Question about knee pain

[Bbgrizzle]

Hi,
I have been carrying around a lot of extra weight (about 90 pounds) for the past few years. As a result, my knees really hurt if I try to jog or if I walk up and down stairs. I also can't do those leg extension weight machines without pain. Any advice? I want to do these exercises, but I'm worried I could damage my knees. I know this must be very common in overweight people, but I'm not sure how to work through it. Are there special exercises I can do to strengthen my knees? I really want to be able to do those leg extension machines!

Thanks,
Bonnie

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

It could be a number of things and only a doctor could diagnose what it is. I'm not sure on the extra weight and how much that is a factor, but I do know that it can be.

You can't strengthen the knees--you do what you can to strengthen the muscles that are involved with the knees and other leg strength.

As far as leg extension--in my PT recovery from arthroscopic surgery--I wasn't able to do them. The reasoning is that my quad muscle became weak as a result of surgery. So the road to recovery involved getting the muscles strong.

Your knee pain could be as simple as weak quadricep muscles--b/c if they are weak...the knee cap has difficulty tracking properly and you experience pain.

I would try to do the exercises you want to do without the weight machine--using rolled up towels to mimic getting your leg into position. I started with the bollster--then switched to a chair. The chair will mimic the leg extension movement--start with no weight---then slowly add ankle weights as the effort becomes easy (a half pound at a time). 10 reps--then 15 when able---then 20. When you can do 20 with ease...add another half pound. When you get up to 5 pounds on each leg--you are ready to do 10 pounds on the leg extension machine.

Following any workout--ice your knees faithfully. Eventually you will not have to do this.

I can share other exercises if you are interested--if after starting on the easiest level--it is painful (i.e.--after a week it is still painful to extend your leg while sitting in a chair)--you might consider having it checked out to make sure there are no structural issues.

The other thing I don't do--at least since surgery 3 months ago--I do not do any side leg lifts (or those "thighmaster type machines at the gym) that work the outer thigh--only the inner thigh. This is b/c if you have weak knees--your IT Band (a band that runs along the outside of your thigh from the knee to your hip) will be strengthened and encouraged to compensate for weak knees. Until my other muscles are strong and I'm pretty much back to normal--can I resume any strengthening for the outer thigh.

You might be eligible to get PT to just get you in the right direction even if there isn't anything structurally wrong. Just depends on your insurance.

When I get home--I can PM you the list of exercises given me-- but I'm not a PT nor a doctor--so it would be your discretion to use them or not. And if it hurts without any improvement (i.e.--the pain reduces as you get stronger), then you definitely will need it to be looked into.