Knee Joint Pain
breahremington1987
Posts: 10 Member
Hello everyone,
For a few years now, I have been experiencing knee joint pain to varying degrees (haven't noticed a pattern as to when it's better or worse). It can happen when exercising and bending my knee more than about 70 degrees, or at times doing every day tasks- getting up and down from sitting, for example. I do have a doctor's appointment in a little over a month where I will discuss this, but thought I could ask what others have done to help themselves in the meantime. Do you know of any exercises, OTC meds, etc that have helped you with this issue?
Sidenote- I know some of this pain will lessen as I lose weight and already has a bit with what I've lost before rejoining MFP! I'm looking for interim ideas as I continue to lose the weight.
Sidenote 2!- A few exercises I've tried to slowly get my knees used to some pressure are barbell step ups on an aerobic stepper, barbell romanian deadlifts, and dumbbell one leg romanian deadlifts. I've been doing these relatively consistently, along with cardio and some other weight lifting exercises, for about 2 months. I tried to do a full squat Monday without any weight thinking it may not hurt as much as it had a few months ago and it was still killer I want to go back to strong lifts 5x5 but can't do so until I find a way to lessen the pain a bit!
Thanks for reading!
Edited for clarity
For a few years now, I have been experiencing knee joint pain to varying degrees (haven't noticed a pattern as to when it's better or worse). It can happen when exercising and bending my knee more than about 70 degrees, or at times doing every day tasks- getting up and down from sitting, for example. I do have a doctor's appointment in a little over a month where I will discuss this, but thought I could ask what others have done to help themselves in the meantime. Do you know of any exercises, OTC meds, etc that have helped you with this issue?
Sidenote- I know some of this pain will lessen as I lose weight and already has a bit with what I've lost before rejoining MFP! I'm looking for interim ideas as I continue to lose the weight.
Sidenote 2!- A few exercises I've tried to slowly get my knees used to some pressure are barbell step ups on an aerobic stepper, barbell romanian deadlifts, and dumbbell one leg romanian deadlifts. I've been doing these relatively consistently, along with cardio and some other weight lifting exercises, for about 2 months. I tried to do a full squat Monday without any weight thinking it may not hurt as much as it had a few months ago and it was still killer I want to go back to strong lifts 5x5 but can't do so until I find a way to lessen the pain a bit!
Thanks for reading!
Edited for clarity
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Replies
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ibuprofen is great for knee soreness. or ice. Pedaling a bike is good for it. As far as the weights, make sure your form is spot on. I have bad knees but as long as my form is perfect , they don't hurt. also make sure your knees are very warmed up before exercises.0
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pain in the knees can come from weak musclulature in the legs and back. Also from pronation of your food in shoes that should have an insole in them, or even be replaced because they have broken down. Don't mess with it ... get it evaluated.1
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Thank you for responding! I made the appointment to be as soon as he could see me, or I'd go sooner.ibuprofen is great for knee soreness. or ice. Pedaling a bike is good for it. As far as the weights, make sure your form is spot on. I have bad knees but as long as my form is perfect , they don't hurt. also make sure your knees are very warmed up before exercises.
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I have been dealing with knee pain for 22 years. Both of my knees were damaged in an accident while training a horse when I was 21. The result being arthritis and cartilage damage.
Anyway for me the things that have helped a lot were
1) A good joint supplement. I take a triple strength Glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM supplement.
2)the right shoes. For me that means zero drop and I have to replace the shoes I wear all day at work every 4-6 months. Basically as soon as the soles start to show wear they need to be replaced. Having balanced feet is a key to keeping knees happy.
3) Regular chiropractic visits. Because I am physically very active I see a chiro twice a month. Keeping knees, hips, and spine properly aligned helps to keep pressure off of my knees.
4) Anti-inflammatories. Ibuprofen, Ice, Epsom salt soaks and a TENS unit are all useful tools.
5) Losing weight. Yes it does make a big difference. Even 10 pounds helps.
Also being fit and keeping good muscle tone. The muscles around your legs need to be strong to help to support and protect the joint.
Due to their fragility I never jump or run, especially on hard surfaces. I also have my horse trained to park beside a tall block for both mounting and dismounting instead of getting on from the ground and jumping off. I hope that as the weight comes off I can start to resume some of these activities.1 -
@shadowfax_c11 Thank you for all the advice! I am definitely going to look into some supplements targeted at joint support and keeping better track of when it's time to replace my shoes.1
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breahremington1987 wrote: »@shadowfax_c11 Thank you for all the advice! I am definitely going to look into some supplements targeted at joint support and keeping better track of when it's time to replace my shoes.
Glad to help. Generally when my knees start hurting it is because one of the above needs attention. Shoes need replacing, I have run out of joint supplement of been forgetting to take it, or been too long away from the chiro. z
Weather does also play a part but that is not so easy to fix. That is where the hot epsom salt soaks come in.1 -
Well I powerlifted for a good while and it took a toll on my knees some of the things you have described sounded like what I was dealing with a X-ray will show if you don't have enuf space in your knee joints of not there is a treatment called suparts it is a jell well basically chicken cartridge that they inject into your knee you go once a wk to have it put in for up to three to five wks but it last two to two 1/2 years it's done wonders for me even chiropractors are doing these procedures2
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I've been taking an MSM powder. It tastes like asprin powder so I put it in my morning shake to mask the taste. Its been working great for my knee. I was at a point where I couldn't put any weight on my right knee and it would buckle anytime I tried to use that leg to stand when trying to climb a ladder or the back of a pick up truck. I don't have that problem anymore. I still have some problems when trying to lunge while bending my right leg but it's not as bad as it used to be also.0
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Have you spoken to your doctor?0
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sunnybeaches105 wrote: »Have you spoken to your doctor?
She says in her post she's going to the doctor but was looking for info in the interim.
I didn't think about joint supplements! Might help me with some of my minor annoyances. (That and building some dang leg strength.)
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sunnybeaches105 wrote: »Have you spoken to your doctor?
She says in her post she's going to the doctor but was looking for info in the interim.
I didn't think about joint supplements! Might help me with some of my minor annoyances. (That and building some dang leg strength.)
They're worthless according to the available research.
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/glucosamine.html
A muscle imbalance is possible and strengthening work can help. The concern though is the possibility of doing more damage prior to a proper diagnosis.2 -
I would not mask pain with NSAIDS, I would continue to monitor the pain and what causes it. Icing is a good idea post workout as well as warming up your legs preworkout. Usually a stationary bike, ride to gym on bike, brisk walk for 10 minutes before leg day will do it.
You touched on your body weight being part of the problem and you indeed are onto something as less weight does help quite a bit.
What does your aerobics regime entail? I would suspect this might be part of the problem too. I know myself I can't do cycling even though its considered a low impact, as the motion aggravates my knees joints.1 -
My recommendation to you is go see an orthopedist. That way he can properly diagnose you and refer you to a physical therapist who can prescribe a program to help with your knee. I speak from experience I'm 56 years old double hip replacement last year and arthritic knee bone on bone arthritis and I have a program that I work with. You're taking the right approach by seeing a specialist. Until then I would take it easy
as far as all the other recommendations I would take them with a grain of salt. Unless they are a medical professional who has personally evaluated you they don't know what they're talking about and their suggestions can cause further damage. Also dr. Google doesn't know what the hell is talking about.
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Thank you everyone! I'll take all of your ideas into consideration. I do hope to be referred to an orthopedist by my PCP; I wish I could get in sooner! I will also do some more research on MSM powder/joint supplements. I'll want to know more before investing in them, but if I can find some inexpensive ones to try, I don't mind spending a small amount of money if there's even a small chance it could help.
Right now my aerobics is pretty light- doing a pretty low impact cardio DVD, modified during any "jumping" sequences, some core work e.g. planking/bridging/etc, and good old fashioned walking. Prior to this week I was doing some cardio on the treadmill for a couple of months- light jogging, interval sprinting, and incline walking. I never experienced any knee pain at all on the treadmill, though I know that doesn't mean it didn't affect them.
I do think there could be something to uneven musculature, in my case. I have very muscular quads and calves, but my hamstrings and glutes leave something to be desired. I'll also look some stuff up online, but does anyone have advice on lifts/movements that can strengthen glutes and hammies without putting too much pressure on knees?
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Possibly Patellar tendinitis? this is what I have. Ice after exercise, heat throughout the day when you feel it. A good knee brace works great. Also there are stretches and strengthening workouts you can do to help it1
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If it is pain at the side of the knee it could be IT Band Syndrome. It most commonly affects runners.0
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Could be tendinitis. Tendinitis is temporary if you give it time to rest. My recommendation is You can walk but running should wait.0
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Everyone's knees are different and pain can be caused by different things. However, I'll share my knee pain story..
I noticed during lifting, horseback riding (was riding weekly) or yoga, sometimes I would get knee pain that I would experience outside of exercise (or during) when I bent my knees to walk down stairs, sit in a chair or do really anything that used a bent knee.
I brought this up with my acupuncturist because it was really starting to bother me during yoga. He threw a couple of pins in my quad, and the pain went away never to return again! Apparently my quads were so tight they were pulling on my knee cap causing the knee pain. The needles send a signal to the muscle to relax and voila!
Knee pain is different for everyone.. but perhaps worth a shot. Best of luck1 -
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It might not be the same for you, but I have knee problems as well [I can't lift semi-heavy weights using my knees]. When I do my leg weight training exercises, I notice that my hamstrings are the weakest muscles in my legs. Maybe try hamstring curls with a very low resistance band? It might help strengthen the muscles connecting to the knees and reduce pain over time.
I agree that the joint supplements probably won't help much, unless the pain in the knees is related to arthritis in the knees [the supplements are more for keeping the joints well lubricated]. If you do take ibuprofin for your knee pain, make sure not to overuse it. Using too much over a long period of time can cause kidney damage [all pain killers affect a specific organ in the body. You don't urually hear about ibuprofin's affects on the kidneys due to it taking a long time to set in, unlike with acetominaphin which sets in very quickly].0 -
Thanks for your input, everyone!0
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NSAIDS, just my two cents, are horrific for you longer term. BTW, also just my two cents (being told I could stand a full knee replacement 12 years ago!) is that you can function a lot longer than most with your original joints, if you do the right type of exercise and build up your muscles.
I take tart cherry, bioabsorbable Turmeric, Astaxanthin and Omega3s. Someone said that Glucosamine isn't proven and neither Glucosamine or Condroitan ever helped me. But MSM, Boswellia, Turmeric and Astaxanthin and Omega3s (these are the two active ingredients in Krill Oil) do help tremendously. There's also an online supplement called Mirica that's all natural as well (one is a root and the other a Polyphenol clinically proven to reduce inflammation). Some like CBD Oil, but both my wife and I have had better luck with the others that I've mentioned. Some CBD topicals are good.
Knee replacements don't always solve the pain either. I know people very close to me that have had them and not changed their lifestyle and are still in massive pain. One person (family member) is on permanent pain pills after a joint replacement didn't help him. Joints like movement. You should work with a doc, but lose weight and move. That helps. And I could find 100 docs ready to replace my knee, but don't feel it's necessary.
I have little to no pain most days and I'm 55 and very, very active. I lift 2X a week and row for an hour 6 days a week. Sometimes even going on 20 mile bike rides on the weekends for fun. Structurally, my knee is still garbage, but if your muscles around it are strong and you keep at a good weight, the pain can be minimal. And I never, ever take NSAIDs. They destroy your stomach and lead to more inflammation.0 -
Talk to the doctor and you might want to ask to see a specialist. I needed a knee replacement as apparently my knees are 20 years older than the rest of my body. Probably the result of being a fanatical long distance runner in my youth.
In the meantime there is no harm in keeping your quads strong which will help stabilize the knee. Sitting in a chair straighten one knee with your ankle flexed towards you. Lift your thigh an inch or two of the chair repeatedly. Try to concentrate the motion to come from the quadriceps (the muscle on the front of the thigh above your knee) so don't use your lower back as a lever to assist. Repeat with other leg.0 -
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