated as you to do the work it takes to recover.

Sending you good vibes for speedy recovery. :) :)
 
Hi Alison:
I too am sidelined (for now!) and like you, the thought of doing our beloved IMAX2 is but a dream (for now!).:) You need tons of patience and more TLC. It is so difficult to know when we are ready to start pushing ourselves and getting out of the comfort zone when resuming exercise post injury. When we are injury free uncomfortable can feel great when we get through it but post injury that little push can push us back to where we were or perhaps even worse.
I am sending you healing thoughts for your poor knee and your humbled spirit:)
Take Care
Laurie
 
HI Alison!
I haven't had the same kind of knee injury as you, but I did have torn Miniscus cartiledge, chipped bone and a missing ACL. I had surgery on it about a year and a half ago and had all that fixed. I would say about three months after surgery I was back at Cathe with modifications, then after a year I was able to do the same thing that I was always able to do. Yeah, from time to time it will give me a little trouble to this day, but I can bare it and continue with my normal routine. Where before I could not. So, I would try not to feel so discouraged. It may never feel 100% again, but it will be better than it is now.
Good luck to you!

Kathy
 
Not to worry Allison! I had patellar femural pain syndrome when I was 23. It's painful and annoying. I went to a PT for a couple of months (2 times a week). They corrected the problem completely. I have not had ANY knee problems since (10 years ago). I run, lunge and do set up with heavy weights. Oh, and I love Cathe's plyo's!!
Susan C.M.
 
Thanks for the feedback ladies! I really appreciate hearing your stories and encouraging words. I am seeing my PT tonight so I am looking forward to hearing his opinion.

I think everyone is absolutely right about taking it easy. With people who love to work out (which is everyone on this forum!) it is easy to start feeling better, and then want to push yourself to do what you used to. Even today, I had to fight the urge not to go for a walk - I am determined not to do ANYTHING with my lower body for at least 2 weeks (I'm pretty sure my PT will agree with that).

Thanks again for all the replies! It is nice to know I'm not alone!

Alison
 
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