Hello! It will be lovely meeting and getting to know you all. I don't have serious knee degeneration, just the starts of it. Painful enough at this early stage, my goal is to avoid replacement surgery as much as is possible or at least to delay it for as long as possible. Silly, I know, but in today's age of easily replacement parts in all aspects, I'd like to go out with original parts! :laugh:

Recently diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both knees this past February, I've know for a decade that my knees and ankles are probably the weakest joints in my body and I've been careful with them. Though I like to run, I curtailed that greatly still, the crazy competitive monster reared in me, and in early February when one of the groups I was in had a President's National Fitness Test challenge, I went too gung-ho. Not satisfied to stop at the walking test, I also completed the running part. Oh, I felt so good during it, breeze flowing through my hair and on my skin. As I've dropped 50-lbs in the last year and gotten stronger, it feels good to push physically sometimes. The next day, however, ouch. Within a week and a half the pain was so bad I saw my doctor for the first time regarding my knees and that's when I got the diagnosis and this doctor's order: "No more running for you unless it's away from something dangerous." Noted.

Meantime, I've only had about a week and half pain free since then. Another trip back to the doctor last week to find out what I might be doing wrong in my exercises and wow, I found out I was harming my knees the most by the runner's quad stretch I'd been doing. Additionally, besides a referral to a physical therapist, I was told to ice my knees 20 minutes immediately after exercising.

Good news is, I was told that if I maintain good stretching and exercises practices plus continue to lose weight, by this fall when the cold weather hits my pain should be completely gone. That is something great to hope for and pure motivation. Normally I don't lose more than 5 lbs a month; now I'm shooting for 10 lbs a month,

Here's to us folks! :drinker: May the ice packs be ever near.

-Debra

hi everyone:
new to the group. Had terrible knee problems - a total left knee replacement two years ago and just had my other knee replaced in February. It has made all the difference in the world, but you do live your life a little differently. still have a few issues, but at least I don't fall down any more

Hi all. I'm new to MFP and this looked like the group to join. I had ACL reconstruction on my left knee, which is still not at 100% 4 years after surgery, and was recently diagnosed with chondromalacia patella of my right knee. I can walk fine, but I cannot attempt running or jogging until my right knee gets better.

Basically doctors and physical therapists think I have a muscle imbalance. The muscles in my outer thigh pull my kneecap off its normal traction, and my knee cap scrapes against the cartilage of my knee.

I hear that chondromalacia patella is pretty common. Anyone else here going through this?

I've been doing PT for about a month, and I can say honestly that its getting better. The change is not happening overnight. I think physical therapy and exercise in general is a lot like gardening. Time and patience are needed.

hey guys im amber! im currently a freshman in college however i messed up my right knee in my senior game of high school varsity soccer. had some tests done on it and the results were a torn menicus and pulled acl : ( i ended up not getting any surgery or physical therapy due to certain reasons. so its been almost a year since this happened and ive been at the gym a lot this semester however i think its getting worse. im having major pains with my meniscus and occasionally my acl. i just made this account today so that is why my ticker is at 0! i would love to hear from you all add me at anytime!