How painful does it have to be for you to stop exercising?

jmgj27 · May 2011

I run about 50 - 60kms a week and weight train (basically, I love exercising!) but have a long-standing problem with my knee. My consultant has basically said to me that I shouldn't be able to run but, since I've been running on my knee for over a decade, she's happy for me to carry on provided it doesn't really hurt.

Therein lies the problem - I generally take the view that my body's just moaning at me and I'm the boss of it so unless something breaks or falls off, I won't stop exercising! My knee always hurts and always has. It swells up, clicks and crunches and does a variety of other slightly unpleasant things. How on earth do I tell when I've reached the 'it hurts' threshold?

To be honest, I'm very unlikely to stop running until it does actually fall off but would be interested in how other people approach this kind of thing? Is it normal to assume my body's just whinging and needs to be disciplined?! :bigsmile:

cmriverside · May 2011

How about surgery? If you are going to continue to run, it will continue to hurt. May as well bite the bullet and have surgery so at least it doesn't hurt to run.

talysshade · May 2011

Erm... usually pain is a signal that something's wrong lol... even in the case of sore muscles, we've just figured out that it's fine to work through that... i guess as long as your doctor says it's fine and you feel alright then do it.. you're obviously not crippled yet so i'd say have fun.. although i'm sure that for the knee itself a break would be better..

jmgj27 · May 2011

I know. I need surgery and will be out of action for 6 - 8 weeks but given I'm only 29 and have already had one knee surgery, I'd rather wait until I reach my goal weight and until it's really necessary because I'm worried that it'll just be another step down the road to a knee replacement which usually leads to no running. :sad:

jillybeanruns · May 2011

I'm constantly trying to figure out when the pain is too much and when I should stop. I nearly always have pain when I exercise, most of the time I just notice it and work through it. Not the smartest for sure, but I have lower leg and ankle pain from multiple sports injuries and I have substantial pain just grocery shopping some days. If it gets more severe, I back off, ice and try to rest. I'm really terrible with not running, but I will force myself to if the pain gets unbearable and I know that I'm undoing all the hard work I put into my training by continuing to exercise. More than likely, I'll be taking 4-7 days off from running next week because of over-training and injury :-/

ATT949 · May 2011

It's a "scratch" unless there are exposed bones or arterial bleeding.

:-)

I had knee pain for three decades until I started taking glucosamine. It works like a charm for me. My right knee just used to get a stabbing pain (like a hit needle was going through the joint) but my left knee would snap, crackle, and pop often and had a constant pain…about a 2.

That all changed with glucosamine.

If your knee is swelling, though, that's different. The body swells in response to damage and to immobilize the joint. I would strongly suggest that go to someone who diagnose the issue and lay out a treatment plan.

jmgj27 · May 2011

It's a "scratch" unless there are exposed bones or arterial bleeding.

:-)

I had knee pain for three decades until I started taking glucosamine. It works like a charm for me. My right knee just used to get a stabbing pain (like a hit needle was going through the joint) but my left knee would snap, crackle, and pop often and had a constant pain…about a 2.

That all changed with glucosamine.

If your knee is swelling, though, that's different. The body swells in response to damage and to immobilize the joint. I would strongly suggest that go to someone who diagnose the issue and lay out a treatment plan.

I like the "scratch" quote - you sound like my mother !

I've dabbled with glucosamine but you've convinced me to try it a bit more long term.

I'm in the middle of hospital consultants and MRI with my knee - never fear!

ATT949 · May 2011

I know. I need surgery and will be out of action for 6 - 8 weeks but given I'm only 29 and have already had one knee surgery, I'd rather wait until I reach my goal weight and until it's really necessary because I'm worried that it'll just be another step down the road to a knee replacement which usually leads to no running. :sad:

You've had surgery and you're still doing things that cause swelling?

The only expression that I will claim as being original is "Wisdom is the ability to do things that, in hindsight, will not appear to have been stupid."

I'm wondering is what you're doing is "wise".

Please take this in the lighthearted spirit in which it was intended! :-)

heather0416 · May 2011

I use to run every day.. until a piece of bone the size of a nickel, broke off of my knee cap. A surgery and two months later.. decided no more running for me. Already looking at a knee replacement. I power walk and my knee still hurts. I'm jealous of all of those people out there with good knees. Hope your knee starts feeling better!

jmgj27 · May 2011

Surgery a decade ago that apparently 'fixed' things. Hence my suspicion about the consultant's lighthearted 'we'll just chop off the extra bits of bone, sew it up and bob's your uncle' approach now! I should explain - my knee has hurt all the time (including the swelling, crunching, occasional locking and other delightful things) for a decade, regardless of whether I exercise at all or not. The running doesn't seem to make things worse (I think?) and, as I say, the consultant said that although she couldn't really understand how I could run on the mish-mash of bits of bone that is my knee, she was happy for me to keep doing it so long as it wasn't significantly more painful than usual. Cue a wide range of (probably) psychosomatic symptoms...!

youngmomtaz · May 2011

I would guess it depends solely on you. I can see how some pain you just get used to and deal with but others require rest. I have neck and shoulder issues that I have learned to live with even though my physio and the doc say that others with this problem would be laid up and on disability. On the other hand my hip issues throw me completley off track and without a treatment or two in short sucession I am out of commission while that pain is present. Same if I get a case of shin splints. I have spoken to people who tell me they lower their mileage when shin splints hit but either mine are worse then theirs or I am a baby when it comes to lower body pain because shin splints keep me from climbing stairs, sitting cross legged, and even sleeping is uncomfy, so running with them is not going to happen. So it totally depends. As a RMT I would say if the pain is the same as what you usually feel then do what you feel you can. If it changes, your gait suddenly changes, or the tissue surrounding your knee changes(swelling, redness, pain to touch) then slow way down, R.I.C.E and get assessed again.

jmgj27 · May 2011

I use to run every day.. until a piece of bone the size of a nickel, broke off of my knee cap. A surgery and two months later.. decided no more running for me. Already looking at a knee replacement. I power walk and my knee still hurts. I'm jealous of all of those people out there with good knees. Hope your knee starts feeling better!

That sounds eerily familiar! That was the reason I first had surgery - if it helps, I didn't run at all for years and it made no difference to the pain level etc. when I did stop. I hope your knee feels better too! I sympathise with the lack of running...

mdb120776 · May 2011

I love to run so I know how hard it would be to have to stop. I think we become addicted to running.
Running through the pain is what most of us do, but I was told that if the pain does not go away after two miles, then you need to take a break.

ChelDM · May 2011

I was doing the same thing...I was in pain in my hips and I kept on going... my pain tolerance is so high that upon taking Vicodin and Norco as prescribed it didn't touch the pain...I am now on Percoset...I am still in pain and have an appointment for an epidural in my spine since cortizone injections did not work....Needless to say I am in pain and cannot exercise any longer...

If you choose not to stop when your body is giving you signals, eventually your body will stop you and then you don't know what you will be facing...surgery? or worse...an MD telling you you will not have full use of it later?

It has been a month since I have been able to exercise. Don't press your luck.

gp79 · May 2011

If what you described was going on with my knee, I would stop running and go see a doc. A professional opinion from a medical doctor will give you a better assessment of what is going on. There may be preventative measures you could take to reduce the chances of further injury. Maybe you need surgery, maybe you don't. This type of question is very subjective because everyone has a different threshold for pain, and what you complain about may be something that I consider to be 'normal'.

Go see a doc.

MrsCon40 · May 2011

I've dabbled with glucosamine but you've convinced me to try it a bit more long term.

You really need to be on glucosamine for at least 6 months to realize full effect. Give it another shot!

fteale · May 2011

If I think I am causing structural damage, I will stop. I pulled a tendon a couple of months ago and was told to stop running for 2 weeks to rest it. Instead I just reduced my running to 6k once a week and kept up the rest of my training. It recovered fine, but then I knew I wasn't seriously injured, it was just a bit of pain.

I get pain in the other ankle now, when I run, but again, it isn't structural so I just ignore it.

Fattack · May 2011

I have a maltracking patella, if I feel pain in the knee whilst exercising (which is extremely rare) I STOP, and have been told by my physiotherapist not to run, because I'm effectively grinding my knee down until the muscles support it and the maltracking lessens.

How painful does it have to be for you to stop exercising?

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