Nrdsb4 - Sounds like you might have patellafemoral which is what I had/have. Make sure you are going to a good sports med doc that you trust. Don’t want you to go down a surgery route if you don’t have too. My guess is you have tracking issues. I stayed away from running for 2 weeks. I use KT tape for patella alignment which seems to work plus a number of rehab exercises for hips/quads and of course foam roller.
As an alternative you may want to go to a chiro who does ART/Graston (some PT’s do it as well). Make sure you are icing.
Hugs, Nrdsb. What ohio said. PT worked well for me when I wrecked my knee a while ago, but each situation is different. I picked a doc who was an adjunct at the local major research U specializing in sports medicine, and chose a PT who was a marathon runner herself. The PT sessions were more like personal gait correction etc. She put me on the treadmill and did a full analysis of my running. You probably want someone who understands the particular needs of your favorite exercise. Good luck, hope it will heal quickly.
Best of luck Nrdsb in getting that knee diagnosed and treated - Knees are so subject to abuse and wear and tear - we ask them to do so much!
Our local running shop just put out a FB post (along with a related article) that they are doing free bone mineral density screening tomorrow night - is there something lesser (than a dexascan!) that they can do? Seems like a nice thing to offer.
Thanks, guys. The doc I’m going to is a sports medicine guy who specializes in knees. He has taken care of my Ds’ soccer injuries for years. He’s a surgeon, but doesn’t jump onto that solution unless he feels there is no alternative.
Nrdsb4 - other thoughts. AVOID downhill running. Also - cadence adjustment? ideally you should be at 180 steps per minute. I am/was over striding at 162 steps per minute which was contributing to problems. This has been hard for me. I always thought that I needed to get more air underneath me and Gaun distance by lengthening stride. Problem is your knee is handling to much shock by doing this.
Also something minor with me —I needed to “toe out” ever so slightly. Running with ties pointed straight or turned in was creating knee stress. You might be asking yourself WHY at this point! Trust me I ask it everyday.
It does sound like something with your MCL- hopefully just a sprain. I would start with Advil (3 200 mg 3 times a day) and treat it like a prescription. Glad you have a good sports doc and I hope you are back in the saddle quickly!
@ohiopublic, I avoid running altogether. I just ride my bike. I really love riding, and had thought knee injuries were rare with biking.
I will take @MichaelNKat’s advice and have my bike looked at with regard to seat height, etc.
I do walk up the stairs at my house a thousand times a day. Might have to use the elevator for awhile. When we bought this house, DH and I laughed at the fact that it had an elevator. Not laughing today.
@sabaray I would try for the flattest route you can possibly find- even if you have to drive an hour to get there! You need everything in your favor! The distance/time is the challenge here. You’ve done plenty of terrain.
Nrdsb4, that is my MO: make an appointment and then while I am waiting (because it takes a few days), ice, Advil, rest. Sometimes I can cancel the appointment after a few days off.
ART is what my trainer used to help with the pain I was having in my pitiformis muscle. She also used the Stick (which you use like a foam roller.)
If ART can work on your knee, give it a try. Good luck, Nrdsb.
Has anyone with a Fitbit Charge noticed a blister/redness on his/her wrist? I haven’t worn mine for the last two days waiting for the redness to go away. Checked online and saw that others have had similar problems–Fitbit has some recommendations on cleaning the strap. Also, one model was recalled–Fitbit Force.
Going to two yoga classes today (back-to-back) hips and hamstrings and restorative yoga tonight.
@Classof2015 – shoes. I wear the Hoka One One Clifton 2 and now the 3 for roads and smooth trails. Like the 3 a bit more, but not so much that I’m retiring my 2s. I wear the Altra Lone Peak 2.5 for trails and muddy days.
I did the second week of my trail running clinic this morning. 3.5 miles of ups and downs (850 feet of vertical gain) before breakfast (because I can’t eat at 6 AM). As it happened, the woman who set the trail for the 15 mile trail run next May that I’ve been thinking about doing (the Smith Rock Ascent) was assisting this week. She described the course as “buffed out” and smoother than the trails we’ve been running, which is making me consider the possibility even more seriously. But… 15 miles with 4000 feet of vertical would be a serious challenge! I can keep mulling it over for a while, though, it’s not open for registration yet. It did inspire me to run another 3.5 miles with the dog after I got home, though. Still thinking that my Garmin is underestimating the distances on the trails.
18 holes (walking) of spectacularly bad golf this morning, at least on my part. Good grief, nothing worked except my drives. All my other shots were just not working. We started off in a misty rain, but then it stopped and got warm and humid. #AreWeHavingFunYet?
@Bromfield2 - I have a Fitbit Charge HR, but haven’t had any issues with redness/reaction to the band. How long have you had yours? I do periodically clean the strap since it starts looking gross from sweat, sunblock, etc.
I’ve been sick for two weeks, so I have a lot of catching up to do on this thread. Didn’t feel like exercising pretty soon into it, but I’ve done an hour at the treadmill the last couple of days. Definitely much better now, happy I didn’t gain weight (not hungry and little desire to drink), but I fear looking in the mirror at the potential flabalanche. Seems like you can lose that muscle tone awfully fast!
Never had issues with my Fitbit Charge HR either, but I take it off at night. The “sleep tracking” thing is a joke because it says that I am asleep when I am lying still widely awake but do not want to move so I would not wake up Mr. Is there something more to the redness? My go to remedy for these kinds of things is a tiny bit of Neosporin is there is any chance it is a beginning of some infection.
busdriver, don’t overdo it - make sure you’re over whatever bug was making you miserable! Glad you’re feeling better.
I have the Charge as well but take it off at night like Bunsen. Haven’t noticed any redness/irritation, but also haven’t been wearing it as much. I found I was getting too fixated on steps regardless of whether it was meaningful exercise.
I’m the oddball - I wear mine to bed every night! I make sure I just take a slightly damp rag with a tad of soap to the strap only part of it now and then.
2.5 miles, 70 degrees, no humidity, soft breeze. Ahhhhh.
I also wear my FitBit at night. I don’t need the sleep tracker, I know I don’t sleep well.
Ran on the treadmill 3.1 miles without stopping. I’m curious to know why it seems easier than running outside. I set it on the incline suggested by the coaches in my running program.
Glad you are better, busdriver and take care nrdsb4.
Is there something more to the redness? My go to remedy for these kinds of things is a tiny bit of Neosporin is there is any chance it is a beginning of some infection.