Want to Run!!! ... but Knee Pain ..

♥_Ellybean_♥
♥_Ellybean_♥ Posts: 1,646 Member
edited September 25 in Fitness and Exercise
I've always wanted to be a runner... I know you can laugh here.... but being big never stopped me from doing the things I loved, and if I went on a walk, my legs just wanted to run... So over the years you would catch me trying to run... trying to teach myself how to run...Over the last year I was able to drop around 30lbs so I wanted to try and get into running..... the problem is my knee would kill me...

I was in a motorcycle accident in 2009 and I could barely (maybe a foot) walk for almost 3 weeks... They did not find anything wrong with my knee in the hospital, and could not understand why I could not walk on my knee... but everytime I would try the pain was so bad I would have to sit down, so they said it was probably due to the swelling from my body landing on it after being thrown off the bike...

Fast forward to today and I still have problems with this knee yet they can't find anything wrong with it... but I WANT TO RUN!! I tried again last night... but I could only run for very short (few seconds) as my knee was in a lot of pain... Now I realize that if I lose more weight (I am working on it) the pain might go away... BUT if I run I will lose weight, and I really want to run!!!

I have a Charity 5K coming up at the end of April.... I would really love to run intervals for this and get a good time (not my current 19 minute mile).. I hate walking, it's boring and well I just don't like walking.

Any suggestions on what I could do about this knee pain??????

Replies

  • hopeitworks
    hopeitworks Posts: 284 Member
    I would definitely go back to the doctor again to be checked. I had a similar situation. I had a painful knee when I ran. I went to one doctor who took an x-ray and said he saw nothing. He said to cut back on the cardio for a while. I tried that and it didn't work. I went to another doctor (an orthopedic) who sent me for an MRI. It showed that a had a very small tear in my meniscus. It barely showed up on the MRI. I wound up having arthroscopic surgery on it and after it a healing period and a few weeks of physical therapy, I was able to run on it without pain. I'm not saying that's your issue, but I would definitely get it checked out again, especially if you're having pain.
    Are you warming up enough before you run? Maybe you need a little extra warm up time before you go full force into your run. Well, best of luck to you with your knee. I know how frustrating it is to want to run and have pain doing it. And good luck with your Charity 5K, if you decide to do it.
  • ♥_Ellybean_♥
    ♥_Ellybean_♥ Posts: 1,646 Member
    I would definitely go back to the doctor again to be checked. I had a similar situation. I had a painful knee when I ran. I went to one doctor who took an x-ray and said he saw nothing. He said to cut back on the cardio for a while. I tried that and it didn't work. I went to another doctor (an orthopedic) who sent me for an MRI. It showed that a had a very small tear in my meniscus. It barely showed up on the MRI. I wound up having arthroscopic surgery on it and after it a healing period and a few weeks of physical therapy, I was able to run on it without pain. I'm not saying that's your issue, but I would definitely get it checked out again, especially if you're having pain.
    Are you warming up enough before you run? Maybe you need a little extra warm up time before you go full force into your run. Well, best of luck to you with your knee. I know how frustrating it is to want to run and have pain doing it. And good luck with your Charity 5K, if you decide to do it.

    I've already signed up so I am definatly doing it... weather I walk the whole thing or try and run is the other option...

    Thanks for the input, I think I am going to try and make an appt and see about my knee...

    I do warm up, I usually do 5 minutes of walking at a steady pace before running. And also do some stretches before running.
  • sftb
    sftb Posts: 40
    I agree with hopeitworks - knees are very particular and thus need a professional to help guide you. I have osteoarthritis in my knee, from an old basketball injury, and have ran 3 half marathons. It's flaring up right now, so I may end up walking my June half marathon...we'll see. Anyhow, I have a link below, in response to another posting, about knee exercises that I have been doing to help my knee. Let me know if you have trouble reading it:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/210005-exercises-to-strengthen-the-knee

    I'm about the 7th or 8th comment.

    Good luck! Running is fun :)
  • Flyntiggr
    Flyntiggr Posts: 898 Member
    If your insurance allows it, go directly to an orthopedic that specializes in sports medicine, and skip your GP all together. I blew my MCL two years ago, and when I went to urgent care, they x-rayed it and said nothing was wrong. Of course they said that, as ligament tears will not show up on x-ray!

    As soon as I finaly caved and went to the ortho, he didn't even have to do an MRI to know my MCL was completely torn - he could tell from just the exam....
  • ♥_Ellybean_♥
    ♥_Ellybean_♥ Posts: 1,646 Member
    If your insurance allows it, go directly to an orthopedic that specializes in sports medicine, and skip your GP all together. I blew my MCL two years ago, and when I went to urgent care, they x-rayed it and said nothing was wrong. Of course they said that, as ligament tears will not show up on x-ray!

    As soon as I finaly caved and went to the ortho, he didn't even have to do an MRI to know my MCL was completely torn - he could tell from just the exam....

    That's interesting.. unfortunately I have HMO and everything has to go through my GP. :ohwell:
  • Flyntiggr
    Flyntiggr Posts: 898 Member
    have they ever done an MRI on the knee, or only x-rays?
  • ♥_Ellybean_♥
    ♥_Ellybean_♥ Posts: 1,646 Member
    have they ever done an MRI on the knee, or only x-rays?

    Only time was when I was in the hospital the night of the accident.
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