Knee Issue

elyshaS
elyshaS Posts: 21
edited December 17 in Fitness and Exercise
I have been doing Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred for about 2 weeks now (missing a few days here and there). Once in awhile I go for a walk in the evenings as well. On Monday I did the 30 Day Shred in the morning, went to work and was fine...came home from home went for a walk and decided to try running. I thought since I have been working out so much and i have not had any problems with my knees I should be fine. Well I was wrong!! I got home from my run/walk and within an hour I could hardly walk and my knee was swollen to about double the size of the other one. I have had knee problems since I was in High School. At first they thought it was arthiritus but then they decided they dont know! I have come to the sad realization running is just not in my future, I can walk all I want and as long as I want but the moment I run its game over. All week I havent been able to excersise and today I finally feel like I might be able to tomorrow. The swelling is pretty much gone and the pain has almost dissappeared. My question is has anyone ever experienced anything like this? What do you recommend I do? I was thinking I am just going to have to go for longer walks, I can speed walk (I look like an old grandma when I do it) and it doesnt hurt me. I really thought that the 30 day shred woul kill my knees but Im fine, I mean some of the things I know would hurt my knees I just change up a little to avoid injury.

Replies

  • lmnosser
    lmnosser Posts: 43
    that's terrible.

    i haven't personally, but some of my friends have. have you tried some sort of low impact exercise like swimming? they have water aerobics classes for people with arthritis and joint problems.
  • IveLanded
    IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
    Running puts a LOT more impact on your knees than walking does. When you walk, you almost always have two feet on the ground.....when you run, not only is all your weight on one leg at a time, but it's magnified because of the motion.

    If it were me, I'd probably go get it checked out at the doc. I had that happen to me in high school and it was a torn ligament. Easily repaired, but still.....if you just let it go, you might really put yourself out of commission.
  • iluxoxo211
    iluxoxo211 Posts: 241 Member
    Yes I had the exact same thing happen to me.. but it wasnt induced by running.. I was at home and I got a shooting knee pain and it swelled up and I couldnt walk on it.. I went to the doc and they did xrays and they told me I have bad artristis in my right knee and I had to get a specialy made knee brace and I have to wear it every time I work out now and if I dont my knee hurts really bad..they told me it is from me being so overweight for so log that it did wear and tear on my joints.
  • kimmydear
    kimmydear Posts: 298 Member
    I'm having a knee problem right now too, but it's not swollen like yours. But the same thing happens with my back whenever I try to run and the doctor told me to walk instead. I didn't like that answer! So I'm trying to strengthen my body right now before trying running again. So I'm sure you know to ice and ibuprofen...that is helping right now as well as taking a couple days off. If the pain doesn't go away soon, I'd see a doc.
  • onmywaytoskinny155
    onmywaytoskinny155 Posts: 228 Member
    I had my knee fixed in November and still can't run.
  • jonnyb62
    jonnyb62 Posts: 426
    I have bad knees, have a little athritis in them, but other than that, there is nothing wrong with the "good" one. I can walk all day, or even run on a treadmill with no problem. Once I start running outdoors - pain!!! And it's in the good knee (or maybe I should say better knee.) I wear re-inforced braces on both knees, and it helps a lot. Also, run on trails rather than pavement - the impact is a lot less.

    But also, as the previous poster said, get it checked out by a doctor, if given the all clear, try the above.
  • sarvalfon
    sarvalfon Posts: 53 Member
    I sympathize completely! Running is a whole new animal. I have had my ACL reconstructed twice, and once there's an injury, it's never the same. I do run, though. I find that slow and steady is the only way to go. You already work out like a madwoman - awesome! Start with an interval approach to running. Warm up walking for 5 minutes, then alternate 45 seconds - 1 minute running (at a nice, slow pace), with 2 minutes walking in between. Start with 20 minutes of intervals for a week or two, then go up to 1 minute alternating intervals. From there, week to week , increase as you feel comfortable! Remember to wrap that knee! There is something in there that is being inflamed. Stability is critical. Work on strengthening your leg muscles to take the pressure off your joints. And, immediately after you run, ice for 20 minutes. At the end of the day, if running isn't for you, there are TONS of great things to do instead!
  • giglqueen
    giglqueen Posts: 74 Member
    I'm having the exact same issue as you. I had knee surgery 6 years ago and was told by PT that I'd never run again and to find a hobby like bike riding. Well, I continued to play softball and only stopped when I got pregnant with my son 2 years ago. Now I started 30 Day Shred and it hurts my knees. I tried jogging several times, but my knee looks like a football immediately after. So now I'm back to icing my knee and taking ibuprofin for the swelling. It's frustrating to know I might never be able to run again, but I'm just going to keep losing weight and hope that once I weigh less it will hurt less. So I walk ALOT, I'll start swimming laps when it warms up and I'm planning on getting a kids seat for my bike! Good luck to you!!
  • Pifflesmom
    Pifflesmom Posts: 134 Member
    I had my knee repaired in July of 2010 and I still have good and bad days. I've never been a runner (I've tried), but I used to love the elliptical, but I can no longer do that either. Well, I could, but like you, I'd get the knee the size of a basketball and be out of commission for a week.

    I would definitely go to your doctor to make sure you haven't torn anything - just to be on the safe side. In the meantime, RICE!
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    An appropriate knee brace as well as stretching and heat prior to exercise and icing following might help, but in my experience it doesnt. Building up the muscles around the knee as well as your core will probably help some.
  • jjelizalde
    jjelizalde Posts: 377 Member
    I had my knee repaired about 25 years ago and have had no problems with it until a couple of days ago. There's no pain but its really swollen. I suspect I twisted it while bowling.
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
    I just saw several Drs about something similar.
    My Dr said that I should take two Advil 1 hour before exercising and then ice my knees when I get home.
    I never would have thought to take the Advil before the workout.
  • farahsaleem
    farahsaleem Posts: 47 Member
    i have problem in my left knee, and it starts as soon as i start running on treadmill, it used to get pretty bad.. but i have noticed that when i walk before running for like 30 min then start jogging slow then up my pace a bit but still jog not run fast, it disappears after some time :)
  • ironband
    ironband Posts: 157 Member
    How are your shoes? Have you been to a reputable running store to be fitted for running shoes? I used to be skeptical, but since I did finally made myself go (and found it wasn't as expensive as I thought it would be), my knee issues (which were mild and not as severe as yours, to be fair) have not come back. Running in the right shoes for your body/biomechanics makes a world of difference!
  • shunterjon
    shunterjon Posts: 8
    I had a torn cartlidge in my knee which caused it to swell. I had the cartlidge removed and was fine for 20 years. In that time I enjoyed running a lot. But then I started having trouble with the bones rubbing together. Almost making me unable to even walk. I have since had 2 knee replacements and am fine. But was advised by my doctor to not run as it's impact on my knee joints would wear them out faster.
    Looking back, running is high impact even on healthy joints. There are lots of alternative activities to indulge in like power walking,normal walking,cycling and swimming. All can be done with body benifits in mind. So don't feel like you are missing the running when you have plenty of other choices.
    John
  • smplycomplicated
    smplycomplicated Posts: 484 Member
    I had trouble with my ankles when i first started..they both began to hurt and were very swollen..it got pretty bad..I actually stopped the shred 15 days into it because of my ankles..i switched to the biggest loser cardio max for a couple of weeks, and it helped quite a bit. Went back to the Shred and haven't had any trouble since...I have bad knees from years of softball, and squatting to catch, so when i first started the shred i knew i would need my knee braces..I have trouble with the jumping lunges on lvl 3..i just take it a lil slower than they do.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Look for some low impact alternatives & rotate higher impact days & lower impact days.

    Jogging on a "rebounder" or mini trampoline. This is way lower impact than asphalt.
    Spin cycling or regular biking is low impact
    Eliptical

    Maybe you can eventually move to more & more high impact days .... it takes time.

    Shoes? ..... poor fitting or "broken down" shoes can cause pain too.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    You really need to get it checked out. Sometimes that swelling is a response to over exercising. Other times it is actually some sort of damage.

    You can do lots of other things without running - biking swimming an that elliptical. For me there was no substitute. I love to run, and I had the surgery.

    It is likely that it is overuse. We had a gal in our cardio class that had that sort of reaction. It was just overuse. She took a week off, and worked slowly into it. She is fine and ran a 5K with us this past weekend.

    There is a lot of noise about what to do, but in the end, if you are jammin and doing other fitness without pain, it was probably just too much too soon.

    Good luck.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    An appropriate knee brace as well as stretching and heat prior to exercise and icing following might help, but in my experience it doesnt. Building up the muscles around the knee as well as your core will probably help some.

    ^^^^ That is good advice for anyone.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    I had my knee fixed in November and still can't run.

    That totally sucks. I had mine done December 8th and was running 1 mile twice a week after 4 weeks.
  • elyshaS
    elyshaS Posts: 21
    I have tried so many doctors and specialists and none of them have given me a single answer. I have had blood work done, x-rays. you name it Ive had it done and nothing has come from it. my knees are normally fine but it seems when I run outside that they act up. I have tried knee braces and they work for a bit but not fully.
  • dafoots0911
    dafoots0911 Posts: 347 Member
    Same thing happened to me. I pretty much have been a walker and one day felt pretty good and decided to jog on the treadmill. Only difference with me is my knee waited 3 days to swell up. I've been told that joggers and runners are an orthopedic doctor's dream. So I too have come to the conclusion I cannot run or jog but I'm over it. I have seen much better results using my DVD's for cardio or taking a walk if need be. I also love weightlifting and the two combined have been great for me.
  • baycat107
    baycat107 Posts: 165 Member
    I used to run 40 to 50 miles a week, but ended up having surgery for a torn cartilage. After that, it hurt even more and they said it was arthritis from the surgery. I gave up running, had 2 more kids, and consequently gained a lot of weight. Every time I ran more than 1 day a week, it would start hurting. Very frustrating because I love to run.

    But now I have made a successful start back into running. I run on a trail (not concrete). I cross train with swimming, biking & 30 Day Shred. My knees are stronger & the other stuff helps me with my cardio endurance that helps me run. Dropping 50 pounds in the last couple of years has probably helped it, too. I will probably never run another marathon, but I'm SOOO happy doing 5Ks.

    Have you had an MRI?
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