Frustrated...knee trouble...questions

Twinmom413

Weeks ago I started running/walking 3x/week. Within the last 2-3 weeks I got Jillian Michael's 30-day shred and was doing that every day for 20 minutes. Now I seem to be having problems with my right knee. It's really not sore or painful, it just makes this terrible cracking noise. I can't get to a doctor until early next week, but I'm planning on going. I'm afraid to continue anymore cardio exercising because this seems to be aggravating it. BUT, I'm also afraid to stop doing any cardio because I know it's important. I switched up my exercising and for the last few days have been doing Jackie Warner's ab and upper body workout...just so I don't aggravate my knee anymore but am still exercising.

My questions are:
1. Any suggestions on what cardio I can do that would be safe for my knee?? Can I just walk on the treadmill?
2. Is it better to just lay off my knee and continue doing the ab/upper body stuff for now until I see the doctor?
3. Am I compromising my workout/weight loss if I completely take out the cardio for a bit?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! I've been steadily making progress week by week with my weight loss and don't want to take any steps backwards!!!
THANKS!

thendrick

Hmm, I've been doing Slim in 6 and just adding the treadmill and elliptical about a week and half ago and have noticed that my right knee is starting to ache a bit. I thought it was b/c I switched to Burn It Up (a lot of lunges, squats, plies) but maybe it was the cardio that is killing my knee?
I can't wait to see what others have to say.

scarecrow41

I would recommend resting the knee for a few days at least. A chronic knee problem will hinder your fitness progress WAY more than taking a few days of rest. I would say the upper body/ab workouts are fine as long as they aren't putting pressure on the knee.

Rest up, maybe take some fish oil, some ice or heating pad will help too.

Also, glucosamine is a supplement that helps your body repair its joints and its not too expensive.

Also, congrats on the progress you've made so far!! I have 4 year old twins (boy and girl) and sympathize with the fitness "setbacks" that can entail...haha.

dclarsh1

Weeks ago I started running/walking 3x/week. Within the last 2-3 weeks I got Jillian Michael's 30-day shred and was doing that every day for 20 minutes. Now I seem to be having problems with my right knee. It's really not sore or painful, it just makes this terrible cracking noise. I can't get to a doctor until early next week, but I'm planning on going. I'm afraid to continue anymore cardio exercising because this seems to be aggravating it. BUT, I'm also afraid to stop doing any cardio because I know it's important. I switched up my exercising and for the last few days have been doing Jackie Warner's ab and upper body workout...just so I don't aggravate my knee anymore but am still exercising.

My questions are:
1. Any suggestions on what cardio I can do that would be safe for my knee?? Can I just walk on the treadmill?
2. Is it better to just lay off my knee and continue doing the ab/upper body stuff for now until I see the doctor?
3. Am I compromising my workout/weight loss if I completely take out the cardio for a bit?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! I've been steadily making progress week by week with my weight loss and don't want to take any steps backwards!!!
THANKS!

If your knee doesn't hurt, then it's probably fine. Some of us just have noisy joints. But you are clearly concerned about this so here's what I would suggest...
1. Go see your doctor when you can.
2. Switch to cardio that doesn't make your knees pop. Try the elliptical, swimming or cycling.
3. Work on strength training, especially in the hips and thighs. Often times if there is a problem with the knee, it's not the knee at all, but a misalignment through the leg due to imbalanced muscle strength.

Good luck!

annastasia76

I've had the same problem since I was little, my best advice is to take some glucosamine (spelling?) It will take about a week before you notice it working.

Since I've always had the problem I have always just worked through it, I never really had any choice, but the glucosamine helps some now.

sajar_06

use extreme caution when dealing with the knee. Sounds like joint may be wearing down so be careful. Modify anything that you need too. God Bless, brenda

pinbotchick

Does your knee ache or is just making a noise? I would stop the high impact things immediately (The Shred) or any thing that involves bouncing on your feet or jogging.

Do you hear the noise when walking? If not, then you are probably okay to walk on the treadmill or to do a low impact walking DVD (Leslie Sansone is recommended). But stop if pain or the noise returns. The ab work is fine. You might try an elliptical or a stationary bike as alternative's for cardio that are less stressful for the knee.

If you are having pain with walking, rest and ice your knee and hold exercise until you see the doctor.

kcdrake

I've had knee issues myself, which resulted in surgery (at the age of 19) so I'm a little paranoid about it too!
First of all, I would kind of lay off on the lower-body cardio, or anything that aggravates the knee, until you see your doctor. A couple of days won't mess up your weight loss in the long run, just make sure you're staying a a good calorie level.
I recommend a good knee brace that holds your kneecap in place when exercising. That was my main issue - my knee cap was moving all over the place which cause my knee to pop and inflammation and aggravation of the joint. If it feels swollen at all, I recommend ibuprofen as an anti-inflammatory, or whatever works best for you. I liked using the elliptical when I was going through issues because I didn't have that jolt that you get when hitting the ground, or even treadmill. If you can handle it, it also helped me to do strength training. I tried to alternate running long distances on the elliptical and doing lower-body training. The muscles that helped me the most were quads and hamstrings.

Of course, I am just speaking from my own experience and what worked for me may not work for you. Talk to your doc and see what he/she suggests. Just do your best not to aggravate it, because a long-term knee problem is a lot more troublesome to weight loss than a short-term one!

Good luck!

emily859

I'm pretty intimate w/ knee problems as well- they suck! I've been running for years (well, not so much lately) and I've been plagued with a high maintenance right knee too. When I ran my first half marathon, I was told (by my trainer) I probably had runner;s knee, which has to do with the kneecap being inadequately supported, so I bought this knee strap called a cho-pat (you can order them online) and it helped a lot. I wear it to this day even... So something like that might help you. I wear it during any plyo or cardio workouts (like 30 day shred!). It just helps to to support the knee cap.

When I was training for a marathon I did a few years ago my trainer thought i tore something so i had to get it looked at. I had been diagnosed that I had weak quads and that was supposedly the culprit so I did a lot of close-chained exercises with my trainer (instead of seeing a rehab specialist). I also started taking omega 3s and Emergen-C w/ MSM. I have since resumed taking these supplements and my knee is doing much better for it!!

I also have set running aside for the time being but I still get great cardio workouts. The stationary bike is a great workout for someone w/ knee problems. I also do the elliptical. I also do a lot of yoga and workout dvds at home. Yoga might help you too... esp if you go to a studio and talk to them about your injury and they can modify all the poses for you to aid in healing/strengthening.

Does your knee swell up really bad? If so, ice it right after any exercise and that would help probably. Also anti-inflammatories (advil, aleve) might as well. The swelling is a sign something is wrong, so if thats the case, then that's a very smart move to go to the dr. In the mean time, I would maybe start taking supplements (Glucosamine and chondriotan (sp?) are very good also) and trying to limit impact on the knees.

oh, my knee makes grinding noises too, anytime i go up steps, do lunges, etc... no pain though usually. And while it feels good now, it seems I always have to be mindful of it... Good luck going to the Dr. I hope its nothing major!

dietingsucks

I understand your frustration. I have a permanently damaged right knee from waaayyyyy back in high school gym class that's always kept me from things like bycicling, stair climbing, some aerobics moves, running... I can't get up from a squatting position without help because of that darned knee!

In fact, I used to walk with a cane until I started taking better care of my body ;-)

Now I speedwalk for the cardio effect. In the privacy of my basement I have room to walk at about 125-130 steps per min. in a figure 8 pattern (my nephew jokes about "tripping over my treadmill" when he sees me walking there) I play music on my ipod and "dance-walk" making it into more of an aerobic workout (and more fun).
As my weight has come down, my leg strength has gone up -- so the pain has gotten less and less.

Just be sure to wear really GOOD walking shoes so you don't put unnecessary strain on your knees and hips. And start out easy... 10-15 minutes at a time with rest and maybe a heating pad treatment after to relax the muscles, then increase your walking time gradually.

Make sure you're not already in pain when you start... take scarecrow41's advice and rest/heal first.

Oh, and get one of those knee braces that you can pick up from like Walgreens or someplace and wear it when the pain gets bad. It'll keep you from twisting it and making the problem worse. I used to sleep with mine on so I didn't twist my knee during the night. It helped a lot.

Congrats on your progress... looks like you're doing really well.

Hope my 2-cents worth helps with your knee challenge!

~ Jo

kellygirl5538

I'm on my second mon th on the Shred, It takes a while for your knees to get use to the workout, but take a rest and listen to your body. This is a hard work out and might not be the best workout for u. gl

coronalime

i dont know much about the 30 day shred.
It sounds like you were doing fine running/walking until you added that. At home videos since they arent supervised could be the culprit. You might not be doing some of the moves correctly and your putting stress on your knees. you might not be on the right floor, you might not have the right shoes. All of that can lead to joint issues or stress on the body.
I would stop the tape. I would not stop running/walking or another form of a cardio UNLESS you have pain.
.

Twinmom413

Thanks for everyone's suggestions and advice!! I really appreciate it.
Thankfully, I'm not in pain....yet. I just hear that terrible cracking noise.
I think I will take it easy for the next few days...and see about checking in with a doctor.
Better safe than sorry.
I'm also going to look into the glucosamine (sp?) and a knee support.
Thanks again!!

FireRox21

First, listen to your body. If you feel any type of pain, stop. Next, get to the doctor to rule out any type of injury. In the meantime, try getting your cardio from non-impact exercise like the elliptical, recumbent cycling, or swimming. I agree with what someone else said in regards to strength training exercises of the muscles and ligaments around your knee joint. Also, after your workouts, try to ice your knee for 20 minutes to reduce any inflammation or swelling that may be in there. The noise that you are hearing could just be your body getting used to the stresses that are being suddenly placed on your joint or it could be something else. It is always a good idea to start slowly when beginning running/walking as to avoid injury. I've had severe rheumatoid arthritis for 15 years and get all of my cardio from swimming.

Glucosamine and chondroiton supplements are good as is cod liver oil. Cod liver oil helps reduce inflammation in joints and gives you a boost of Vitamins A and D.

xonophone

That cracking that you hear is something called "crepitus" and if it's not painful I wouldn't worry about it. But since you just started doing an exercise program, you may want to make sure that you aren't setting yourself up for future injuries. I suggest you meet with a physical therapist who specializes in orthopedics/sports medicine, who can assess your alignment, your strength, analyze your gait while walking and running, can make sure you're using the correct athletic shoes and give you some good joint protection strategies. Some athletic trainers can do this too, but unfortunately there is no governing board to standardize the qualifications for AT's and I'd hate to see you get misinformation. For the small cost of a co-pay or two you can get some peace of mind and continue on your healthy path.

And I don't mean any offense to the ATs here on MFP - I am a physical therapist, and happily admit that in some areas ATs know way more than I do

Twinmom413

That cracking that you hear is something called "crepitus" and if it's not painful I wouldn't worry about it. But since you just started doing an exercise program, you may want to make sure that you aren't setting yourself up for future injuries. I suggest you meet with a physical therapist who specializes in orthopedics/sports medicine, who can assess your alignment, your strength, analyze your gait while walking and running, can make sure you're using the correct athletic shoes and give you some good joint protection strategies. Some athletic trainers can do this too, but unfortunately there is no governing board to standardize the qualifications for AT's and I'd hate to see you get misinformation. For the small cost of a co-pay or two you can get some peace of mind and continue on your healthy path.

And I don't mean any offense to the ATs here on MFP - I am a physical therapist, and happily admit that in some areas ATs know way more than I do

Thanks...I appreciate this. It makes sense for me to go to someone who specializes in orthopedics/sports medicine. I would definitely like to have someone assess my alignment, strength, gait, etc... I'm sure I need new athletic shoes and want to find someplace that analyzes you as you run so I get the right shoes. It would be worth the extra money I will need to fork over!
Thanks again!

ambercaveny

I have the same trouble I'd see a doctor before you hurt it to badly.

xonophone

That cracking that you hear is something called "crepitus" and if it's not painful I wouldn't worry about it. But since you just started doing an exercise program, you may want to make sure that you aren't setting yourself up for future injuries. I suggest you meet with a physical therapist who specializes in orthopedics/sports medicine, who can assess your alignment, your strength, analyze your gait while walking and running, can make sure you're using the correct athletic shoes and give you some good joint protection strategies. Some athletic trainers can do this too, but unfortunately there is no governing board to standardize the qualifications for AT's and I'd hate to see you get misinformation. For the small cost of a co-pay or two you can get some peace of mind and continue on your healthy path.

And I don't mean any offense to the ATs here on MFP - I am a physical therapist, and happily admit that in some areas ATs know way more than I do

Thanks...I appreciate this. It makes sense for me to go to someone who specializes in orthopedics/sports medicine. I would definitely like to have someone assess my alignment, strength, gait, etc... I'm sure I need new athletic shoes and want to find someplace that analyzes you as you run so I get the right shoes. It would be worth the extra money I will need to fork over!
Thanks again!

You're very welcome and be sure to let me know how it goes