Knee pain when doing ANYTHING remotely active

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TrishaCisneros
TrishaCisneros Posts: 171 Member
edited March 2016 in Fitness and Exercise
When I first started my fitness journey, I began by using C25K. I discovered a love for running. After I finished the app, I quit due to knee pain. Mainly just my right knee. Knee cap area, front, bottom left. I know it isn't anything super serious, as my doctor isn't concerned at all. However, the pain flares up whenever I do any type of cardio where I have to use it repeatedly. Does anyone know how to get around it? I'd really love to start running again.

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  • wilsoncl6
    wilsoncl6 Posts: 1,288 Member
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    Well, the first thing is to not let your doctor just dismiss the pain, especially if it's effecting your activity level. Ask for a referral to an orthopedic specialist. That is the doctor you need to see to get a proper diagnosis. It could be a wide variety of issues, meniscus tear or problem with the proper movement of the kneecap which could come from uneven muscle strengthening in your quads or ligament issues. You have to see a ortho to know for sure. Otherwise, I'd say stop doing impact cardio (like elliptical or bike), if that doesn't bother you or do high rep/high volume strength training that gets your heart rate up.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
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    maybe have another doctor check it out, a knee doctor. Otherwise if you are ok with the diagnoses that it isn't anything serious, you can use compression and ice to relieve the pain. You can also use a compression knee sleeve when you exercise to see if that helps. I wear them when i workout and it helps. You can also just do exercises that don't have a lot of repetitive knee movement. For example i can not do 200 bodyweight squats without massive knee pain, but i can do 20 weighted squats and im' fine. Also when you first start exercising you have to build up slowly to give your joints a chance to toughen up.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    There can be any number of reasons for knee pain while running, fortunately most of them are not serious and can be treated.

    Ask your doctor for a referral to a sports medicine clinic. Their assessment should be able to rule out anything serious and devise a program (usually simple exercises to address muscular imbalances, weak glutes / hips and/or core) to get you back on track.

    Here are some articles that may help (but they're not a substitute for a proper diagnosis)

    runnersworld.com/tag/runners-knee

    triathlon.competitor.com/2015/08/training/runners-knee-treatment-recovery-and-exercises_72793

    active.com/running/articles/how-to-treat-and-prevent-running-injuries-runner-s-knee

    For me being consistent with my strength & x-training and periodized training have kept me running injury free for the last 5 or so years.
  • TrishaCisneros
    TrishaCisneros Posts: 171 Member
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    Thanks!!
  • AdrianChr92
    AdrianChr92 Posts: 567 Member
    edited March 2016
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    Can you please try this stretch and report back?

    I have same pain like you. Bottom left, right under my patella.

    This stretch eliminates the pain for like 1 hour after I do it. Take your time. If it works it means you have tight IT band and it pulls your patella, which causes pain. Either that or you have other imbalances that makes your patella track bad. I know it look tough (and it is) but just try. Do it with your hurting leg under first then switch for the other leg.


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x30rjVT-TLo
  • pomegranatecloud
    pomegranatecloud Posts: 812 Member
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    What kind of doctor did you see? You should see an orthopedist who will give you exercises to do or refer you to PT. I had similar pain, and it was patellar tendinitis caused by weak glutes and hips.
  • rlr5072
    rlr5072 Posts: 22 Member
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    Same story here.. I too was diagnosed with patella tracking disorder (In my case, partly genetics: wide, weak hips that put strain on my inner knee area, combined with overuse: too much focus on spinning and not enough strength training). Repetitive movements make the pain worse because the knee cap isn't tracking in the patella groove appropriately.

    I did PT for approximately four months. I will probably need to continue my home exercises my whole life to maintain, but it is completely manageable now and I'm back to being pain free.

    As suggested above, definitely see an Ortho! I waited years because I was stubborn, so my treatment plan was probably a lot longer than it could have been. Best of luck!
  • mathandcats
    mathandcats Posts: 786 Member
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    It may not be the same thing (and don't dismiss the possibility that there is a real problem), but when I first started, I had horrible knee pain running. I think it was because the muscles in my legs were weak. I took a couple of months to do total body strength training instead, including squats and deadlifts, etc.. Improving my quad and core strength helped a lot. When I returned to jogging, it was so, so much better after doing that.
  • FitOldMomma
    FitOldMomma Posts: 790 Member
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    Definitely see an Ortho! Don't let your doc dismiss the pain if you want to stay active and fit.
    If you have access to a swimming pool, water aerobics and even walking in the pool is a great way to keep your knee and associated muscles strong without putting undue stress on them.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,429 Member
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    +1 to the orthopedist, but be careful about the possibility of surgery-obsessed ones. And do try to get a referral for physical therapy, whether from primary care or ortho. PT helped me quite a bit, even though I have a condition (torn meniscus, plus arthritis) that can't directly be improved by PT . . . but they were able to help me learn how to walk & climb stairs in ways that put less strain on the torn meniscus, so I had noticeably less pain. (I'm not saying that's why you have. I'm saying that good physical therapists can help with lots of things, sometimes in indirect ways.)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,579 Member
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    It's possibly tendinitis (patellar tendon based on where you placed location) and sometimes just wearing a band that goes below the knee (they are sold in sports stores) may alleviate much of the pain. Look on my profile pics an you'll see me wearing them playing football.
    I would also say to consult an ortho just for assurance.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    edited March 2016
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    I'm in the same boat. Was in a car accident almost 3 years ago. Communiuted fracture up and down the left side of my knee. Did physical therapy for 4 months. Have had problems on and off since then. Was walking/light jogging for all this time and out of nowhere, the knee that was injured started hurting...a lot. At rest, when moving, etc. It hurts to bend or straighten and I went to my regular doc yesterday who said there's some swelling and fluid. Now I need to go back to the orthopedist and get an MRI to see if there's lingering damage.

    It hurts laterally on both sides of my left knee and it hurts to touch the outside of my knee. The swelling and fluid is on the left side of my knee.

    It sucks because I'm a stay at home parent and now I can't do anything.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    It's possibly tendinitis (patellar tendon based on where you placed location) and sometimes just wearing a band that goes below the knee (they are sold in sports stores) may alleviate much of the pain. Look on my profile pics an you'll see me wearing them playing football.
    I would also say to consult an ortho just for assurance.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    I personally would not wear a random band, sleeve or other support. Get a diagnosis of the issue and a recommendation for a support, brace, etc from a medical professional.

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