Knee pain. What would you do?

shaycat

My knees have been hurting for a while now.
It started getting bad when I got my elliptical, so I stopped that and did JM's Ripped in 30. My knees didnt get any worse with that.
However I am on day 10 of Insanity and they are getting worse, they hurt all the time sometimes keeping me up at night.
I really don't want to stop doing Insanity, but is that being stupid, am I just being vain?
I don't have any more weight to lose.
What would you do?
Thanks

prism6

If you have no more weight to lose, switch your exercise to a gentle walk. Take moveright, it helps the joints,you don't want to end up having to have surgery...bound to gain weight if that happens. Give your knees a rest

meshashesha2012

i recently started taking glocosamine and slipping some of that emegenC with MSM in my water when i go to the gym. i havent had issues with my knees for weeks.

forgot to say i normally dont have knee issues, but i started doing more sprinting, squatting and lunging so after a few weeks i was starting to feel discomfort. try the gluosamine and msm as they help with joint issues.

knightreader

go to a doctor. tell them that they have hurt for over a month. he might prescribe an anti-inflamatory or just tell you to rest. good luck.

WickedGarden

+1 for glucosamine with MSM

glucosamine is a supplement that helps rebuild the cartilage in the jionts, and MSM acts like a lubricant for the joints.

I take it, love it. Helped with my knee issues.

You can't get glucosamine naturally in foods, so you need to get the pills. If you are allergic to shellfish, don't take it.

mikehatton929

A neoprene knee brace works for me. Ace makes a good one you can pick up at your local Walgreen for under $20. Good luck

sleepytexan

I live with knee pain every day since I was 11 years old. I have no cartilege left in either knee. An example of a simple thing that causes pain: walking down stairs (especially with heels on, OMG).

For me, no high impact exercise (jumping, running, etc.).

Best non-impact activities (which include high calorie burn, btw): cycling, spinning, swimming.

Also, I am able to dance and paddleboard.

I currently am recovering from a torn MCL 5 weeks ago (I don't recommend falling down mountains while wearing skis, btw), so I have more intense pain than usual when moving laterally, but I am still have been back on the spin bike since 3.5 weeks.

You can try taking Glucosamine Chondroitin -- it takes about 6 weeks to ramp up and start easing joint pain. You can also try "purple pectin": 3t. fruit pectin (liquid or powdered) mixed with 3 oz. purple grape or pomegranate juice 3x day (I find that works faster than Glucosamine Chondroitin, but it does add calories (pom has fewer than grape).

I would NOT recommend relying on NSAID drugs to relieve pain, even OTC ones. They will wreak havoc on your stomach and liver over time.

I would recommend seeing a chiropractor before going to an MD. An MD will do absolutely nothing except tell you to stop what you're doing and prescribe drugs. A chiropractor will evaluate whether or not an adjustment can relieve your problem. Regular chiropractic care can assist with many aches and pains if they are due to misalignment.

At the end of the day, however, you must determine the source of your problem, and if a particular activity is exacerbating your pain, you must find a replacement activity.

Blessings.

carajo

I got cortizone shots in both of mine...hasnt hurt since.....BUT they are SOOO painful!!! I would see a specialist asap, before it gets worse!! And WTG Insanity is just that...i'm on the Asylum now!!

wellintothefuture

talk to a physiotherapist who will give you knee exercises to do to heal .

Tamstar1985

if you're doing insanity, a little bit of knee pain is understandable, since it is very high impact. watch the form carefully! keep your knees soft on the landings from jumps, and try your best to land on your toes, never letting your knee extend beyond your ankle. wearing knee braces during the workouts, combined with good form, should keep you relatively pain-free.

adding a glucosamine and fish oil supplement wouldn't hurt, either!

Elizabeth_C34

You need to go see a doctor and have this checked sooner rather than later. Chronic joint inflammation can cause long term damage to your knees.

starshine420

My knees have been hurting for a while now.
It started getting bad when I got my elliptical, so I stopped that and did JM's Ripped in 30. My knees didnt get any worse with that.
However I am on day 10 of Insanity and they are getting worse, they hurt all the time sometimes keeping me up at night.
I really don't want to stop doing Insanity, but is that being stupid, am I just being vain?
I don't have any more weight to lose.
What would you do?
Thanks

I have the same issue with my knees. Get a knee brace or two, wear that when the pain is bad. Tiger balm works and so does just a good old ice pack. You don't want to push yourself so your knees are insanely hurting, but the more you work them, the better it gets.

Loves418

+1 for glucosamine with MSM

glucosamine is a supplement that helps rebuild the cartilage in the jionts, and MSM acts like a lubricant for the joints.

I take it, love it. Helped with my knee issues.

You can't get glucosamine naturally in foods, so you need to get the pills. If you are allergic to shellfish, don't take it.

Sadly I am allergic to shell fish so I have to use Advil for my pain..my kidneys must love me..NOT..oh well..one battle at a time

Benji49

My husband had problems with his knee for years, had xrays and the doctors couldn't find anything - so he'd walk with a brace on his knee and be a tough guy. We finally got a foot doctor in town and I was reading up on what causes foot pain and it said that knee pain is often related. Long story short I booked him an appointment - he went reluctantly and got orthotics because the dr said he had a fallen arch. He's been wearing them for about 3 months now and his knee pain is gone.

Now, orthotics are expensive. You might want to try the Dr Scholls type at the local pharmacy and see if they make any difference. If they do maybe check into seeing a Foot Clinic doctor.

You never know - it might be something that simple. :flowerforyou:

chachadiva150

Definitely see a doctor to make sure you don't have a serious injury.

Some general knee tips. Consider getting a 2 inch thick wrestling mat for all of the jumping that your doing. Also, consider wrapping your knees or using a knee brace when doing any strenuous exercise. There is variable evidence that MSM, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and plain gelatin aids in repair of aching joints.

sleepytexan

Hey, I just saw you live in Oceanside. Try Beach Cities Chiropractic in Carlsbad on Madison Ave, right next to Chin's: http://www.beachcitieschiro.com/

PM me if you are interested in cycling or SUPing, we're neighbors!

LilRedRooster

Try and see a specialist, if you can, so they can diagnose the source of your pain, and pinpoint how to approach it. Without knowing exactly what's causing the pain, trying to just randomly do things to fix it will be like walking through the house in the middle of the night feeling around for a flashlight. Eventually, you might stumble into the flashlight, but you'll probably smack yourself silly on the furniture before you do.

With that being said, Insanity is HIGH impact, with jumps and harsh landings that will do a number on your knees if you're not using correct form, or those muscles aren't strong enough to handle it. I do the Insanity workouts, but I also do separate weight-training and lower body focus that targets the muscles in my legs without the impact, like weighted squats and lunges, because I have a bad knee that doesn't always handle impact well.

Good luck!

Archer2017

I agree with sleepy. If your knees have been bothering you for quite a while, OTC meds will just relieve pain and not the cause. Doctors will just push meds...see a chiroprator!! My husband had knee pain for weeks until he seen his chiropractor. Turns out his knee was just out of alignment!! He hasn't has issue since.

I know knee pain..I have had a torn lateral meniscus in my right knee...waiting for the date for surgery. I spend years taking medication until I seen a third doctor who finally sent me in for a CT scan.

Take care of yourself before it's too late.

thetankgyrl

As a physio, here is the suggestion. Take 2-3 days off your high impact workout. Do something that has less stress and impact on your knees - bicycling, elliptical, swimming - anything where you are not hitting the ground hard is fine. You want to continue to keep your joints lubricated and used but without the impact stress. Be sure you are stretching and warming up WELL before you do any exercise. Ice your knee for 20 minutes every night and take an anti-inflammatory (Alleve is best) if you can. Monitor it. Most likely, you're just overdoing it, have some inflamed muscles and need to give your joints a chance to rest a bit. If you notice that the pain is starting to subside, then that's it and start to switch up your workouts so you do high impact every other day or however often you can without pain.

If you're still having quite a bit of pain - and this is important - go see your doctor and have it properly looked at. And don't wait. You only get one set of knees. You'll miss them when they're gone. Good luck!

(BTW - I speak from experience - I've got a chronic knee injury. I manage it with strength training, yoga, glucosamine, and regular non-impact workouts. And with that, I can bike 20 miles in 80 minutes without any pain. )