Internet, my knee hurts. How do I make it stop?
warning: able-bodied privilege ahead. Other types will probably be on display.
In September, I dislocated my knee for the third time. I went to months of rehab, and escaped needing surgery. Hooray!
I was also depressed and sad during that time. The temporary loss of the ability to walk struck me pretty hard.
The last time I got an x-ray, I learned that there is now a fucked up bit of bone. My patella is weaker than it should be, thanks to a missing sliver on the left side. This probably happened, says the doc, the first or second time. Those were both more traumatic in the moment, and I believe him.
I've done lots of PT, and most people can't tell there's anything wrong. I'm basically able bodied, though I've got a weird gait going down escalators. And I notice a limp all the time, though even my wife can't see it. Usually.
For the last two months, I've been running. Mostly treadmill, sometimes outside, but last night on the treadmill. I run away from zombies, and play solitaire. And listen to music. I've got enough crap going on to keep me interested.
Due to a cold, we skipped about a week. Last night, we were back up for a quick jog. Like 20 minutes. I was able to do 4 miles an hour with only minor aches, but as soon as I hit 6 mph (actually running), BOOM, pain. Of course I stopped, and then did some PT.
Searching, questing pain looking for how to disable me. Pain starting in my knee, echoing to my shin, then bounding back to my hip. I slept in my brace, out of fear my knee would jump out of socket.
I don't want to stop running. I've really enjoyed it. Doing 10 miles a week and being covered in sweat? That's pretty awesome. I've felt like I'm finally using my body.
At the same time, I cannot do an activity that's going to make my knee unusable. Walking is kind of important to my ongoing life.
I need solutions. Suggestions from the internet?
Also: Yes, I know I've got it pretty good in life. I'm not trying to compare, but am looking for minor sympathy and suggestions.
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Swimming. It's boring, but it sure makes you good and tired. I found a local swim team to train with and they coached me up pretty good.
ReplyDeletePlus if your knee is troubling you you can squeeze a float between your thighs and then you don't have to kick at all.
John Aegard Good idea! We're hitting a friends glorious pool tonight. Any suggestions for what to do? And we've got a tiny pool, 3 feet deep, at our place. Any suggestions for how to use it?
ReplyDeleteI did laps. Lots and lots of laps. Not sure what you do in a smaller, shallow pool without lanes.
ReplyDeleteLearn to enjoy biking as much as you enjoy running? Honestly there's no magical cure for "wearing your knees out" until you hit the level of damage that warrants knee replacement.
ReplyDeleteEva Schiffer Can I run from zoms on a bike? The distractions are important for me to keep doing it.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about escaping zombies specifically (not an app I've ever tried) but you should be fine to watch TV, read a book, listen to music, or read stuff on your phone (the physical mechanics aren't going to be all that different than accessing that stuff on your treadmill). I would recommend a recumbent exercise bike though, since regular bike seats can be... um, unpleasant if you aren't used to them.
ReplyDeleteYou might be SOL with the knee and running. I have terrible shin splints that crop up when I try to run week after about 1 week. Bottom line is running is very hard on the legs due to the high-impact nature of the sport.
ReplyDeleteYour most obvious options are:
1. Change from a run to a lighter level, which pretty much is brisk walking or maybe race-walking. You want to put your feet down without slapping them. There's a reverberation back up your leg when your feel slap the ground, and for me this causes shin splints, and for you it sounds like knee pain. Running means foot-slapping, so you will want to find something easier.
2. Change sports altogether. I realize you have a gym at the apartment, but maybe running isn't the right choice despite the convenience. Do you have an elliptical machine? Those things will give you as much/more of a workout as running alone since they enlist your arms. How about cycling, my personal favorite? This is also low-to-zero-impact and shouldn't directly bother the knee.
FWIW, for a given distance, say 3 miles, you actually burn more calories by walking it than you do running it. Do not compare the times (that is if you run 2x as fast as you walk, running 20 minutes definitely burns more calories than walking 20 minutes). It'll take longer (like, 2x as long), but the results are actually better, if calorie burning is your goal.
And yeah, swimming is another excellent cardio workout if you have access to a 25-meter pool. You can't really swim laps in a shorter pool. I've tried, and I guess I shouldn't say "can't" but it's sub-ideal. You want to at least get 30 seconds to a length (60 to a lap) so you can build a rhythm, and a 10- or 15-meter pool won't cut it.
ReplyDeleteBiking has Strava. It might have zombies too, but Strava is fun to compare against other people.
ReplyDeleteAlso: http://greatist.com/fitness/take-it-easy-21-unexpected-low-impact-workouts. So there's about 18 unmentioned alternatives. :)
ReplyDeleteCut off leg. Get robot knee. Cyborgs are awesome.
ReplyDeleteTodd Sprang Apparently the "endless" running water pools do actually work well for this. The mother of one of my friends has one and loves it.
ReplyDeleteOne of my gym friends with knee problems swears by the elliptical. I don't like it as much because it won't throw me on the floor if I don't keep up with whatever speed I set. But it is good cardio that is easier on the knees and is just as compatible with the activities you described.
ReplyDeleteoh i totally want an endless pool, Eva Schiffer! they're like $20k to start though. ouch.
ReplyDeleteSo, elliptical and swimming. Check.
ReplyDeleteWasn't able to go swimming last night: Threat of storm. Instead, I was a mean, in-pain bastard. Because that always helps.