Tips for touring with knee pain

[JUANOLAS]

My advice . if you can take one of two options
1 change the dates untill you get better unless you lose your money
2. If you do the trip rent an ecv and set your mind in will do a fifth of what i used to do.

Not to be rude but i am very stupid.

About 3 years ago a week before my trip to disworld i had a motorcycle accident just fell and the harley fell on my ankle.... my anckle dislocated but in the adrenaline rush didnt realized..... after crawling to get out of the traffic and trying to walk realized the foot was twisted but with the steps just popped back in its place.

I knew that if i went to the doctor what he will say.... no disworld trip for me so i just didnt go to the doc. I know... im a genius.

Well i tought im a hard guy im kind of wolverine and will heal fast after all bones are back in its place right..... took a shoot of antinflamatory and vitamin b and 4 days later went to my 12 day trip to disworld with grandpa and daughter4.

The pain was horrible cause you dont realize how much you walk and the diatances untill you are there in pain. You walk miles and miles and the sun makes inflamation worst.. dehidration makes more swollen.

Just from the busstop to room was an agony coming back. And the mornings entrance in the park while the joint warms up and numbs was hell.

In a parade i was carrying up my daughter so she can see and after half hour i just had some tears of pain

And of course you smile and walk for the fp you dont want to spoil the magic.

You dont realize that going to dis is phisically extenuating untill you are injured.

My second chance was an ecv.... but you know.......mexican machos machete motorcycle riders dont need ecv.... yes im an idiot

Took me a lot to recover when i came back and it was also a painfull treatment.

I wouldnt go to disworld if i am hurt or sick in anyway is just the worst place to be injured or sick....i wouldnt recommend it to anyone either.

This might be the extreme but all disneyveterans in one moment or the other know how hard is to walk with blisters and soar feet and keep th kids pace.

 

[Freezing Cold B]

I have patella-femoral syndrome and both my mom and me have bad tendonitis (although hers is worse). We are big fans of Advil, and always have a bottle of it on hand. It still hurts a little, but I hurt every day I wake up (whether I'm at WDW or not), so I guess I'm just used to it.

I have canceled a WDW trip once, when I broke my knee and couldn't walk easily. I look back now, and I shouldn't have listened to my doctor and I should've gone. He told me unless I'd rent a wheel chair I couldn't go, which I refused to do. In my opinion, wheel chairs are for people who can not walk at all, or are extremely ill. I can walk, even if it doesn't look pretty sometimes. But, that's just my opinion on things.

 

[Maleficent Dragon]

Take an icepack with you that you can put in the freezer. When you get back to your room in the evening, ice your knee. You could alternate ice and heat as well (20 minutes/20 minutes)

If you feel you cannot walk, have somebody push you around in a wheelchair. Walking is not worth ruining an entire vacation over.

 

[dawnhaze]

I have a lot of problems with my back, hips, and knees. Walking all day is an impossibility, but sitting all day hurts horribly as well. What I did was get an ECV and use it part of the day, and park it the rest of the time. I'd go to a certain area of a park, leave the ECV near a central attraction, do things in that area, and then use it to go to a different area.

A wheelchair could be even better if you've got someone to push you, because you could ride in it when you needed to and then push it yourself like a walker the rest of the time. Yes, judgmental jerks might think you're faking a health problem, but they're not worth worrying about.

Regular application of ice, compression, NSAIDs, and lots of breaks are probably the best alternative to a mobility device. But keep your mind open to the idea if you're really in a lot of pain, because it's not worth ruining your trip or worse, hurting yourself even more severely over.

 

[sharadoc]

Kinesiology tape (KT tape) is great. For me it is better than any of the braces I have and stays better than ace bandages. I buy it in the sports section at our Meijer store but they have it other places too. It's 12.99 a roll but it has changed my life! I had a possible torn meniscus and a bowed acl that I chose not to have repaired (long story). Now I have rehabbed my knee to the point that I can easily walk 4-6 miles everyday at home. It has made it so that it doesn't hurt to walk and I could rebuild the muscles that I lost post injury.

Watch the KT full knee taping video on the manufacturers website or on YouTube. It's great stuff!

Thanks so much for the recommendation. I just went to the site and watched some videos and I will definitely be ordering this stuff. Looks like exactly what I need.

I have two orthopedists and 3 different PTs and never heard of this stuff. Seems like a no-brainer, at least to give it a try.

 

[rwdavis2]

Thanks so much for the recommendation. I just went to the site and watched some videos and I will definitely be ordering this stuff. Looks like exactly what I need.

I have two orthopedists and 3 different PTs and never heard of this stuff. Seems like a no-brainer, at least to give it a try.

If you had ever watched any of the beach volleyball at the last Olympics the players used a lot of it. Looked like big spiders all over their arms and shoulders.

I had the taping done for Achilles tendonitis (from the heel up the calf). If I remember the explanation correctly, when done right it gives support to weak muscles around an injury so they don't have to work so hard to stabilize it. It worked very well for me. But the one time a different therapist did the taping it did not work so well. So pay attention to the videos.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Parental, financial and medical advice are about the three worst types of advice to listen to on the internet, but I digress.

Iburpofen is Ibuprofen....talk to a doc about how much MG you should be on per day and take that much. Mobic is slightly different. There are anti-infalmmatory gels (Voltaren etc) as well, but for the most part, Iburpfoen is Iburpofen.

Without knowing what is causing the pain, it is impossible to know if anti-inflammatories would even work.

R-I-C-E

Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation

rest is when you can, ice it at night, keep compression on it (brace, ace bandage and elevate it when you can rest

Your SHOULD be okay with 400mg of ibuprofen three times a day, but again, talk to your doc and or PT who knows more details of what is causing the pain

 

[LSUfan4444]

KT tape (as others have mentioned) is all about the application. The tape itself, is useless, unless applied correctly for whatever condition you have and to support/relieve the area that is causing the pain.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Thanks so much for the recommendation. I just went to the site and watched some videos and I will definitely be ordering this stuff. Looks like exactly what I need.

I have two orthopedists and 3 different PTs and never heard of this stuff. Seems like a no-brainer, at least to give it a try.

if you want to try KT Tape, I advise seeing someone who knows how to apply it...YouTube and message board medicine, in addition to what protocol your PTs and Orthos are following is a recipe for disaster.

Why in the world do you have three PTs?

 

[sharadoc]

If you had ever watched any of the beach volleyball at the last Olympics the players used a lot of it. Looked like big spiders all over their arms and shoulders.

I had the taping done for Achilles tendonitis (from the heel up the calf). If I remember the explanation correctly, when done right it gives support to weak muscles around an injury so they don't have to work so hard to stabilize it. It worked very well for me. But the one time a different therapist did the taping it did not work so well. So pay attention to the videos.

 

[rwdavis2]

Parental, financial and medical advice are about the three worst types of advice to listen to on the internet, but I digress.

Iburpofen is Ibuprofen....talk to a doc about how much MG you should be on per day and take that much. Mobic is slightly different. There are anti-infalmmatory gels (Voltaren etc) as well, but for the most part, Iburpfoen is Iburpofen.

Without knowing what is causing the pain, it is impossible to know if anti-inflammatories would even work.

R-I-C-E

Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation

rest is when you can, ice it at night, keep compression on it (brace, ace bandage and elevate it when you can rest

Your SHOULD be okay with 400mg of ibuprofen three times a day, but again, talk to your doc and or PT who knows more details of what is causing the pain

This is great advice. As I mentioned in my first reply, the OP did not indicate what the cause of the pain was. So before doing anything really radical (the KT tape) get some advice. As PP have said, the tape has to applied correctly in the correct spots to work. You can't just throw it on. A misapplication by an inch or 2 or if the knee is at the wrong angle when applying it then it may not work at all. You have to be trained to do it correctly.

 

[LSUfan4444]

This is great advice. As I mentioned in my first reply, the OP did not indicate what the cause of the pain was. So before doing anything really radical (the KT tape) get some advice. As PP have said, the tape has to applied correctly in the correct spots to work. You can't just throw it on. A misapplication by an inch or 2 or if the knee is at the wrong angle when applying it then it may not work at all. You have to be trained to do it correctly.

Yeah, not doubt. It COULD even make the pain worse.

 

[bookgirl]

Recently visited with my mom who has an unstable knee cap.

We took frequent breaks in the park. Mom actually sat out some rides and rested while I ran to a thrill ride. We also tried to do short park times so that we could go back in the middle of the day and really rest up then go back in the evening to hit the parks again.

Be proactive with medication. I quarentee your knee will eventually get achey so just take the advil/alieve/hydrocondone/arnica tea BEFORE you get to the park and then redose at an approviate interval.

At the parks go up to the CM's and discuss stairs/steep walkways/moving loading and unloading. They will help you find ways to avoid the worst of the straining possiblities. And avoid some rides if you think it's too much. Better to miss out on a ride then spend the rest of your vacation in the room unable to do anything.

Get back to the resort and put you feet up or prop a pillow under the knee or whatever and cool it with ice/gel packs/whatever works for you.

My mom did have some tired leg days but being proactive is the way to keep from totally derailing your vacation.

 

[maxiesmom]

I had bad knee issues before I had surgery. Now my knees are only bad some of the time. Try to keep it as limber as you can. I found once I was still for a while, getting going again was the worst! If you are sitting in a show, flex it a bit to keep the blood flowing.

Also, as far as some sort of support goes, I have a Tommy Copper wrap for my ankle that I love. Nothing I have purchased in a store compares. It is comfortable to the point that I forget I am wearing it, but it really does help ease the pain, swelling, and stiffness in that joint.

 

[Maddysdaddy]

Speaking as a 40 year old guy who has had 6 knee operations (3 on each) and has developed reasonably bad arthritis as a result (just tried the injection of the synthetic cartilage fluid on my rt knee a few months ago), what works best for me on park days is this:

1 - pop a couple of extra strength Aleve at breakfast (I don't get nearly the same relief from Tylenol or Advil)
2 - suck it up during the day
3 - take another copuple of Aleve at dinner
4 - when I get back to the hotel, get ice from the machine, wrap it up in a wet towel (won't work in a dry towel), and ice/elevate for 20 minutes

My knees still hurt like heck after all of the walking, but it's a case of mind over matter, and the exercise isn't going to make the arthritis any worse.

That being said, you should really, really not be looking to strangers on the internet for medical advice - even with your PT not starting until after your trip, you should speak with your physician to see what sort of precautions/assistance they recommend.

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I've moved this thread to the disABILITIES! board.

 

[Son of Gadsden]

I have a chronic ACL/meniscus injury that has had multiple tears and reinjuries, including doing damage to my IT band and plenty of other areas in my muscle system. If I walk longer than an hour, serious pain most of the time.

Here's what I do:

Take Ibuprofen, LOTS OF IT. I take 600mg doses, which is enough to help a bit. Make sure it's Ibuprofen, not aspirin. Ibuprofen is an anti inflammatory, and will rid any inflammation in your knee, and ease the pain a bit. Keep taking those as often as the bottle allows.

Buy some knee SLEEVES. I prefer without the hole, some people say with the hole is good. I tried a knee BRACE once and it made my situation way worse. Sleeves are NOT FOR STABILITY. They reduce swelling, ease pain, and just basically keep pressure on the area for minimum stability. They will not likely stop an injury from happening, but will help damage control once it happens. They cost under $5 around here. I only need one per leg to help my issues, but I hear some people say they wear as many as 3 per leg for more pressure. I recommend keeping your other knee in your mind, as putting a lot of duress on one knee will likely cause your body to involuntary compensate to the other knee and overload that one. So, you very well may end up with two knee issues. Keep it in mind. Even if your knees don't bother you, take a couple with you every day at the park and put them on if you need them. You can also wear them overnight. Typically, if I go to bed with a sore knee and wear those to bed, I wake up feeling great.

Take lots of breaks, every chance you get. If you notice you are starting to have issues, ride a short queue sit down ride like Spaceship Earth or Peoplemover. Typically you can get on with little to no ride, and ride them again and again if you aren't ready to walk yet. I get bored sitting on a park bench, and feel like I'm impacting my wife's fun and holding her and any friends we may have with us back, so being on a ride is better in my mind.

After a long day at the park, apply ice for 10 minutes, then heat for 10 minutes. Get ice from the ice machines at the resorts, bring a heating pad. Ice stops the swelling, heat stops the pain. Alternate in 10 minute intervals, as neither should be used without the other for a long period of time.

Do therapy before you trip. Build the leg up and get it prepared for the trip. Look up exercises on the internet for your specific issues, and don't do anything that hurts.

Combining all that together, I still end up in a wheelchair at some point and I'm 23, so still keep that in mind.

Never underestimate knee issues. If you are hurting, STOP what you're doing. Pain is your body telling you that whatever you're doing is screwing up your body.

Hope some of that helps.

 

[MushyMushy]

I know you said ECVs don't seem like a good option for you, but I would think about it some more before you discard the idea. I have a bad back occasionally and I can use Aleve, ice, and all the above to help out with the pain, but you are not talking about walking around the mall. I find that the difference between a great trip and a "bearable" trip when my back is acting up is an ECV. Believe me the learning curve for driving in a busy park is about 15 minutes. If you rent it in the park you do not have to navigate the buses with it. In fact I often park it with the strollers in an area with several attractions and walk from there - that takes care of the sitting too much problem. I don't stress my back from pushing too hard and at the end of the day I am not exhausted and hurting and needing treatment.
In fact when I see older seniors at the park trudging along trying to just get through it I cringe. A trip to WDW is supposed to be fun. Making it easier by having a ride from one part of the park to another just makes your vacation easier and more fun. When my 61 year old husband and I (66) get to WDW in December this year we are renting one and sharing it, just to have time to rest his hip and my back and not be exhausted when we stop for the night.

Just a thought about that ECV.

I had some tendonitis in my right ankle when I visited Disney in July...So...what did I do with my tendonitis??...I walked 5-6 miles a day on it every day for a week. I would go back to the room in the evening and put ice on it.

Toward the end of the trip, I got on a ride and felt a slight pop...and then walked and walked and walked.

I got home and went about my life that included some light walking ...and my ankle hurt. I bought a $5 slip on ace bandage...and walked on my ankle.

In mid-September, I went to the foot doctor.

I hope to get the boot off my foot for my torn ligament in mid-November.

Pain is a convenient way for your body to tell you that you have a problem.

At least be prepared to get the scooter.

I couldn't agree more with these. On our last trip in May, I pushed and pushed through pain and ended up with some expensive physical therapy for achilles tendonitis and still have quite a ways to go with it. About halfway through that trip, I swallowed my pride and rented a scooter. I was completely mortified, but it sure beat sitting in the room for the rest of the trip. Because of back problems, I couldn't sit in the scooter the whole time, so like Redbudlover, I would park it in a central stroller location and walk around for a while.

At first I was really self conscious about it. I didn't want to be one of "those" people who gets out of a scooter and everyone goes "AHA!!! She can walk!" Who knows, maybe people did think that, but nobody batted an eyelash at me. I really think for all the negativity you hear on the forums about scooters, people really don't give a rip about it -- they're there to have fun on their own vacations and really don't notice what you're doing.

 

[schoen]

OP here! Well, you guys thoroughly freaked me out, and had me convinced that I was going to permanently destroy my knee if I didn't use a wheelchair, so today I went to a specialist to see how HE thought I should approach this trip. It is probably always best to get medical advice from DRs anyway, but the internet is so much easier!

he determined with some tests that it not actually my knee that is hurting, but muscles in my legs are inflamed and making it sort of feel like knee pain. My knee is fit as a fiddle. He gave me a few scripts, that are already working, and told me that walking will not only not hurt my legs, but will be good for them. The pain will be controlled by the medicine, which I hopefully won't have to take for too long, as it is an NSAID, which always freak me out that I have a bleeding ulcer that I am unaware of ;-).

Thanks for all of the advice!

 

[ttintagel]

Be proactive with medication. I quarentee your knee will eventually get achey so just take the advil/alieve/hydrocondone/arnica tea BEFORE you get to the park and then redose at an approviate interval.

Can't stress that one enough. DON'T wait until it hurts to take the medicine. Work out a schedule and take the medicine BEFORE it starts to hurt. Set an alarm on your watch or your phone to remind you.