Knee Pain

I know obviously no one here is a doctor, but I'm hoping maybe someone who may have experienced this might know what the cause is.

About three weeks ago I was running/walking and on my right knee the front of the knee cap started hurting. I woke up pretty stiff in the knee as well. I decided to take some time off or stay home and do a video. I almost took pretty much a whole week off just to give my knee rest. Then when I felt better I went back to running and once again the knee pain came into my right knee cap, waited about another week to give it rest...went yesterday (the pain had been gone) and the pain now has moved from the front knee to the side/back and is pretty painful. It doesn'thurt when I sit, but when I walk I feel a stiffness and an ache I also noticed now that on the back of my left knee is also hurting, but that just started this morning. If I even twist my leg a little it feels intense like my leg could snap. Heh. It doesn't really look swollen I even had my fiance' look at it and he said it looks normal, so the pain is inside there obviously. Could it be a torn ligament? Runner's Knee?

I really don't know what is going on, but it's becoming frustrating. I can't see a doctor due to no medical insurance. So I was wondering if anyone had insight as to what is going on. Maybe some tips to ease the pain? Makes me sad not being able to run/walk. :(

I'm not a doctor but I also experience knee pain. It doesn't sound exactly like what you have but there are some similarities. I workout using a stationary bike and find that this is ok for my knee. I also found that the less I use it the more it hurts when I do so I make sure to exercise regularly. You could also try icing it after a work out.

Thanks! Do you think the elliptical or the StairMaster would be a bad choice? I've always heard they take pressure off of your knees, but I don't know how much....If they are, then I guess I'll stick to the bike. ;)

Although self-diagnosis and treatment is never my recommendation if it's something that can be serious, you can start here to get an idea of what you might be experiencing: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/knee-pain/DS 00555.

It's probably best to stay off it, wrap and ice it down for a few days and see how it feels after that. A lot of people cause serious damage by trying to "work through" an injury that is worse than they thought it was.

Original Post by silentdeadlyrose:

Thanks! Do you think the elliptical or the StairMaster would be a bad choice? I've always heard they take pressure off of your knees, but I don't know how much....If they are, then I guess I'll stick to the bike. ;)

 When my knee is bothering me I find that stairs are no good for me. I could probably handle the elliptical. Again this is just with my knee pain. Your's obviously will be different. I would suggest just trying a few work outs to see but take it easy because like dabrock says you don't want to cause more damage. the rule of thumb that I go by is if is causes more pain then don't do it. Good luck!

I don't know about your specific problem, but with a life-long history of knee problems I would definitely (for myself) avoid the elliptical.

I was born with both trick knees, heredity-related, & had surgeries when I was a kid ~ over 40 years ago. They are now pretty much stable, but now I also have arthritis. When I belonged to a gym a couple of years back I was told to avoid the elliptical at all costs, so I stick to the treadmill. The calories burn a bit slower there, but my legs are much happier for it. In the end, I still lose, so it's a win-win.

As for the stairs, I live in a 3-story house, so there's no avoiding them here, lol...but I would be careful.

A good rule of thumb is just what others have posted here: if it hurts, don't do it. If the pain gets worse, then definitely, you will have to work around that ~ but ice & the bike sound like good suggestions to me.

Thanks for the advice guys! It's well appreciated.

I did go today and did the elliptical and a gazelle type thing. The funny thing is once I got going on it, my knees did not hurt. However, when I was walking to the gym and back it hurt badly (almost wanted to cry and was walking as slow as a 90 year old. :P)...which is weird. It seems regular walking hurts more then if I'm doing a motion that is similar to the elliptical. :/

It's impossible to diagnose online :-) but what you're describing sounds exactly like my problems. I didn't believe my doctor at first, but it's actually the hamstring that is ridiculously tight and even though there are no problems with the knee itself (thankfully) the hamstring makes it feel like it.

Normally I'm alright, but when it starts acting up I quit group fitness, stretch a lot, do more yoga and for cardio I do elliptical, rowing machine and actually jogging, since it keeps my feet in line more than for example Bodycombat (which I love and want to do 3 times a week).

If it's the same you've got, a brace could be good. Think of not twisting but always pivet on the toes. Walk with the feet really straight.

Original Post by dabrock:

Although self-diagnosis and treatment is never my recommendation if it's something that can be serious, you can start here to get an idea of what you might be experiencing: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/knee-pain/DS 00555.

I agree. Take a break NOW. Read as much as you can. If you have a gym, try to chat with a Personal Trainer there - a little bit of free advice might be just the thing.

Here's another place that has a great resource for injury prevention, especially for runners:http://www.active.com/running/Articles/6-Comm on-Running-Injuries-to-Avoid.htm and http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_5/index .shtml

Good luck!

I'm also not an expert at all and I agree that you should lay off that knee for a few days. You can try to have a lead on what your problem might be at this Q&A  on knee pain at runnersworld.com. You may be prone to knee injuries but you can do things that will help your knees withstand impact better.

First you need to do strength training to reinforce the leg muscles to provide better knee support and overall leg muscle balance. From gluteus to hamstrings, calf to quads, if you have a weak link you may get injured. I found this article on building a stronger lower body. But you have to recover before you start these exercises.

Second: Stretching. Do dynamic stretches to warm up before your exercise like knee circling, jumping jacks, etc and do static stretches after the exercise.

Third: if you're prone to knee problems, always ice your knees after you run, it will reduce swellling and pain.

Finally: I've been taking joint medicine like glucosamine and chondroitin. It helps restoring joint cartilage and may help with your knee pain, it helped with mine. However as with any supplement/drug it's always better to consult your doctor specially if you're pregnant or nursing. I've been running for almost a year now and knock on wood I've been injury free so far, although my lower back has been bothering me after my long runs.

Good luck.