Knee pain

[The SnowShow]

This season I've noticed some pain in my right knee when flexing during a turn. It feels like its just above the knee cap. I don't feel it at the top of my turn, but when I start to flex I get some pain. Then as I flex further, I don't feel it...its only when my knee is slightly flexed...any idea or recs on this? Thx

[LIFEisGNAR]

sounds like your getting old. just be happy your whole body doesnt hurt when you turn.

[tone capone]

Enjoy dealing with what seems to be the most mysterious diagnosis in all of orthopedia.

"Patella Femoral Syndrome"

They call it.

Every doctor and physical therapist seems to have a different opinion on it's causes and treatments. My best understandiing is that it is due to muscle imbalance and or poor mechanics causing your kneecap to track too far to the outside and over a sharp part of bone on the femur, and possibly deteriorating kneecap cartilage.

Yours sounds almost exactly like mine, which reared it's ugly head after acl surgery and hasn't gone away yet with all the physical therapy I've been doing on it, so good luck and let me know what cures it for you.

[DaHeel]

Same pain here. Broke the Fibula last February and the knee has been bugging me since the middle of cycling season. I just went to my Ortho and he diagnosed it as Quadricep Tendonitis. PT + Anti Inflammatory crème + ice and some rest and he says I should be fine. Good time to rehab with this shit snowpack.

[tone capone]

So I just read a fascinating tutorial on patallofemoral pain syndrom as it is known. Literally one of the most informative and unbiased pieces of scientific literature I have ever read.
I can't even begin to tell you how interesting it was, and how perfectly it reflected my situation and all my futile attempts at physical therapy to relieve the pain.

Turns out the number one thing you should do is the last thing that any of us really want to do, rest. As in no loading of the knee joint (squats, skiing, running, hard pedaling, hiking/climbing etc) whatsoever for at least 3 months. Then and only then should you GRADUALLY return to specific rehab, training and sport.

I can strongly attest to the advice in the tutorial that if you think you are mostly better and you think you can get away with stressing the patellofemoral joint again, you better not push it because you are just gonna bring it right back with a vengence and it's going to be even harder to vanquish. I was very close to pain free, thinking I should push through the last of it, but boy was that a bad idea and right now it seems likely I am going to pay for it by giving up most of the rest of this ski season no matter how good it gets.

I spent 20 bucks, but all I can say is what I read was far more informative and logical than anything I heard from multiple visists with my surgeon and two different physical therapists.

[mel221]

In the past, I have visited doctors who recommended rest for whatever was ailing me. In retrospect, prolonged rest was the worst possible advice.

Prolonged rest for any injury of this nature has never worked for me. Prolonged rest just means the muscles atrophy. Now, I just turned 50 and have had the knee cap pain several times in the past few years. What has worked for me is lots of stretching and a variety of high rep, low weight exercises.

For the knee pain, The primary stretches are ;
1. It band. I stretch this serveral different ways, a couple of times of day. However, the foam roller stopped working and I had to "upgrade" to a non-foam roller... a 6 inch PVC pipe. The IT band is very tough tissue and it must be properly maintained. Look around youtube for ITband stretches and try them all.

2. Glute stretches. 2 ways; Arm through legs and Arms around legs. 20 second hold each leg, each way.

3. Hamstring stretches

4. Dynamic Glute and Dynamic Hamstring stretch.

The P90X stretch DVD has a bunch of leg stretches I recommend.

Strecthing warm muscles is important. I really like to do these stretches after getting out of a HOT jacuzzi. If the Jacuzzi is big enough, I will do the stretches while in the Jacuzzi.

For exercises, I want to keep the muscles active without overloading the knee joint. Also want to promote blood flow into the knee joint area. I weigh 155 pounds, so I will do 30 squats with 50 lbs. (2 sets, 2 or 3 times a week). I also do light weights and high reps with the leg extension machine. As the pain diminishes, I will gradually increase the weight (same reps).

I also do the P90X legs and back DVD. Love that workout! Recommended

[tone capone]

Yes, "relative rest" is key. I just plan on stopping what hurts, mainly bearing weight with a bent knee. I plan on doing pretty much everything else you mention, just laying off the skiing and the squats. Leg extensions, hamstring curls, hip strenghtening, low intensity biking, all fine.

[wcf3]

Have you checked to make sure that you aren't be suffering from some type of osteoarthrites? This can lead to similar persistant pain.

For recovery/rehab of knee problems (rather than the immobile "rest" that is sometimes recommended) I have historically used a stationary bike with very low resistance. Ideally one where there is resistance pedalling backward as well, then spin one direction then the other for a couple of minutes at a time. Work on maintaining pressure clear around (push forward, then down, then pull back, then up). Take care not to get the rpm so high that there is risk of having your leg jerked by the rapidly spinning pedals.

This maintains and/or enhances range of motion, helps prevent or reduce the degree of muscle atrophy and gets blood flowing to the joint to promote healing in a very low risk manner.