Painful knees from Crossfit- need advice

pkksmama

So I do Crossfit anywhere from once to 3 times a week and I absolutely love it. I run a lot but haven't been as often with work and life getting in the way. So lately it has just been crossfit for me. I started getting pain about a month after starting and this Monday the pain after was excruciating. Kept me up at night too. I love doing it and feel so much stronger so I really don't want to stop. I need advice on what I should do. what has worked for you to fix a knee problem. I cannot even bend down normal and it's been a week. I have had minor knee issue with soccer and weather changes but nothing like this.
Thanks for your advice!!

GreenEyedLady1

go to a doctor.

LoriLou67

Ice, ibuprofen, and a trip to the Dr....maybe for referral to PT.

horseplaypen

Agreed. It could be anything, and you don't want to make it worse or do anything that would make it permanent. See a doctor, they may send you to a physiotherapist or who knows what, but I think it's something you should take seriously and get medical advice on! And I Crossfit too, so I totally understand not wanting to take a break from it. Once your doctor and other professionals diagnose it for you, your coaches should be able to change up the workouts for you to make sure you don't continue to damage your knee, but you have to know what the problem is first.

ChaseAlder

You could try taking a couple weeks off from full Crossfit WODS and do your pullups, pushups, situps, russian twists, wall balls (without squats), etc. Stretch your knee, ice it, move it around so it doesn't get stiff, but take a break from squat cleans and power snatches and stuff like that. If it still hurts this much after a couple weeks of rest, I'd definitely see a doctor.

I'm currently post-op from knee surgery and I do Crossfit five times a week with my knee brace locked straight. I do all the upper body and core stuff, and I do whatever I can with one leg. I use lighter weights for movements that require lifting from the ground and I squat with one leg (and the bad leg sticking straight out to my side). If the WOD is all cardio, I use the rower while everyone else is doing gassers and mountain climbers. You can still do Crossfit without using your knees, you'll just have to alter your WOD a little to suit you.

Go easy on your knees for a couple weeks or so and see if they improve with rest and ice. If not, go see someone.

Hadabetter

Because the pain has continue for so long I would suggest that this is not as much from over-exertion as it is the result of an injury. You need to heal, and you're not going to heal unless you stop doing what injured you in the first place. A trip to the doc may be in order as well.

kimkim1123

I had two knee surgeries over 20 years ago and my knee has always been an issue... floating knee cap, instability, always somewhat swollen, etc. I do have osteoarthritis in that knee, but it is very mild and not causing pain.

I started to have paint a few months after starting crossfit and it turns out my knee cap is not seated right and is not tracking right... patellafemoral pain syndrome I think it's called. I have a new brace coming in the mail, have to take Ibuprofen before working out, and have to ice afterwards.

In the meantime I'm not doing any squats because that is the activity that bothers me.

Going in to the doctor I thought for sure it was my arthritis and thought I was going to be told to quit crossfit. Instead the ortho said I can crossfit that it's the knee cap that is the problem... I was really happy about that!

I would definitely go to the doctor so they can find the source of the pain. If you don't know what's causing it, you can't fix it.

Good luck to you! Kim

alyssa92982

Rest for sure and dr