Weak Knee (Just one!) and Step Ups
Rae123456
Posts: 23 Member
I did Stage 1 A on Wednesday and I was curious if anyone had any ideas or recommendations for what to do with step ups and/or alternatives for people with really weak knees (or just one weak knee).
To give you background: my left knee has a tilted patella and almost no cartilage left. Because of this I seem to have an imbalance in knee and related muscle strength. I tried to do the step ups and I have no problem with my right leg, but my left leg I was down to no weights and a small step and I was still having difficulties. I don't want to skip the exercise OR only work the right leg because that'll just make the problem worse.
Are there any alternatives that people have found? One friend recommended carrying weights while going up the stairs until my left leg gains strength. Is this a good or bad idea? I'd appreciate any input!
As a side note: I did do the squats but I can tell I'm using my right leg to complete most of the movement. I will be trying lunges tonight so I don't know how good/bad I am at those.
To give you background: my left knee has a tilted patella and almost no cartilage left. Because of this I seem to have an imbalance in knee and related muscle strength. I tried to do the step ups and I have no problem with my right leg, but my left leg I was down to no weights and a small step and I was still having difficulties. I don't want to skip the exercise OR only work the right leg because that'll just make the problem worse.
Are there any alternatives that people have found? One friend recommended carrying weights while going up the stairs until my left leg gains strength. Is this a good or bad idea? I'd appreciate any input!
As a side note: I did do the squats but I can tell I'm using my right leg to complete most of the movement. I will be trying lunges tonight so I don't know how good/bad I am at those.
0
Replies
-
It sounds as though you should be doing some PT exercises to try and strengthen your left knee. Maybe ask your doctor if they have any exercises they would recommend, or maybe see a physical therapist for a few sessions to learn some things you can do at home, if you haven't already.
Don't push it on your knee. Keep doing low- or body-weight exercises on it until you can build some strength up. Pushing it may just cause more damage and set you back further. Good luck! I definitely know how frustrating ortho problems can be to overcome!0
