Patellofemoral Syndrome

kristinlc88

I've been doing elliptical and stationary bike for the last 4 weeks, an hour a day, 3 days a week of each, and it's definitely helping.

Today I was considering starting the C25K program, but I'm not sure how my knees with do with it.
Anyone have any experience with this?

Also, I would like to do some lifting to work on my legs, but squats and lunges are pretty painful, any ideas for alternative exercises to work my legs?

MoreBean13

Do you have a physical therapist on board? Are you cleared for activity other than the bike?

I think strength training is actually a really good idea for you- one of the things that contributes to the development of patellofemoral syndrome is weak quadriceps, so you're going to want to strengthen the quads. Tight hamstrings, tight calves, and tight iliotibial bands are all also problematic, so you may want to get a stretching and foam rolling program going for all of those areas, too.

I'm hesitant to make any specific suggestions for the strength exercises to help develop your quads without you having clearance from a doctor/PT. Keep in mind that even though you're specifically rehabilitating one part, balancing out the training is still important for safety- you need to consider the whole. For example, your hamstrings and quads are a pair- one stretches while the other contracts, they work together. If one is over or undertrained, the other sometimes develops issues, and what ends up happening is joint problems from the imbalance. For this reason, it's a really good idea to get a qualified professional to set you up with a whole program that takes in to consideration your specific needs.

sz8soon

I have major issues with my right patella, it doesn't like to stay aligned and on the right path. My Dr recommended weights big time! The more you can strengthen the muscles in your leg, the less strain placed on parts of your knee.
But as the previous poster said, get clearance before starting! And it would help you a ton to get a consult or two on things you could do, there its tons of options for you!

I've found that leg presses, dead lifts, calf raises, all are things I have no problem with. Squats don't bother me if I don't fully go through the entire squat, meaning once I go down, I don't go all the way back up, the full straight extension kills me. So its like I stop in a mid sit position.