Lifting with a Bad Knee?

faberallison
faberallison Posts: 45 Member
edited November 10 in Fitness and Exercise
Hello all,

I would really like to start lifting. I am absolutely terrified to exercise though due to knee problems. I first dislocated my knee during ballet class (danced for 18 years). It slips out if I twist wrong. A couple years ago, I was running and it slipped out again. I was running on a rural road in Nebraska and waited an hour for an ambulance. Not an experience I would like to repeat. I got PT, but due to insurance, only had 6 weeks. My left quad is still much smaller two years later. Now, I would love to lift and really work on gaining strength in addition to losing about 30-40 lbs.

Any suggestions? Should I lift?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Speak to a doctor/physio?
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Yeah, I'd talked to a doctor before you start anything. Probably get a brace, start slow, really concentrate on form.
  • faberallison
    faberallison Posts: 45 Member
    Forgot to add: I spoke to my family doctor about it and they brushed me off and said cardio was probably better for weight loss.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    faberallison wrote: »
    Forgot to add: I spoke to my family doctor about it and they brushed me off and said cardio was probably better for weight loss.

    Find someone more qualified than your GP
  • bigd66218
    bigd66218 Posts: 376 Member
    Cardio is better for weight loss, I would try cycling/swimming easier on the knee. However, before you start I would definitely speak to a specialist possibly an orthopedic surgeon. Don't be frightened by my post, a good orthopedic surgeon recommends surgery as a last resort. Generally, after an initial exam he/she will recommend PT. If your insurance only covers a specific amount of time, learn the routine and attempt to duplicate at home
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    edited January 2015
    No reason to fear squatting or deadlifting with a bad knee. I have a meniscus minor injury in my left (snowboarding) and a bone spur (osgood slaughter) in my right knee. Answer for my right knee was a patella knee brace. That helps very, very much and gave me tons of confidence to squat. I now can squat below parallel with relatively little pain. (And I have much much less pain the heavier I go because of speed.) Of course, those first few sets are achy, but I grit and go on. You could try compression bracing your knees.

    My knees are much stronger now. Squatting makes them stronger.

    As for the weight loss, eat at deficit and lift heavy where you can, and enjoy those gains and breaking PRs. There are many women on here who can help you too. Find them.
  • Rogiefreida
    Rogiefreida Posts: 567 Member
    Weight training definitely will help strengthen your knees, just be careful and I'd definitely wear an open patella brace to protect your knee cap. I had lots of knee problems as a teenager and my problems are now nonexistent, thanks in part to weight training and strengthening the muscles to help hold your kneecaps in place.

    I would definitely consult with a doctor or, maybe better, a PT. In my experience (I've traded knee problems for an ankle blowout that has left me with chronic problems) doctors tend to discourage me from heavy weight training saying my ankle is too damaged to safely lift, but my PT disagrees and has helped me figure out how to work around injury and develop strength and recover from injury. I'm lifting heavier than I did before the ankle blow out with minimal to no problems.
  • SBRRepeat
    SBRRepeat Posts: 384 Member
    Hey, I also have a patella with a mind of it's own! Mine last dislocated 2 months agowhile I was standing perfectly still, indoors, at work. Fun stuff.
    I second the vote for an orthopedic surgeon consult and Physical Therapy, if insurance will pay again. If an ortho doc recommends PT, the insurance companies usually cough up the cash.
    Here's what I had to do:
    After my last injury, my PT had me focus on strengthening the inside of my leg, since my quads, hamstrings, and IT bands are significantly stronger. That's fairly common across the board, which makes sense. I'd do some work there, first.
    I started on the dorky isolation machines at the gym that targeted my inner thigh muscles (normally not a fan of isolation machines, but my quads were ovecompensating when I did compound exercises), as well as doing box steps, unweighted squats on a bosu ball (refused to do that one at the actually gym, it was embarrassing), and tons of stretching with a yoga strap to loosen up the hamstrings, quads, and IT band. I also ran and biked with a brace- the ortho doc gave me one that had metal hinges supporting each side, but I found a similar one at the pharmacy that was a bit more comfortable and just as supportive- until my knee felt more stable. Took about a month of daily exercises to get it back to "normal," which still isn't perfect.
    As soon as that knee started feeling stable again, I went back to squats and my regular strength training, with a reduced load. I'm still lifting at about 85% of what I was doing 3 months ago. I do more warm up sets with the empty bar than I used to and usually spend time loosening up on the rowing machine before lifting. I've also found that balancing poses from yoga have helped with stabilizer muscles- eagle, dancer, airplane, half moon, etc.
    Anyway, good luck!
  • faberallison
    faberallison Posts: 45 Member
    Thank you all!
This discussion has been closed.

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