Knee Injury... Feeling Lost

Holly_Wood_888

I am inexperienced at lifting... I re-injured my Left knee by improper foot position squatting with barbells ...
I am frustrated as I am unable to run the treadmill/open stride machine etc. etc. etc....

A week and a half now without 'leg day' .... scared to worsen the situation ... my knee is throbbing every day - just purchases a chopat knee strap which is helping

(Now It seems that I could do alternative leg exercises - but I became more frustrated as I pulled my quads/hams in baseball and ripped the skin of my left heel by wearing rubber boots with no socks FML ....

Now I feel lost at the gym... only doing upper body workouts and having to WALK the treadmill with an incline of 10 and speed of 3.5 ...

I can feel myself losing muscle and getting FAT ! I know part of this is in my head

How much time has to pass before I can get back on the horse - what the hell to do in the meantime ???

HELP

AmyRhubarb

I think if your knee is seriously injured, and "throbbing every day" sounds pretty serious to me, you should go see your doctor and get his/her diagnosis and recommendations for how long you should or shouldn't exercise it.

As far as losing muscle and gaining fat, as long as you're still eating right, you're not going to gain fat. You may have to make up some progress as far as strength if you're off the knee for a time, but you're not going to suddenly blimp just because of a knee injury. Unless of course, as I said, you don't maintain a calorie deficit.

Hope you feel better soon.

mjudd1990

First of all, id recommend laying off the treadmill entirely or at least a good amount. Your knee needs to test and heal. I'd also recommend getting in to see an orthopedist if it doesn't get better in the next week or so.

In the meantime just focus on lifting upper body and cut out some calories if you are concerned about gaining weight.

Broderick50

First off get the knee checked out. Second I'm in the same boat there are times when I walk and my knee buckles, but I'm pushing through it. When I first tore my knee up years ago they had me rehabbing on a stationary bike so i get a lot of my workouts in on those it actually strengthens the kne. Third like mentioned below just cause you can't do leg workouts and can only do 3.5 mph on the treadmill doesn't mean you still can't burn some serious calories trust me I know.

AlaskaSusan

Some good advise already given. Just want to add that I work with a trainer at the gym who is also certified physical therapist. I have weak knees and squats have always been an issue, even now after losing so much weight. She has me doing squats correctly now by holding a light-weight yoga block between my knees. Forces you to hold the correct position thru the squat (as long as you've lined up correctly to start of course) and has been a tremendous help in getting my muscles strong enough to do many things correctly now.
Just a suggestion for anyone else with knee issues - YMMV of course

FatFreeFrolicking

I am inexperienced at lifting... I re-injured my Left knee by improper foot position squatting with barbells ...
I am frustrated as I am unable to run the treadmill/open stride machine etc. etc. etc....

A week and a half now without 'leg day' .... scared to worsen the situation ... my knee is throbbing every day - just purchases a chopat knee strap which is helping

(Now It seems that I could do alternative leg exercises - but I became more frustrated as I pulled my quads/hams in baseball and ripped the skin of my left heel by wearing rubber boots with no socks FML ....

Now I feel lost at the gym... only doing upper body workouts and having to WALK the treadmill with an incline of 10 and speed of 3.5 ...

I can feel myself losing muscle and getting FAT ! I know part of this is in my head

How much time has to pass before I can get back on the horse - what the hell to do in the meantime ???

HELP

You should not have been lifting without proper assistance and instruction from a trainer at your gym. It is VERY easy to get seriously hurt when lifting, especially when you are inexperienced.

Because your knee is still bothering you 1.5 weeks later, I would suggest calling your doctor and getting an appointment. They might refer you to a orthopedist.

I fractured both of my patellas twice when I was younger from being a competitive gymnast and cheerleader. I've also torn my MCL. I have Osgood Schlatter and Chondromalacia Patella. My orthopedist suggests swimming and the stationary bike for his patients with knee injuries/problems.

dopeysmelly

Some good advise already given. Just want to add that I work with a trainer at the gym who is also certified physical therapist. I have weak knees and squats have always been an issue, even now after losing so much weight. She has me doing squats correctly now by holding a light-weight yoga block between my knees. Forces you to hold the correct position thru the squat (as long as you've lined up correctly to start of course) and has been a tremendous help in getting my muscles strong enough to do many things correctly now.
Just a suggestion for anyone else with knee issues - YMMV of course

Wow! Thanks for that advice!

I'm also suffering with a knee injury at the moment. Runner's Knee in my case.

First off, I would just rest it - honestly, I figured it would take MUCH longer to get back to doing what I want if I didn't just stop right now, recline on the couch with the knee raised (on a pillow) and an ice pack or bag of peas slapped on it. I did my knee in a week ago, delayed pain, but for 4-5 days I've really done practically nothing, and it's already a ton better. If I'd ignored it, it would probably be worse. A compression bandage is a good idea, but I figured it wasn't an excuse to ignore rest/ice.

Yes. I agree it is unbelievably frustrating. I hate just sitting. Really hate it. But then, in 6 months' time it won't really matter and I'll be more aware of my body, so everything's good in the longer term.

Holly_Wood_888

Thanks for the posts everyone! Much appreciated

Love62

I have Small Fiber Neuropathy which causes a lot of pain as well as balance issues. One day I had experienced some dizziness, lost my balance and heard a "Pop". An MRI showed I had torn my meniscus and a slight tear in the ACL in my left knee. I was sent to an orthopedic surgeon and this guy was a JERK! Told me I was "too fat for surgery" yes I was 75lbs overweight but I've had several surgeries when I was 100lbs overweight. so I started dieting/exercising, lost 27lbs so far, but I have wear a knee brace when I'm working out/walking except for water aerobics. The brace does help a lot. I know surgery is most likely inevitable and I want to lose the weight before it does because I'll be a couch potato recuperating, but I won't be going back to that doctor. Good luck and I hope you have a speedy recovery.