Knee Injuries Unite...

odusgolp

I've seen a lot of talk of knee injuries lately. I would love to hear:
1. what your injury is
2. what you've done/how you've managed to work through it or past it
3. if you feel you're completely recovered or not (could touch your butt to the ground squatting with no issues? lunge like a bada$$?)

I dislocated both knee caps long ago. Shattered one patella into pieces - open surgery with extensive damage to cartilage & tendons.

Left Knee still slips out occasionally, but isn't too bad.

Right knee is useless, it has little cartilage and sounds like a paperbag crunching if I try to squat on it. My Right Quad measure 1.5" smaller than the left. I can't lift the bar of a leg press machine w/o adding weight with my right leg.

PT simply hasn't really helped. So I'd like to get your stories to get some ideas, but even more so inspiration to stop using it as an excuse

rml_16

I don't have an injury but I have a chronic condition where my tendons are loose so my kneecap "floats." It has caused me tons of pain over the years.

Swimming and yoga, which both build up the muscles and hold the kneecap in place instead of the tendons, have done wonders. I can run for the first time in my life!

TankGirl71

Left knee, quad tendinitis. Started up after my tri season ended and I began lifting hard again. Lunges kill me, squats I can handle, but only with 45-85 lbs. Doc told me not to do any of that for a month - only light cycling or elliptical. He gave me a script for Voltaren (diclofenac). I have put on 7-8 pounds since taking the med, probably from edema given the appearance of my ankles and calves. I'm also getting vertigo, so I think I'm done with it. It hasn't done much to help the pain in 2 weeks. Back to fish oil, Osteo Bi Flex, and I may try something called cissus. I hate not being able to work my legs, but I just don't want it to get worse.

aimeeturner

I dislocated my knee a couple of years ago and had to have surgery as well to remove bone fragments. This week, it slipped out of place again while doing a lunge exercise that Jillian Michaels has on her "Killer Buns & Thighs" video. It involves a lunge, then hop to the other side and lunge again...back and forth from side to side. I knew I shouldn't be doing it, but was being stubborn. It swelled and has been in a little pain, but not nearly as bad as the initial injury. I'm going to try to work out today using the stationary bike to see how that goes.

fit4everyoung

I have had 2 knee surgeries (2 torn ACL's) and I typically do elliptical but knee hurts quite a bit. Swimming is the best exercise, you can walk in the water, swim and work many muscle groups with aqua classes, you burn as much calories as in cardio machines! I am going to start swimming soon. I also do couple of 24hr fitness classes, body pump, 24 set, for toning. Hope this helps. I am big fan of Buns of Steel, first 15 minutes are lunges and squats and the other 15-20 minutes are mat exercises that I love! Hope this helps you!

fit4everyoung

I now wear a HRM monitor which mentally helps me understand that I am burning the same calories vs cardio machines. This is very helpful for me as I am trying to nail the last 8 pounds and the weight loss has been extremely slow for me!

kenzietea

I've seen a lot of talk of knee injuries lately. I would love to hear:
1. what your injury is
2. what you've done/how you've managed to work through it or past it
3. if you feel you're completely recovered or not (could touch your butt to the ground squatting with no issues? lunge like a bada$$?)

I dislocated both knee caps long ago. Shattered one patella into pieces - open surgery with extensive damage to cartilage & tendons.

Left Knee still slips out occasionally, but isn't too bad.

Right knee is useless, it has little cartilage and sounds like a paperbag crunching if I try to squat on it. My Right Quad measure 1.5" smaller than the left. I can't lift the bar of a leg press machine w/o adding weight with my right leg.

PT simply hasn't really helped. So I'd like to get your stories to get some ideas, but even more so inspiration to stop using it as an excuse

I had a very similar injury to you. It sounds like I might've had a better surgeon or newer procedure depending on when you had yours (mine was almost 2 years ago). Recovery took almost a year and a half. They are growing my cartilage in a lab for a potential second surgery since I am bone on bone. I am probably at 80% use of my knee, and it took me a long time to get there. I will probably never be 100% recovered and still have some pain especially with weather changes, excessive exercise, or just randomly sometimes. My surgery consisted of a ligament reconstruction using a tendon from my calf (some metal was used, 2 screws), release of my quad muscle (where they cut your quad to loosen the muscle so during PT you can rely more on your inner thigh so it will help hold the knee cap in place), and a ton of cartilage clean up. They accidentally cut a nerve when they were performing surgery (I guess this is very common) and I have some numbness in one area which freaks me out! I had a grand total of 7 incisions, 2 really big ones. I can't completely squat down as if I were picking something up, but can to regular squats, and lunges I can complete alright but I do them very carefully and stay stationary.

marcmarcus76

I had left ACL and meniscus reconstruction way back in 1998. The leg is quite strong and I dont have any restrictions or limitations, however, I can hear and feel it "clicking" semi-regularly. Running is the worst -- elliptical, swimming, spinning are all great. You just have to do what works for your situation.

odusgolp

I've seen a lot of talk of knee injuries lately. I would love to hear:
1. what your injury is
2. what you've done/how you've managed to work through it or past it
3. if you feel you're completely recovered or not (could touch your butt to the ground squatting with no issues? lunge like a bada$$?)

I dislocated both knee caps long ago. Shattered one patella into pieces - open surgery with extensive damage to cartilage & tendons.

Left Knee still slips out occasionally, but isn't too bad.

Right knee is useless, it has little cartilage and sounds like a paperbag crunching if I try to squat on it. My Right Quad measure 1.5" smaller than the left. I can't lift the bar of a leg press machine w/o adding weight with my right leg.

PT simply hasn't really helped. So I'd like to get your stories to get some ideas, but even more so inspiration to stop using it as an excuse

I had a very similar injury to you. It sounds like I might've had a better surgeon or newer procedure depending on when you had yours (mine was almost 2 years ago). Recovery took almost a year and a half. They are growing my cartilage in a lab for a potential second surgery since I am bone on bone. I am probably at 80% use of my knee, and it took me a long time to get there. I will probably never be 100% recovered and still have some pain especially with weather changes, excessive exercise, or just randomly sometimes. My surgery consisted of a ligament reconstruction using a tendon from my calf (some metal was used, 2 screws), release of my quad muscle (where they cut your quad to loosen the muscle so during PT you can rely more on your inner thigh so it will help hold the knee cap in place), and a ton of cartilage clean up. They accidentally cut a nerve when they were performing surgery (I guess this is very common) and I have some numbness in one area which freaks me out! I had a grand total of 7 incisions, 2 really big ones. I can't completely squat down as if I were picking something up, but can to regular squats, and lunges I can complete alright but I do them very carefully and stay stationary.

My surgeon sucked, and it was well over a decade ago But what they're doing for you sounds AMAZING!

sing4me4you

I have no cartilege in either knee and found that out after surgery (4 years ago) on the right knee due to a torn meniscus. the right one hurts frequently but not usually during exercise. If I exercise regularly, the pain is far less frequent. If it hurts when exercising, I stop what I am doing and switch to something else.

odusgolp

I now wear a HRM monitor which mentally helps me understand that I am burning the same calories vs cardio machines. This is very helpful for me as I am trying to nail the last 8 pounds and the weight loss has been extremely slow for me!

In the pool??

Phoenix24601

Floating patella syndrome. No cartilage in both knees. Both knees dislocate on their given whims.
I can do squats (not to the floor) and lunges right now with a maximum of ten pound weight. Stinks, I know, but I am working on it.
I have not been able to run in about 8-9 years and have just now been able to run for 2-4 minutes stright (but that is pushing it).
I have pain meds that I keep at my side constantly and am waiting for the doctors to order instead of strongly recommend double knee replacement (which I don't really think will do much).
Swimming is wonderful. I am a lifeguard and I can do over 1000 meters no problem. I will say though that it sucks in inservice to be doing the swim when the right one dislocates. I have learned to balance and swim with one being limp.

vs1023

A couple years ago I started running, but neglected any weight training and started getting knee pain. My quads weren't very strong so I was having issues apparently. Went to the ortho and was told I had chrondomalacia (arthritis) plus PFPS (patellafemoral pain syndrom). Basically my ligaments and such are tight so it pulls my left knee cap to the outer portion of my body (laterally). I did PT but it didn't help a ton and then I got a cortisone injection in my knee. I fainted. I will never ever do that again. Got fed up when they wanted to do surgery and a lateral release and sought more natural options. Found a chiro and massage therapist who helped me tremendously! I had sooo many knots in my quads, hips, etc that the tightness and adhesions was making the issue much worse. I played softball for years (catcher) so I was squatting a lot which didn't help. I do crunch a lot in there. Now I know how to manage it. I need to be sure to stretch right, use heat and ice and get massage therapy to work out the knots and get adjusted so it all goes back into place. Of course my case seems very mild in comparison to the OP, but don't rush into surgery if something isn't torn or really needs it. There are other options. Now I do weight training and kickboxing and that helps strengthen the muslces in my legs so i rarely get pain, but I do have to pop it back into place more now since i'm still tight from just starting back up more regularly after being pregnant. I can feel my body is out of alignment.

odusgolp

God, I hate swimming *LOL* But I hear it over and over. Perhaps I should come to terms...

dsm_drew

I've have loose knee caps and chondramalatia in both knees. At age 10 I hyper-extended my left knee and tore the cartilage. I've been to physical therapy multiple times in the last 20 years, taken prescription anti-inflammatories, was told by one doctor that it would only be resolved by surgery (which I declined) and told by another never to run again. I figured it was just something I would have to live with and had become accustomed to the almost daily pain. Early this year when I made the decision to lose weight and get in shape I considered going back to the doctor and discussing surgery. But first I decided to give glucosamine a try. I had heard many mixed things about it, some saying it worked wonders, others saying it was snake oil. I figured $20 for a bottle was worth a try before having surgery. After 2 weeks I was noticing a difference, and within 4 weeks it felt like a miracle had occurred. My knees are at least 80% better than before. The chronic pain has disappeared, and even after a day of hard activity or working out the pain and soreness I feel is nowhere near as bad as what I used to experience after a typical day on my feet. I spent a week in Seattle and walked everywhere, miles and miles every day, and my knees felt better than they have in years. I'm sure my weight loss (35 pounds) and swimming has helped, but this change in my knees was well underway even before I had lost weight. I don't want this to sound like a sales pitch for glucosamine, but I'm very satisfied with the results I have experienced. A doctor has since told me that some people have great results while others don't see much difference. Apparently I'm one of the lucky ones.

fit4everyoung

My HRM is water resistant but I still need to try in the swimming pool. I recently purchased my HRM about 2 weeks ago and I love it!

odusgolp

My HRM is water resistant but I still need to try in the swimming pool. I recently purchased my HRM about 2 weeks ago and I love it!

That's awesome!

rml_16

I use my HRM in the pool all the time. Works great!

fit4everyoung

I purchased two swimsuits this weekend to motivate me as I have continue to have knee problems. You don't always have to wet your hair to always jump in the swimming pool. Good workout, in fact walking in water as fast as you can will burn calories. Aqua classes are fun and you don't have to wet your hair, if you are concern with this problem.

odusgolp

I purchased two swimsuits this weekend to motivate me as I have continue to have knee problems. You don't always have to wet your hair to always jump in the swimming pool. Good workout, in fact walking in water as fast as you can will burn calories. Aqua classes are fun and you don't have to wet your hair, if you are concern with this problem.

I don't mind the getting wet part - it's the trek to the gym in the first place *LOL* We have a gym in my office, but no pool. So driving over to the big gym with the pool is my issue. You can see... I'm an incredibly lazy person

dmpizza

What do you call it when your knees aren't injured, but hurt sometimes going up stairs and they always feel "heavy"?