Knee hurts badly :(

Shin pain is usually a sign that you're going too fast. Try slowing down. And make sure you're stretching properly before and after your walks.

Or like previous poster said, try riding a bicycle.

Or Swimming is a great option, if you can't swim, see if the local pool has any aqua exercise classes. I've taken a few, and they're lots of fun, get you moving, but don't have that impact on your knee. I sprained my MCL several years ago and this is what I did to keep active while I recovered.

Good luck .

I made the rookie mistake of increasing my mileage too fast and too soon and ended up with runner's knee. I feel your pain!

I would do the same as everyone suggested- rest, ice, 800mg ibuprofen, and perhaps a brace to stabilize your knee for a bit? I wear mine any time I start to feel a twinge of pain now and it seems to stop it from getting worse.

Also, knee circles are an essential in my work out! They really loosen up all the muscles around the knee. Love them!

I have taken to bike riding. WOW what a wonderful change and it gets me out of the house and moving.

I tore the cartilage in my right knee a few years ago and even when I couldn't walk without a limp I could bike just fine. Great advice.

The patella is very suceptible to injury, this sound similar to what I get when my patellar tendonitis is starting to get "better". I take glucosamin and condroitin and use a knee strap with upper/lower/side compression tubes. You can buy both of them at just about any drug store.

ETA: Wow spelling, typing fingers did not work their magic that time.

As a medical professional who specializes in sports injuries (Certified Athletic Trainer)...I would strongly encourage you to take the advice everyone is giving you with a grain of salt. Although there are some good tidbits here and there, there is in NO WAY enough information (medical history, mechanical dysfunction, etc...) for anyone to be doling out completely accurate exercises or treatment protocols. Based on the little information you did present, I can only presume what is going on...in which case there is a bit of advice that you've been given that you most definitely shouldn't follow. But again, that cannot be said without more information and the appropriate special testing. I would also encourage the person who suggested 800 mg of ibuprofen to realize, that although people have the tendency to pop the stuff like candy, 800mg of ibuprofen is a prescription dosage that can only be prescribed to someone by a DOCTOR!

Please please please rest and ice to not aggrivate your condition worse. And if you must, take the dosage indicated on the bottle of ibuprofen until designated by an appropriate medical professional.

I just got checked out for this. Turns out it is fluid from over exercising. I was told to take it easy then build back up at a slower pace and even then may get flare (flair?) ups. It's on the left side of my right knee. That's what I got from your description too-- but I don't know a damn thing.

Edit: or ignore this since I didnt read the rest of the thread and am totally off base here. 8D

I'd agree with many of the posts above: swimming, ice/heat, incredibly gradual increasing of the miles. As mentioned above, seeing your doctor should be a priority so that he or she can rule out anything serious. Take it from someone with a genetic knee issue and pain!

I've found that yoga is helpful for me (which doesn't mean it will be for you), and I've read that hero pose is supposed to help with strengthening the knee muscles. Ask your doctor if exercises like that might help you.

Also, you might want to go into a running shoe store to see if they can do a gait analysis. I did this knowing I overpronate (roll in/flat feet), and they were able to suggest shoes for me and then run a gait analysis on those options to find the pair that were best for me. (NB: A gait analysis is when you wear a neutral shoe and they check how your feet fall on a treadmill with a video camera. Then they compare video of you walking in each possible pair of shoes to see which pair has the perfect balance of comfort, support, and alignment.) I just did this, and my feet and knees feel so much better in my new shoes!

Ice and painkillers sound like a good solution for today.

For the longer term - get yourself to a physiotherapist who will identify exactly hat the problem is and give you specific strategies to help fix it. None of us know exactly what is going on.

at last , cant believe all these people who think they are experts giving out advice.

seek advice from a specialist, not from a forum !!!

crobl - I wasn't planning on taking 800mg of Ibuprofen because I know it's prescription strength. I'll probably take an Aleve before bed time and ice my knee as well. The same knee gave me problems some years ago and it was patellar tracking issues. I had to do PT to strengthen muscles holding the knee in place. It did nothing for me and instead of going back, I quit working out all together....to my detriment. I don't know what additional PT can do for me. That's why I feel demoralized. If I don't work out, my knee is fine. Even something like brisk walking throws it off. It didn't use to be this way. I injured it during a work out under the supervision of a personal trainer, who wasn't very competent.

jbrookeh - It's good to hear your knee got better. Gives me hope mine can too. I will look up some exercises online for wall squats and quad/hamstring routines.

My body is such that even if I starved myself I would not lose much weight. I HAVE TO exercise.

Good to hear! Sorry it sounded as though I was on a soapbox... working with injured athletes is not only my job, but my passion, so I get just a wee bit on edge when there is mis-information out there. Please, please, please don't loose hope in yourself! And remember, just as there is good and bad advice on here, there are also good and bad physical therapists! In my personal opinion (and take it for what you will), but if you didn't see any progress, then they probably weren't doing everything in their power to help you!

If patellar tracking is your issue, then there is a fairly good chance that you're looking at a muscular imbalance. Depending on how it's tracking improperly, there is more to consider that just you quads and hamstrings, like your adductors (the group of muscles that squeeze your things together) as well as your abductors (muscles that spread your legs apart). Also remember, that everything is connected through the kinetic chain, thus everything from back pain to foot pain (and everything in between) can and is affected by something as simple as poorly fitting shoes. Yes, I have seen that happen! I believe I recall someone mentioning squats and lunges to help strengthen...if you're having problems with your knee, there's a very good chance that those exercises are too much too soon!!

As masterdo said, shin pain can be indicitive of heavy heel strike. It can also come from over training, change in surface (going from hard pavement to soft grass and vice versa), and shoe fit in regards to improper arch support.

Unfortunately, from what you've indicated, it seems reasonable to say that this will continue to bother you until some core issues can be addressed. However, the sooner you seek help, the sooner you're back! And when you do, try asking about the possibility of using Kinesiotape or Leukotape (using a McConnall method) for patellar tracking support. Note - these DO NOT solve a patellar tracking issue, but that can relieve discomfort and be used to aid in 'retraining' the muscles.

But...another disclaimer - just because I know I'm right, doesn't mean that you should necessarily believe me word for word. I have not thoroughly evaluated you and am merely offering words of wisdom based upon my medical experience and the brief information you provided.