why do my knees ache?

clafairy1984

I'm finding that that the area above me knee caps are really sore. Painful even, when I am doing squats, lunges, walking up stairs etc. This is a recent development, I exercise 5-6 days a week, 3-4 cardio and 3 weights. I'm not sure what's causing it. I have tried resting them, but that just seems to make them stiff, and then hurts more when I try to be active. It's very frustrating. Has anyone experienced this, or know how to overcome it?

theawill519

I had this problem a few months ago; it ended up being hamstring weakness/bursitis. Ortho recommended exercises to strengthen the hamstring and it's much better now. However, I am NOT a doctor. If your pain persists or gets worse, you should probably see a doctor.

kshama2001

My official diagnosis after X-rays and an MRI is "Pain with activity" which wasn't especially helpful, but these exercises were. Also, all of the medical professionals I saw told me to avoid squats, lunges, and kneeling. I've been strengthening the area around my knees since April and can now do squats and lunges as part of my yoga routine, but still cannot kneel.

kshama2001

Some additional strengthening exercises (and some duplicates) here: https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/cant-squat-or-lunge-due-to-bad-knees-this-workout-is-for-you/

I subscribe to the MFP blog emails and get tips for knees regularly - must be a common issue when people are overweight.

kshama2001

Thea519 wrote: »

I had this problem a few months ago; it ended up being hamstring weakness/bursitis. Ortho recommended exercises to strengthen the hamstring and it's much better now. However, I am NOT a doctor. If your pain persists or gets worse, you should probably see a doctor.

Ya, gardening and yoga strengthened my hamstrings.

theawill519

kshama2001 wrote: »

Thea519 wrote: »

I had this problem a few months ago; it ended up being hamstring weakness/bursitis. Ortho recommended exercises to strengthen the hamstring and it's much better now. However, I am NOT a doctor. If your pain persists or gets worse, you should probably see a doctor.

Ya, gardening and yoga strengthened my hamstrings.

That's good to know! I've been thinking about incorporating some yoga into my fitness routine.

VintageFeline

I had this too but I knew it was a combination of weakness and weight. I laid off the high impact cardio for a while, paid even more attention to form, tried not to sit around with very bent knees (big habit of mine and it was just exacerbating the problem) and when it was at its worst use a knee brace.

A couple months of work, more weight lost and I'm good now, I've even started running and my knees are no longer an issue! Hurrah!

Merrysix

I have arthritis in my left knee, and it can be sore -- with advice of my arthritis doctor, I do the following: limit higher impact exercises; ruthless about form for squats, lunges, step ups (I don't do jump ups); at boot camp I often do higher impact exercise like jumping jacks on a rebounder (mini trampoline) or if outside on grass instead of pavement; I ice my knees before and after exercise if they are sore; I do exercises to strengthen my muscles around my knees, I am losing weight (each pound lost reduces impact to knee joint by 4 pounds pressure); I try to stay away from eating sugar as much as possible (as an added ingredient or high sugar fruits) since for some reason I don't fully understand, sugar increases the inflammation in my joints; I do more rowing machine or elliptical instead of running at boot camp, etc.

jgnatca

Mine was bursitis and it is a bear to recover from. Is it a sharp pain if you put any pressure on it? Then it is likely bursitis.