Knee injuries-what do you do?

capriqueen
capriqueen Posts: 976 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
After 2 weeks of 30DS, I've noticed the injury in my right knee has worsened- to a point where it's become impossible for me to squat on the floor, and there's some inflammation. I'd made the mistake of ignoring the injury all last week and exercising anyway, but now I don't want to exert it. What do you normally do during these times?

Replies

  • ambervaldez79
    ambervaldez79 Posts: 210 Member
    rest and ice it. I was having a similar problem so I ended up getting a knee brace. that has helped.
  • ambervaldez79
    ambervaldez79 Posts: 210 Member
    I'm on level 2 of 30DS. My knee was inflamed in the last few days of L1 so I took those days off. Epsom salt baths are nice too. I also massage my knees when they hurt. I don't know if it actually helps but it feels good to massage the tissue about the kneecap.
  • toadkingdom
    toadkingdom Posts: 10
    If you have a knee injury, skip the squats + get to a doctor.
  • jaimelynn01
    jaimelynn01 Posts: 62
    online RN here says this:
    RICE
    Rest
    Ice
    Compress
    Elevate

    take ibuprofen too if you can, you are allowed up to 2400 mg in a day if you dont have kidney issues. that means you can take 800 mg every 8 hours if needed for pain/inflammation.
    Ice with your leg elevated above your heart level. 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off of ice.
    try a brace while you are active or get an ACE bandage at the drug store to help support the joint.

    if you are not feeling better after 4 days or so, id call and go see your doc. you may need an xray.

    Good luck!
    ~Jaime :)
  • eandrsmom
    eandrsmom Posts: 119
    Watch that!!!! I developed tendonitis and a probable meniscus tear trying to work through similar symptoms. It has been nearly 6 months and it still stops me dead some days. I can't do 30ds, p90x or crossfit. But I have been losing steadily thanks to my eating habits and the rehab continues. According to the surgeon, squats and lunges pay his salary. Good luck!!!!
  • Laddiegirl
    Laddiegirl Posts: 382 Member
    Do not do ANY squats! I injured my knee about a year and a half ago at work (50% patella tendon tear) and wasn't given the okay to see a doctor for two weeks (lovely no?) and kept doing my regular duties which included squatting & kneeling and it made it much worse so it took longer to heal (to the point that it has anyhow, it will never be completely better).

    Rest, ice & elevate it and get yourself to a doctor as soon as you can. Don't mess with your joints! I'm 33 and there are days when I feel like an old woman because of the (lifelong) lingering issues I have with my knee. There are days I just cannot do my workout and I respect that because I know in the end a missed day of exercise is better than the several days of pain & swelling that will happen if I don't.
  • LOH611
    LOH611 Posts: 23 Member
    I have had 2 knee surgeries and since then I have had extremely weak and sore knees. All I can say is take it easy. Low impact for cardio and skip the squats. Try things like leg lifts if you want to tone your legs.
  • ambervaldez79
    ambervaldez79 Posts: 210 Member
    Squats and lunges help strengthen the muscles around the knee. There is a difference between knee pain associated with a new workout and a serious injury. I think many people probably don't use proper form when doing exercises. I wouldn't throw the towel in this early, but you know your body best. If you feel like something is seriously wrong with your knee, have it checked out. Otherwise, RICE works!!

    Low impact exerices work well like water aerobics if you think the Shred is too much for right now.
  • capriqueen
    capriqueen Posts: 976 Member
    online RN here says this:
    RICE
    Rest
    Ice
    Compress
    Elevate

    take ibuprofen too if you can, you are allowed up to 2400 mg in a day if you dont have kidney issues. that means you can take 800 mg every 8 hours if needed for pain/inflammation.
    Ice with your leg elevated above your heart level. 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off of ice.
    try a brace while you are active or get an ACE bandage at the drug store to help support the joint.

    if you are not feeling better after 4 days or so, id call and go see your doc. you may need an xray.

    Good luck!
    ~Jaime :)

    Thanks for all this advice! I guess ibuprofen would help, i used it when my whole body was aching the other day. How do you ice it? Just apply ice on the inflammation while your leg is elevated? Or immerse it in an ice bath or something?
    What exercise do you think I should be doing? Is BFBM a safe option or should I just be resting?
  • capriqueen
    capriqueen Posts: 976 Member
    Do not do ANY squats! I injured my knee about a year and a half ago at work (50% patella tendon tear) and wasn't given the okay to see a doctor for two weeks (lovely no?) and kept doing my regular duties which included squatting & kneeling and it made it much worse so it took longer to heal (to the point that it has anyhow, it will never be completely better).

    Rest, ice & elevate it and get yourself to a doctor as soon as you can. Don't mess with your joints! I'm 33 and there are days when I feel like an old woman because of the (lifelong) lingering issues I have with my knee. There are days I just cannot do my workout and I respect that because I know in the end a missed day of exercise is better than the several days of pain & swelling that will happen if I don't.

    I am 22. I really don't want to mess with my joints this early, but I was wondering if it was ok to do some kickboxing/high-impact cardio.
  • thnksfrthmmrs
    thnksfrthmmrs Posts: 152 Member
    I have had 2 knee surgeries and since then I have had extremely weak and sore knees. All I can say is take it easy. Low impact for cardio and skip the squats. Try things like leg lifts if you want to tone your legs.

    This lady talks sense.

    Ive also had surgery on my knee and fibula bone and was warned by the surgeon to not do anything with high impact and awkard positioning on the knee. Such as squats.

    If you still want to do squats just go down to what you can handle. Dont over do it or you'll end up in a worse position than you are.

    Try doing low impact excercise like leg lifts, or use the back of a chair to do squats so you dont over do it. :)
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
    Talk to your doctor to find out why you are having the knee pain. Get his/her advice on exercises that will affect them.

    Sometimes squatting with good form will actually strengthen the muscles that are affecting the knees to help get rid of the knee problem. Sometimes they may make the problem worse. It depends on what is affecting your knees.
  • capriqueen
    capriqueen Posts: 976 Member
    I have had 2 knee surgeries and since then I have had extremely weak and sore knees. All I can say is take it easy. Low impact for cardio and skip the squats. Try things like leg lifts if you want to tone your legs.

    This lady talks sense.

    Ive also had surgery on my knee and fibula bone and was warned by the surgeon to not do anything with high impact and awkard positioning on the knee. Such as squats.

    If you still want to do squats just go down to what you can handle. Dont over do it or you'll end up in a worse position than you are.

    Try doing low impact excercise like leg lifts, or use the back of a chair to do squats so you dont over do it. :)

    I'm skipping the squats and sticking to cardio. I've been hard enough so far on it, I reckon.
  • anels449
    anels449 Posts: 3,187 Member
    Thanks for all this advice! I guess ibuprofen would help, i used it when my whole body was aching the other day. How do you ice it? Just apply ice on the inflammation while your leg is elevated? Or immerse it in an ice bath or something?
    What exercise do you think I should be doing? Is BFBM a safe option or should I just be resting?

    I love the good ol' frozen towel trick. It's bendable so you can wrap it entirely around the knee. :)
  • ouija86
    ouija86 Posts: 138 Member
    Screw doctors.

    I hurt my knee a year ago after leg pressing 720lbs (which isn't all the much). First doc ordered up xrays, said I was fine, and told me to re-evaluate what I was doing with my life.

    Second doc, a sports injury specialist, ordered up some MRI's, said everything looked good. Suggested ibuprofen or alieve for the pain, gave me some exercises to do to make it stronger and said "if it doesn't hurt you can do it".

    So for nearly a year I trained with either a knee brace or knee wraps. Got back to squatting 315lbs, still with pain.

    Go see a chiropractor/holistic medicine guy (yes he's a PHD MD) and after 5 minutes of horrifically painful poking prodding and bending, my knee popped and felt 100% better. He then informed me my knee was dislocated because my muscles were pulling the joint apart. He instructed me to stretch. 2 months later i was squatting 425lbs. had some pain, took a 3 week rest, then went back to it no problem what so ever.

    Moral of my story...it's called medical "practice' because that's what it is. See a chiro or somebody similar if you plan on going to the doc. You'll save a ton of money and wont' have to make 900 appointments for office visits, imaging etc
  • ambervaldez79
    ambervaldez79 Posts: 210 Member
    I work for a podiatrist and I have to say, it is a business. The worse off you are, the more money that they make. And trust me, even the best doctors love the cash flow $$$. I have been doing my own research about more natural ways to help heal injuries, there is an abundant amount of information out there!
  • ouija86
    ouija86 Posts: 138 Member
    I work for a podiatrist and I have to say, it is a business. The worse off you are, the more money that they make. And trust me, even the best doctors love the cash flow $$$. I have been doing my own research about more natural ways to help heal injuries, there is an abundant amount of information out there!

    Exactly. I used to scoff at the idea of "alternative medicine". The more I learn, the bigger fan of it I become
  • mcflat29
    mcflat29 Posts: 2,159 Member
    I've dislocated both knees so my family doctor says no high impact ever. Only thing that will do is put me into knee surgery faster. I always wear braces or ace bandages if I'm going to be working out my legs. I still do squats, but I do a modified form. And, not to get into details, but I work in medical. I understand why people don't trust doctors, but I definitely trust mine and my own anatomical knowledge.
  • Fr3shStrt
    Fr3shStrt Posts: 349 Member
    I tore my ACL & MCL a few years ago. I do squats every other day now. I probably could have avoided that injury, ACL reconstructive surgery (and the expensive medical bills) if the muscles around my knees were stronger. When there is something wrong with a joint it is uber important to strengthen the muscle around the joint. When I was in PT doing squats and I felt pain, it was usually because my form was off.

    A really great way to do squats and be good to your knees - use a pilates ball, place the ball on the wall and hold it there with your back, get into a seated position, knees at 90 degree angle and press your back into the ball for support. Slowly extend (the ball will roll up the wall with you). As I was recovering from an injury and trying to build muscle, my PT had me do these very slowly and I would often hold the position in the squat. It burned my atrophied muscles but it worked.

    Here are instructions and a video: http://www.inmotionlife.com/squats-with-a-stability-ball/
  • victoriannsays
    victoriannsays Posts: 568 Member
    I had quad tendinitis recently and I believe it was from too much plyometric exercises.

    RICE works at first, then I started massaging the tissues all around my knee with lotion and massage oil for about 15 mins before and after workouts. It felt SO good and really relieved my pain.

    You really must rest though. I took 4 weeks off of high impact exercise and focused on my upper body.
  • princesspeanutsmom
    princesspeanutsmom Posts: 11 Member
    I've had one knee replacement and will need the other one replaced. Go easy but keep going. Lots of ice and heat. Castor oil packs help reduce the inflamation as well. Get to physio if you can. A knee brace can help. Doing nothing will only make things worse. Use it or loose it. My knees are worse if I don't work out.
  • mcflat29
    mcflat29 Posts: 2,159 Member

    A really great way to do squats and be good to your knees - use a pilates ball, place the ball on the wall and hold it there with your back, get into a seated position, knees at 90 degree angle and press your back into the ball for support. Slowly extend (the ball will roll up the wall with you). As I was recovering from an injury and trying to build muscle, my PT had me do these very slowly and I would often hold the position in the squat. It burned my atrophied muscles but it worked.

    Here are instructions and a video: http://www.inmotionlife.com/squats-with-a-stability-ball/

    That's one of the modifications I use! :happy:
  • Mokosh
    Mokosh Posts: 23 Member
    My left knee has been popping out of the cap for years, but now it's happening every aerobic class.
    My right knee also started to hurt a little since I started doing aerobics.
    Also, 2 weeks ago teacher felt especially inspired to turning and my right knee started to hurt so real bad so I didn't do it.
    But last class, two days ago, I did all the squats and the lounges. Yesterday while performing a small squat while shooting hoops my right knee started to hurt real bad, so I couldn't squat or run anymore, I can't even go up the stairs, it hurts so bad.

    What can I do until it heals so I don't have to starve myself for the next few days?
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Do not do ANY squats! I injured my knee about a year and a half ago at work (50% patella tendon tear) and wasn't given the okay to see a doctor for two weeks (lovely no?) and kept doing my regular duties which included squatting & kneeling and it made it much worse so it took longer to heal (to the point that it has anyhow, it will never be completely better).

    Rest, ice & elevate it and get yourself to a doctor as soon as you can. Don't mess with your joints! I'm 33 and there are days when I feel like an old woman because of the (lifelong) lingering issues I have with my knee. There are days I just cannot do my workout and I respect that because I know in the end a missed day of exercise is better than the several days of pain & swelling that will happen if I don't.

    I am 22. I really don't want to mess with my joints this early, but I was wondering if it was ok to do some kickboxing/high-impact cardio.

    Neither of these sounds like rest
  • justkate88
    justkate88 Posts: 40
    I have three ruptured ligaments in my right knee, and a fractured patella (caused by a nasty dislocation) and am awaiting a multiple ligament reconstruction. I'm doing the 30DS and have found that squats have really strengthened my knee - check your form and don't try to go too low. I can't, however, do the buttkicks, jumping jacks or skipping jumps and just shadow box in place of those exercises.

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