knee exercise??

[ProudVegan]

I cant run for sh*t. :evil:

I normally run my usual 5.5 miles and have no problems.. but recently, my knees are hurting to the point where i cant continue. Tonight i had to walk the rest of the way. I applied ice when i got home.

I run up the hill.. and yes, its very steep (about .5 mi and then approx 1.5 mi towards the end).

I try to run on the black top (asphalt) as much as possible. My shoes is excellent.

Sometimes i roll my feet on a can of beans to alleiviate the pain. I used to have shin splint but its fine now.

soooooooooooooooooooooooo what can i do for my knee?? I dont want to stop running!!! :(

[Buenosayres]

maybe you should have a doctor examine it.

[ProudVegan]

yeah i plan to see my foot doctor tomorrow.. i have a follow up anyways. I'll see what he says.

But he just gonna nod his head... :no:

[Elena99]

Do you stretch before and after? Try these:

- Stand facing a wall, place your palms on the wall, arms straight elbows relaxed, and lower down at the knee. Go only as far down as is comfortable, and stay there for 20 seconds. (I do that before and after a run).

- Stand, bend a little to place hands on your knees, bend at the knee, put your knees together, and rotate knees in a circle slowly and gently. Do this for about 10 seconds one way, 10 seconds the other. (This one I do before yoga or martial arts, but you can do anytime).

If you have a regular stretching routine, it helps a lot.

[ProudVegan]

Oh i never stretch!!! oops.

[Elena99]

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_1/126.shtml

Here are some more. You don't have to do all of them, I do about 5 or 6 of them at the start and end of my workout. I hope your knees feel better. :)

[ProudVegan]

Thank you so much! It hurts like a b*tch to walk around.. i cant go up or down the stairs. :(

I'll rest it up.

[zoebird]

stretching will help promote muscle balance which will keep the knees in the appropriate alignment while running. runners 'run the risk' of many imbalances for the knees, which can lead to terrible, permanent injuries.

so, stretching is a great way to make sure you avoid these problems. astanga yoga is a good choice if you'd like something that is both vigorous and stretchy.

what else? oh, when you get the information about your feet, strive to find appropriate shoes and focus on the nature of your stride. Actually, stride is most important, followed by appropriate shoes (if you have flat feet or high arches, then you need specialized shoes, otherwise, any shoes that you find comfortable should work).

[VeggieBiker]

I actually just had the same problem! The pain in my knee got bad enough that I went to a massage therapist who showed me how to stretch and got rid of the knots of tension I'd developed. Since I've started stretching, I haven't had any problems.

[ProudVegan]

thanks!

what stretches do you do VeggieBiker?

[Diana]

I hope your doctor will do what is necessary to rule out any cartilage problems. Because if it is a cartilage problem, then running can only make it worse.

But I hope it's something more simple and that you will be able to continue doing the exercice you obviously enjoy so much.

[ProudVegan]

if its cartilage related.. then i wouldnt be able to walk right? It'd be that painful?

[zoebird]

no, it wouldn't necessarily be that painful--depending upon the cartilage problem. tell me, what is the pain like and where is it located on or around the knee? that will give some indication of whether or not it's a tendon, muscle, or cartilage problem.

[ProudVegan]

Okay so i went running tonight! I even did those recommended stretches. All went well, then my knee started hurting. When I extended my knee, it locked up and it hurt on the left side of my left knee.

What gives?!?!?!?!?

[Elena99]

Hmm. Sounds like it's time to go to the doctor, PV.

[ProudVegan]

:grr:

:-/

:down:

[SeaSiren]

Elliptical Machine is great when your knees are hurting and need recovery time, not as much impact. I have torn cart, from a bad riding/jumping accident years ago. On occassion it still flares up.

[zoebird]

my guess is a hyper extention during the foot placement--basicly, bad stride.

injury itself, probably a good jam plus some swelling. just a guess though.

[ProudVegan]

Im gonna take some joint pills to help with the pain.

[Verdant]

Stretching helped sometimes, but then I discovered what really helped. About three years ago I started getting random days after running where my knees felt similar to the way you described yours. I tried everything, from stretching to walking long distances before and after, and the pain just seemed so random. So I began to keep a journal to track any similarities.

I FINALLY I saw what the common thread was for every pain-free run. It was the days where I would run immediately after riding my bike from work, or the times I would ride my bike to the Charles River for a run (I was in Boston at the time). A friend explained that by riding my bike, I was thoroughly warming my knees up, and "training" the knee cap to stay in track. All I can say is that it worked. This was the reason I got interested in triathlons, since there's the long bike portion right before the run.

Every now and then I get lazy and run without doing any cycling first. Sometimes things are okay, but on Monday I screwed my knee up royally. This is the first time I've had this problem again in about three months. Cycling is also a great recovery tool. The last time I had knee pain like this, I didn't have a bike (I just moved to SF) and the pain lasted about 10 days. When I've cycled daily after hurting my knee, the pain generally lasts only three or four days.