Knee hurts badly :(

Phaedra2014

My knee hurts. It's old pain that I thought was long gone but 10 days of walking and here it is.

If you put your hand on top of your knee cap and move it to the left of it...that's the pain spot.

What do I do? This is upsetting me so much.

jbrookeh

Are u running or just walking?

Phaedra2014

Sadly just walking. I thought I'd ease my way into exercising with something low impact since I am rather heavy. I love to walk. I don't want this pain.

nystromsm

I am heavy and do have a hard time exercising by walking because of a hurt knee. I have taken to bike riding. WOW what a wonderful change and it gets me out of the house and moving. Take time and let your knee quiet down and then try some biking whether stationery or the "real thing".

Phaedra2014

It started with shin pain and now my shin AND knee hurt. I need to find some quad strengthening exercises. I think my knee is not tracking properly.

Buddhasmiracle

Ice it, raise and rest it. I am not an expert but based upon my prior experience with sports injuries (I had my left knee scoped several years ago) it sounds like you may have sprained it or have a small tear. Don't go to long without seeing an orthopedist. Take care.

NinjaChickie

Shin pain is usually a sign that you're going too fast. Try slowing down. And make sure you're stretching properly before and after your walks.

Or like previous poster said, try riding a bicycle.

Or Swimming is a great option, if you can't swim, see if the local pool has any aqua exercise classes. I've taken a few, and they're lots of fun, get you moving, but don't have that impact on your knee. I sprained my MCL several years ago and this is what I did to keep active while I recovered.

Good luck .

meshashesha2012

It started with shin pain and now my shin AND knee hurt. I need to find some quad strengthening exercises. I think my knee is not tracking properly.

actually you probably need hamstring strengthening. lots of time knee issues occur because there's a muscle imbalance between quads and hamstrings. work on strengthening the near area by doing wall squats. to really engage the correct muscles and make sure you're not putting too much pressure on your knee, make sure you squat to a level where you're upper thighs are parallel to the floor or even better your hips are below your knees

you also what to make sure you're wearing appropriate shoes. if you're heavy then you really need to wear the correct shoes when walking and running. get some shoes meant for walking.

Phaedra2014

actually you probably need hamstring strengthening. lots of time knee issues occur because there's a muscle imbalance between quads and hamstrings. work on strengthening the near area by doing wall squats. to really engage the correct muscles and make sure you're not putting too much pressure on your knee, make sure you squat to a level where you're upper thighs are parallel to the floor or even better your hips are below your knees

you also what to make sure you're wearing appropriate shoes. if you're heavy then you really need to wear the correct shoes when walking and running. get some shoes meant for walking.

You guys are so wonderful. I'm a bit demoralized right now. I need to work on my hamstrings, yes. I bought a book today on how to start walking and all the pre and post exercises. I will follow that. I've got an ice pack strapped to my knee as I write this

I am so freaking dedicated when I make up my mind to do something and usually manage to accomplish goals. But i have a feeling this knee thing is going to be a long term problem with PT and the whole 9 yards.

meshashesha2012

dont be demoralized! your dedication so far is great! start thinking of some alternative things you can do.

do you have access to a pool? try alternating your walks with walks in the pool. that'll help your joints until you can strengthen them so you can do more of what you actually want to do.

i sometimes get kneecap pain when i walk down stairs. some of the recommendations on this site http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/patelladisorders/a/kneecap.htm have been helpful.

good luck!!

amanda_ataraxia

I made the rookie mistake of increasing my mileage too fast and too soon and ended up with runner's knee. I feel your pain!

I would do the same as everyone suggested- rest, ice, 800mg ibuprofen, and perhaps a brace to stabilize your knee for a bit? I wear mine any time I start to feel a twinge of pain now and it seems to stop it from getting worse.

Also, knee circles are an essential in my work out! They really loosen up all the muscles around the knee. Love them!

lyttlewon

Ice afterwards really helps. I have a bag of peas that I use so it forms. I bought a brace to wear while I run (I know you walk but our pain is the same). Don't be afraid to reduce inflammation with ibuprofen. I also take epsom salts baths.

Phaedra2014

Ice and Ibuprofen for tonight. I do have a knee brace. I'll wear it to hold things in place. THANK YOU for the knee exercise link!

What are knee circles? How do I do those?

You guys are so supportive

Pebble321

Ice and painkillers sound like a good solution for today.

For the longer term - get yourself to a physiotherapist who will identify exactly hat the problem is and give you specific strategies to help fix it. None of us know exactly what is going on.

iWaffle

I have taken to bike riding. WOW what a wonderful change and it gets me out of the house and moving.

I tore the cartilage in my right knee a few years ago and even when I couldn't walk without a limp I could bike just fine. Great advice.

piebird79

My knees used to hurt a lot. Strength training has virtually eliminated knee pain. Now I just have sore muscles! :laugh:

blair_bear

The patella is very suceptible to injury, this sound similar to what I get when my patellar tendonitis is starting to get "better". I take glucosamin and condroitin and use a knee strap with upper/lower/side compression tubes. You can buy both of them at just about any drug store.

ETA: Wow spelling, typing fingers did not work their magic that time.

jbrookeh

All of these are really good tips. I would also add that when you are walking, try to strike the ground when your knees slightly bent so your knee isn't locked. You will feel kinda silly at first but the lighter the step, the softer on the knee. Also, the shoe tip is a good one. Make sure you have a good pair of walking shoes with the proper support. I was doing C25K and developed runners knee and when I got checked out, I was told all of these things applied to walking/running. Ice is a must!!! And take a couple Motrin before you walk, that way, you will minimize swelling during and should hurt less afterward. The strengthening of the hamstrings and quads is a good tip also. Wall squats are great for that. While biking is a good exercise for that as well, I struggle with my knee a little more if I bike too strenuously. Start slow, but be consistent. You'll be surprised how quickly your body will respond. Good luck!

crobl

As a medical professional who specializes in sports injuries (Certified Athletic Trainer)...I would strongly encourage you to take the advice everyone is giving you with a grain of salt. Although there are some good tidbits here and there, there is in NO WAY enough information (medical history, mechanical dysfunction, etc...) for anyone to be doling out completely accurate exercises or treatment protocols. Based on the little information you did present, I can only presume what is going on...in which case there is a bit of advice that you've been given that you most definitely shouldn't follow. But again, that cannot be said without more information and the appropriate special testing. I would also encourage the person who suggested 800 mg of ibuprofen to realize, that although people have the tendency to pop the stuff like candy, 800mg of ibuprofen is a prescription dosage that can only be prescribed to someone by a DOCTOR!

Please please please rest and ice to not aggrivate your condition worse. And if you must, take the dosage indicated on the bottle of ibuprofen until designated by an appropriate medical professional.

Phaedra2014

crobl - I wasn't planning on taking 800mg of Ibuprofen because I know it's prescription strength. I'll probably take an Aleve before bed time and ice my knee as well. The same knee gave me problems some years ago and it was patellar tracking issues. I had to do PT to strengthen muscles holding the knee in place. It did nothing for me and instead of going back, I quit working out all together....to my detriment. I don't know what additional PT can do for me. That's why I feel demoralized. If I don't work out, my knee is fine. Even something like brisk walking throws it off. It didn't use to be this way. I injured it during a work out under the supervision of a personal trainer, who wasn't very competent.

jbrookeh - It's good to hear your knee got better. Gives me hope mine can too. I will look up some exercises online for wall squats and quad/hamstring routines.

My body is such that even if I starved myself I would not lose much weight. I HAVE TO exercise.

EuroReady

I just got checked out for this. Turns out it is fluid from over exercising. I was told to take it easy then build back up at a slower pace and even then may get flare (flair?) ups. It's on the left side of my right knee. That's what I got from your description too-- but I don't know a damn thing.

Edit: or ignore this since I didnt read the rest of the thread and am totally off base here. 8D

salxtai

As a medical professional who specializes in sports injuries (Certified Athletic Trainer)...I would strongly encourage you to take the advice everyone is giving you with a grain of salt. Although there are some good tidbits here and there, there is in NO WAY enough information (medical history, mechanical dysfunction, etc...) for anyone to be doling out completely accurate exercises or treatment protocols. Based on the little information you did present, I can only presume what is going on...in which case there is a bit of advice that you've been given that you most definitely shouldn't follow. But again, that cannot be said without more information and the appropriate special testing. I would also encourage the person who suggested 800 mg of ibuprofen to realize, that although people have the tendency to pop the stuff like candy, 800mg of ibuprofen is a prescription dosage that can only be prescribed to someone by a DOCTOR!

Please please please rest and ice to not aggrivate your condition worse. And if you must, take the dosage indicated on the bottle of ibuprofen until designated by an appropriate medical professional.

Beaten to the punch - was going to say the exact same thing.

asking for injury diagnosis on MFP is never a smart move, despite everyone's best intentions, because its all shooting in the dark without assessing your knee in person.

mightyminerva

I'd agree with many of the posts above: swimming, ice/heat, incredibly gradual increasing of the miles. As mentioned above, seeing your doctor should be a priority so that he or she can rule out anything serious. Take it from someone with a genetic knee issue and pain!

I've found that yoga is helpful for me (which doesn't mean it will be for you), and I've read that hero pose is supposed to help with strengthening the knee muscles. Ask your doctor if exercises like that might help you.

Also, you might want to go into a running shoe store to see if they can do a gait analysis. I did this knowing I overpronate (roll in/flat feet), and they were able to suggest shoes for me and then run a gait analysis on those options to find the pair that were best for me. (NB: A gait analysis is when you wear a neutral shoe and they check how your feet fall on a treadmill with a video camera. Then they compare video of you walking in each possible pair of shoes to see which pair has the perfect balance of comfort, support, and alignment.) I just did this, and my feet and knees feel so much better in my new shoes!

Masterdo

Check your stride too. Shin splints can indicate a heavy heel strike, and that could easily become a knee pain, even with just walking. Walking/running form is important

papastu

Ice and painkillers sound like a good solution for today.

For the longer term - get yourself to a physiotherapist who will identify exactly hat the problem is and give you specific strategies to help fix it. None of us know exactly what is going on.

at last , cant believe all these people who think they are experts giving out advice.

seek advice from a specialist, not from a forum !!!

neclar

i'm rather heavy myself. if you can swim, treading water without using your hands, and kicking with a kickboard only help stregnthen your leg muscles. water jogging also helps.

Phaedra2014

Water walking sounds really good! I'll check to see if the rec center offers aqua gym classes.

Phaedra2014

Check your stride too. Shin splints can indicate a heavy heel strike, and that could easily become a knee pain, even with just walking. Walking/running form is important

Yep. I recognize my stride in your words.

crobl

crobl - I wasn't planning on taking 800mg of Ibuprofen because I know it's prescription strength. I'll probably take an Aleve before bed time and ice my knee as well. The same knee gave me problems some years ago and it was patellar tracking issues. I had to do PT to strengthen muscles holding the knee in place. It did nothing for me and instead of going back, I quit working out all together....to my detriment. I don't know what additional PT can do for me. That's why I feel demoralized. If I don't work out, my knee is fine. Even something like brisk walking throws it off. It didn't use to be this way. I injured it during a work out under the supervision of a personal trainer, who wasn't very competent.

jbrookeh - It's good to hear your knee got better. Gives me hope mine can too. I will look up some exercises online for wall squats and quad/hamstring routines.

My body is such that even if I starved myself I would not lose much weight. I HAVE TO exercise.

Good to hear! Sorry it sounded as though I was on a soapbox... working with injured athletes is not only my job, but my passion, so I get just a wee bit on edge when there is mis-information out there. Please, please, please don't loose hope in yourself! And remember, just as there is good and bad advice on here, there are also good and bad physical therapists! In my personal opinion (and take it for what you will), but if you didn't see any progress, then they probably weren't doing everything in their power to help you!

If patellar tracking is your issue, then there is a fairly good chance that you're looking at a muscular imbalance. Depending on how it's tracking improperly, there is more to consider that just you quads and hamstrings, like your adductors (the group of muscles that squeeze your things together) as well as your abductors (muscles that spread your legs apart). Also remember, that everything is connected through the kinetic chain, thus everything from back pain to foot pain (and everything in between) can and is affected by something as simple as poorly fitting shoes. Yes, I have seen that happen! I believe I recall someone mentioning squats and lunges to help strengthen...if you're having problems with your knee, there's a very good chance that those exercises are too much too soon!!

As masterdo said, shin pain can be indicitive of heavy heel strike. It can also come from over training, change in surface (going from hard pavement to soft grass and vice versa), and shoe fit in regards to improper arch support.

Unfortunately, from what you've indicated, it seems reasonable to say that this will continue to bother you until some core issues can be addressed. However, the sooner you seek help, the sooner you're back! And when you do, try asking about the possibility of using Kinesiotape or Leukotape (using a McConnall method) for patellar tracking support. Note - these DO NOT solve a patellar tracking issue, but that can relieve discomfort and be used to aid in 'retraining' the muscles.

But...another disclaimer - just because I know I'm right, doesn't mean that you should necessarily believe me word for word. I have not thoroughly evaluated you and am merely offering words of wisdom based upon my medical experience and the brief information you provided.

Healthydiner65

R.I.C.E
Rest
ICE
COMPRESSION
ELEVATION

GOOD LUCK!

Phaedra2014

Thank you!

crobl I appreciate the time you took to write out such an informative post.

I am on my way to a running store to have my gait checked and be fitted with walking shoes that are made for someone like me. As fate would have it....I found an unused $100 VISA gift card from 4 years ago tucked away in an old hand bag!

Guess what I'm going to spend it on today?!