Knee issues

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amydg33
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Knee issues

Post by amydg33 »

For those of you who have had knee problems, what exercises have you done to strengthen them?
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aLiEn
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Re: Knee issues

Post by aLiEn »

It depends on the knee problem. For me, I have osteoarthritis (bone on bone) on my inner right meniscus of the left knee. I wore a DonJoy Osteoarthritis Knee Brace for snowboarding\climbing for a year. I've stop using it because after adjusting my diet to a high fat, no sugar, no grains approach, I lost a majority of my excess weight, thus eliminating most inflammation in my knees/body. In addition, I have incorporated the purest of turmeric/curcumin into my daily supplements. Finally, I ice my knees with full coverage packs after every strenuous activity i.e. ice hockey, climbing, mountaineering.
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johnF
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Re: Knee issues

Post by johnF »

Agree that it depends. But one thing that's helped me with knee and other issues when I'm running a lot is hip strengthening. Abductor machine at the gym, straight leg lifts while lying on my side, and clamshells have helped quite a bit, even though it may seem non intuitive.
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TravelingMatt
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Re: Knee issues

Post by TravelingMatt »

squat/deadlift
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jes75
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Re: Knee issues

Post by jes75 »

I'll be the third person to say "it depends." What part of your knee is bothering you? Do you have any leg muscle imbalances or tightness? And do you run regularly?

I just ran my first marathon a few weeks ago and feel like I've been doing a frame-off restoration of my body ever since. I thought I had a classic case of runner's knee, but I've since figured out my knee pain is an IT band issue. When I use a foam roller on along the side of my leg, my knee loosens up.

johnf mentioned several good exercises. I'd add simple wall squats to strengthen your quads, and you may want to add something to your repertoire that strengthens your glutes.
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justiner
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Re: Knee issues

Post by justiner »

Yup, it could be a million things. Foam rolling/walls sits (and other things) were prescribed to me for my IT Band issues, too. Like many things, it had to deal with muscle imbalances. Another cause of knee pain, that doesn't have anything to do with your knee is your ankle! If you have mobility issues with your ankle, the knee takes over some of jobs of your ankle, which it's not designed for, and then it starts to hate you. A referral to a good PT/sport physiologist/etc may be the ticket. Nip it in the bud!
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litote312
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Re: Knee issues

Post by litote312 »

Anyone have experience with or advice for patellar tendinitis? Sports doctor said rest and time, been 6 weeks now and I'm definitely getting antsy.
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BandannaMan
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Re: Knee issues

Post by BandannaMan »

I have arthroscopic (spelling?) surgery on each of my knees some 10 years ago. I had (and probably have again) some joint issues. On one knee, I had a tear in the side of the meniscus, which is the roughly circular pad between ball and socket bones. In the other knee I had a hole in the meniscus. And in one of the knees I also had a fairly large cyst growing. They "repaired" the tear and the hole in the meniscus - don't ask me how. They removed the cyst, which was causing a very sharp pain when it got in the way of the joint working normally. In any case, I was, and still am, very pleased with the results after surgery. However, since then I take Glucosamine / Chondroitin routinely and I have to say, for me, this supplement works wonders on the joint itself. If I stop taking the supplement or I take too little, I can actually feel it in my knees. Everything else is just a muscle strength/ tendon flexibility issue, again for me. I never have knee pain when descending no matter how steep or pounding - I do use trekking poles though.
Oh yeah, it is important to dial in how much G/C you need if you are going to try it - don't just follow the recommended dosage and it takes 2-3 weeks to start having an affect, so it could take a few months to dial in the correct dosage.
I know this is NOT exercise, but it my experience. Oh yeah, I am 60 and have been seriously hiking for 16 years.
Best of luck!
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Dave B
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Re: Knee issues

Post by Dave B »

Go see a PT. Self/interweb diagnosis can lead to rehab attempts that only make the issue worse i.e. squats are a terrible idea if you have quad or patellar tendinopathy, but are great for other issues. Improving hip strength is always a good idea, but won't help much if the true culprit is poor ankle mobility.

As some one who has been dealing with chronic knee issues, trust me, nip it in the bud early on. Rest is a good idea, but rest alone won't fix the problem. Most knee issues are due to muscular imbalances, poor hip/ankle mobility or both. Just resting without correcting the underlying cause of the problem means the issue will return in the future when you resume activity.
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amydg33
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Re: Knee issues

Post by amydg33 »

I used to run quite frequently but stopped a little over five years ago due to some lower back issues that I have. I have had IT Band problems but that is not what this is; it is pain above the knee. I am pretty sure it is due to muscle weakness but I might go to a physical therapist to be sure. Thanks!
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Timothy
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Re: Knee issues

Post by Timothy »

For years I ran marathons/half marathons but had to give it up about ten years ago when my knees and hips started hurting so badly it was difficult getting out of bed some mornings. Then I started riding my bicycle regularly to strengthen and tighten the knee muscles, and the effect was almost miraculous. Within a few months, the pain virtually disappeared. There are still some days when the pain returns, especially after a long hike, but nothing like before.
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kaiman
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Re: Knee issues

Post by kaiman »

Timothy wrote:For years I ran marathons/half marathons but had to give it up about ten years ago when my knees and hips started hurting so badly it was difficult getting out of bed some mornings. Then I started riding my bicycle regularly to strengthen and tighten the knee muscles, and the effect was almost miraculous. Within a few months, the pain virtually disappeared. There are still some days when the pain returns, especially after a long hike, but nothing like before.
+1 My dad (aged 77) has had meniscus issues in one of his knees on and off for the last 10 years, probably caused by the 25 years he spent ski patrolling and skiing bumps at Vail. He has also been an avid mountain biker for the last 15 years and unlike everyone else in his peer group is the only one who has not had surgery on his knees. Low impact sports like road or mountain biking where your body is in alignment and allows your knee muscles to be exercised and strengthened seem to be the best for injuries like these.

Kai
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