anyone with knee issues?

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karylee44
karylee44 Posts: 892
in Motivation and Support
anyone want to whine with me? just kidding.. I am 44 with two bad knees.. doctors say to just suck it up and deal with it.. when i weighed 190 pounds i used a cain, the pain was just horrible some days. now that i have lost weight i no longer use a can but my knees still are getting in the way of me reaching my goals. i try to work through the pain... i went to zumba tonight even though i couldnt bend my left leg.. I have decided to enter a race on Sunday... So i think after todays disaster of a workout i will give the knee a break so i can do the race on sunday..

would love to have friends with knee issue that can help motivate eachother when we are having a bad knee day...

karylee

Replies

  • tinymite1
    tinymite1 Posts: 13 Member
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    Have you consulted a sports physical therapist or Sports Med Doc? They might be able to shed some light on how to strengthen your knee. That, and they may be a little bit more sympathatic to your plight since you are trying to exercise and be more active.
  • kappyd
    kappyd Posts: 199 Member
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    I am 48 and I have the same problem, when I stand up my knees snap loud. If I try to run they swell up for a couple of days. So I know what you are feeling.
  • realme56
    realme56 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    What you do depends on what your knees problem is and what you should do for exercise. I have lost all cartilage on the medial (middle) surfaces of my knees. I also tore ligaments when I was in grade school which were never repaired and I have lots of scar tissue and floating items in my right knee space. I don't do weight bearing except walking. The elliptical, bike and pool are my best exercises. Good shoes are my best friends! What I have noticed on this journey is that weight loss makes less pain until my body adjusts to the new lower weight and then I may have a period of more pain until I lose more again.

    When I was 40 the ortho told me my knees were 80, now in my 50's my rheumatologist says they are closer to 100!! Good luck with your race,
  • gwenmf
    gwenmf Posts: 888 Member
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    dEFINITELY GIVE YOUR KNEE A BREAK...........AND DON'T PUSH YOURSELF TOO HARD.......

    I did a 5k Saturday and my knee is bothering me pretty bad...........learn from my mistakes! I could handle the distance but walked too fast......
  • groovyfirechick
    groovyfirechick Posts: 188
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    Hey there! I have chondromalacia patella. I have had surgery once on each knee, once when I was 23 and again when I was 27 (I'm 31 now). I have lost a total of 15 lbs so far and I hadn't had knee pain in weeks. I'm a volunteer firefighter/AEMT and I went on a few calls over the weekend (usual weekend routine) and took a wrong step out of the ambulance on one call and BAM! OUCH!! I did something and now I am having trouble walking. I have been wearing my support band since Saturday and taking vicodin on and off to get some relief...I was miserable at work last night. Lucky for me I am off tonight so I am going to call the doc tomorrow and see what she says.
    I totally understand what you are dealing with! I am laid up now and can't exercise but I am still sticking closely to my calorie counting in the hopes that this won't derail my progress. Hopefully you will get thru this....take it easy...believe me..the last thing you want is surgery!
  • u2fergus
    u2fergus Posts: 422 Member
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    When you go to zumba, do you wear running shoes or actual zumba (dancing) shoes? It makes a HUGE difference. When I first went, I wore my regular gym shoes and my knees hurt so bad I could barely walk afterward. Once I got the zumba shoes (which have smooth bottoms, so no friction when you spin and slide, etc...), I'd say the pain was about 80% less.
  • Reese4250
    Reese4250 Posts: 2
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    When I was at my "optimal" weight I damaged my knee pretty bad in a sports injury. 4 Surgeries and several years later, I still have problems. I've gotten some relief from the Chiropractor and good shoes - but I think finally loosing some weight will help me the most.
  • chef970
    chef970 Posts: 196 Member
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    I blew out my left knee when i was in the army...my doctor says the weight loss will help, but eventually will need cortosone shots. You might want to discuss that with your doc. Just keep a positive attitude...youre doing great.
  • noogie98
    noogie98 Posts: 414 Member
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    Bad knees here ~ I had a total knee replacement last year after 3 years of dealing with a serious injury & at that time, the surgeon told me at that time that the other knee would have to be replaced soon as well. I had such a hard time with my recovery, mostly due to being so overweight, that I swore once I was fully recovered, that I was going to get back in shape & do my best to avoid the second surgery. I went back to the Dr for my follow up visit a few weeks ago & he told me whatever I was doing, keep it up, because if I stayed on the path I was on right now, I would not have to have the 2nd surgery for awhile. I would have done cartwheels in his office if I could!!

    One thing I was told was that running was out, which I hated to hear, because I like to jog. Walking and working the circuit at Curves are the exercise that I do now. The beginning of June, when I started Curves, I was still using my cane. I no longer use it & I am thrilled! It feels so good not to have to use it. I am starting a water aerobics class next week since the buoyancy of the water is easier on the joints. Be careful with the race; walk, don't run! Hope you do well, and feel free to send me a friend request if you like! :flowerforyou:
  • karylee44
    karylee44 Posts: 892
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    When you go to zumba, do you wear running shoes or actual zumba (dancing) shoes? It makes a HUGE difference. When I first went, I wore my regular gym shoes and my knees hurt so bad I could barely walk afterward. Once I got the zumba shoes (which have smooth bottoms, so no friction when you spin and slide, etc...), I'd say the pain was about 80% less.

    hmm.... didn't relize there was a difference.. but i fing that the turning and pivoting is the most painful part of the whole workout.. guess i should look in to that.. THANKS!
  • karylee44
    karylee44 Posts: 892
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    well, seems like i have sever arthritis in both knees and my left knee has a torn meniscus (both on the inside and outside of the knee) surgery on the 23rd.. ugh New knees in the next 10 years. double ugh.
  • defeatmylazyself
    defeatmylazyself Posts: 17 Member
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    yeah, me. And I am only 23. I have a Baker´s cyst in my left knee and generally bad and achy joints. No one has medically determined what the cause for that is and it was in fact what kept me from exercising these past few years. Now I have tried and find that with good stretching and my knee brace I can do levels of exercise that I want to do and be in the same level of ache I am in if I wasn´t doing those. So rather fit and achy than flabby and achy! ^^
  • momocurti
    momocurti Posts: 152 Member
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    Dang a lot of knee issues! I'm with you. Know what I do? I cycle. On a real bike, not at the gym. And I swim. I'm also trying to strengthen the muscles that support the knees with some Physical Therapy exercises I was given after my first surgery. LISTEN TO ME NOW AND BELIEVE ME LATER: Whatever you do, DO NOT stop doing your PT after your surgery! You totally need to keep it up. My first surgery on my left knee was five years ago and it has atrophied and is so weak b/c I quit doing PT after I was done GOING to PT.

    I loved the suggestion a PP had about seeing a sports medicine specialist. I plan to before I schedule another surgery on my right knee (hey I have a torn meniscus too!) to see if I can avoid surgery...

    Good luck to you. I feel your pain!
  • jchester71
    jchester71 Posts: 124 Member
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    My knees are always sore. Had some injuries in college, and a lot of collision related wear and tear and as a result have arthritis in both knees. I am just biding my time until I need replacements (hoping to make it 10 more years). 2 pieces of advice:
    1. Don't overlook how much ice will help. When you are used to being in pain all of the time you have a tendency to normalize what inflammation feels like. Ice can feel great and make the next day a lot better
    2. Try running (and high knees/karaoke step/kick out etc) in the pool. The combination of the buoyancy and the resistance of the water will work in concert to give your knees a rest while strengthening the stabilizer muscles like nothing else really can.
  • Farsie
    Farsie Posts: 8
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    Yup, I'm 24 and have hyper-extended knees. In my case they've just always been like that, although I think it's most commonly caused through injury? Last time I talked to a doctor about it they basically said I need to make them last until I'm fifty, then can have surgery/knee replacements which should (hopefully) see me through. It's depressing.

    I used to play DDR a lot about five years ago - can't do that any more. Couldn't even when I was at my fittest, it caused too much pain.

    I've put some money away for moving house and I'm hoping to have overestimated it and be able to go see a physical therapist. I don't want to have to settle for dealing with the pain, I refuse to believe there's nothing that can be done to help it.

    I tend to stick to cycling and rowing machines for cardio because of it. They still cause some pain, but way less than the treadmill or running does.
  • karylee44
    karylee44 Posts: 892
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    I have had knee issues since i was in 6th grade... (so if i do the math.. that is 32 years worth) had surgery on my right knee in 7th grade.. and just have dealt with it since. at my highest weight 190, i was using a cane to get around because i had a fear of my knee giving out.. after my jump off the back wall last year.. that is when i know i tore my knee up.. but the doc said last year it was just artritis and to just deal with it. alrighty... now a year later.. he does a MRI and decides that it is torn.. most likely made worse by my "sucking it up" for the last year. I still do zumba, run, walk, etc... i try not to let pain stop me.. it usually catches up to me at night when im trying to sleep!
  • minimommy1
    minimommy1 Posts: 84 Member
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    I have a bone disease in both knees that has caused me trouble most of my 50 years. I had the right knee replaced 7 years ago.
    I agree with what has been said about physical therapy - it is a must.
    I do the pool, pool Zumba, bicycling in the gym, walking the dog on soft surfaces like the ground.
    I will eventually have to have the other knee replaced but I am putting it off as long as possible.
    However I will still say that knee replacements are a blessing because I was told as a child that when I reached my 30s I would be in a wheel chair the rest of my life because of the bone disease. Thanks to knee replacement I can still live an active life.

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