Joint Pain?

[TigerWoman]

well, speaking of knee problem, I do have some complaints. First, I dont' feel knee pain at all when I was training, but when I'm done and just standing there, I can feel some pain around my knees, not bad at all, but some aching is there, is this a bad sign? SHould I start taking the glucosamine combo? I'm in my early thirties.

Also, I used to play volleyball as a kid, and I have no clue whether I have seriously hurt my knees before, but lately, i felt like my right knee "pops" quite easily. I know it's not dislocated because one, it wasnt very painful, but it pops to a point that I will fall right away, but I can get back up immediately and continue wtih whatever I was doing (sparring was one incident where it "popped". What I mean by pop is that, i felt like my right knee popped out of place and back in within a split second...
!

My knees used to dislocate alot as a teen, but I kept popping them back in with no damage. A few years ago, I did it doing tornado round kick after being near exhausted and landed wrong. I put it back in but injured the meniscus/cartilage, it was torn. I took glucosamine SULFATE which is better than glucosamine CHONDROITIN which is more common. Not all supplements are the same. That one healed but have a new one now. Start now and keep your joints/cartilage healthy. It takes 3 months for it to really get into your system. I ran for twenty years and lost alot of cartilage so I'm bone on bone practically on both knees.

Also, MSM, is also a good supplement. It alleviates any inflammation from use which starts the pain and swelling.

Also ICE your knees afterwards or cold pack them, ice til numb then move around the knee. This is great and your knees will thank you. They won't swell up and cause pain.

Its better to take Advil or ibuprofen 1/2 hr. before a workout so no swelling or pain starts. Two hours later after workout when you are already in pain is really too late, it keeps the pain down but the damage is done.

I also wear braces to keep my patellas in place when jumping since I am prone to them going out of joint. (I use a velcro complicated one for my really bad knee-got it from a orthopedist)

There are other threads as well for strengthening your hamstring so the quad muscles do not take over - something like the hamstrings should be 80-90% of the strength of the quads. Also theVM quad muscle on inner side of the thigh needs to be strengthened so your knee ligaments keep your joints in place too. VM Exercise: sit on floor legs extended in a V, turn your toe out and lift slowly, one leg at a time, 20 reps. and hold for ten seconds.

That's most of what I've learned. Too late, might I add. Start now.
TW

 

[Faye]

Tigerwoman-

question for you, when you say you dislocate and pop them back in..i'm a bit confused, because I never actually have to pop it back in. It almost always happen when I land after a kick. I even had that problem when I was doing the warm up axe kicks. It sort of to "pop", and then i never have to do anything, it just gets back in place, and usually it's not painful afterwards.
Last saturday, after the second pop in a week, i can feel some soreness on my right knee a few days after, I'm just worried----is that the same as dislocating my knee?

I will start taking glucosamine sulfate.

 

[Raewyn]

What is scoping???? I have a problem with my left knee. It's what they call a patella femular (I think thats the correct spelling) an irritation between the knee cap and the bone. I got told it was unoperable. It is just an annoying ache. Apparentley there is nothing that can be done except rest it for ages and ages and hope that is gets better.

 

[TigerWoman]

Tigerwoman-

question for you, when you say you dislocate and pop them back in..i'm a bit confused, because I never actually have to pop it back in. It almost always happen when I land after a kick. I even had that problem when I was doing the warm up axe kicks. It sort of to "pop", and then i never have to do anything, it just gets back in place, and usually it's not painful afterwards.
Last saturday, after the second pop in a week, i can feel some soreness on my right knee a few days after, I'm just worried----is that the same as dislocating my knee?

I will start taking glucosamine sulfate.

Faye, when I dislocated my knee it was all the way out of the socket and couldn't have moved back unless done manually. Its really painful, excruciating in fact. I'm not a doc, so keep that in mind, but it sounds to me like your knee isn't staying where it should be so you hear a sound when it gets back in place. You probably have more cushion-cartilage too, so it slides easily. If I were you, I would wear a brace. If it slides out all the way doing a twisting jump, you risk damage and definitely more pain. Are you in TKD? I was trying to remember. If so that is all the more reason to use a brace-better safe than sorry! I've gotten quite used to mine. TW

 

[Faye]

Tigerwoman,

I think i get it now!! Mine slipped out of place as well, but not all the way, and it went quickly back into place. But I sure should wear some braces. I bought some of those elastic bands, I wonder if those provide enough support. Yes, I'm in taekwondo, I'm the one who asked all those spinning hook quick questions!!
Thanks for all your support/advises!

 

[TigerWoman]

Tigerwoman,

I think i get it now!! Mine slipped out of place as well, but not all the way, and it went quickly back into place. But I sure should wear some braces. I bought some of those elastic bands, I wonder if those provide enough support. Yes, I'm in taekwondo, I'm the one who asked all those spinning hook quick questions!!
Thanks for all your support/advises!

I just had a patellar, under the knee band for a while. That seemed okay enough to keep my knee in joint. Some of the elastic ones that don't have an additional hole in the back can't really be irritating. I liked the wrap around neoprene ones the best. But there is a neoprene, inexpensive, that has the hole in front and not in the back. It is a slip on. Also a neoprene velcrom inexpensive, that has both holes and wraps, cooler. Now I wear the under the knee thing on my right, my good knee, and the wrap around that has an additional insert that velcros in so my patellar doesn't slip. It keeps my side ligaments more supported. Then my hamstring in the back of the knee gave me trouble. So its a constant exercise thing for the hamstring.
My heavy duty one is a Hely & Weber (no hard pieces inside) from a orthopedist.. The other knee strap is a Kneed-It, from a catalog. The Cho-Pat strap was okay but not as good. (I think I have gotten them ALL) TW

 

[Tkang_TKD]

LOL! One more member of the bad knee club. My bad knees come mostly from athletics at the junior high/high school level, and continued athletics through out my life.

For the most part, I get a lot of pains in my right knee, and occassionally in my hips. Other than that, for the most part I tend to be injury free.

Ironically enough, I've only had one minor TKD related injury, and that was a strained hamstring.

I've hurt myself much more often in "non-contact" sports, such as softball, basketball, etc...

Anyway, I use neopreen knee braces on both knees and one of those slim wraps that is designed to stabilize the knee cap. They took some getting used to, but for the most part I have full range of motion, and thanks to the stabilization, I tend to be relatively pain free during training. Pain on off days is another subject though...LOL

 

[Faye]

Tigerwoman-

I just checked it out with my doctor today, he said i have patella lateral subluxation (partial dislocation). Will have to wear braces, he said no TKD for a week until he evaluate my MRI. (he's worried about ACL tear, which i doubted, but better that than sorry.) I'm suppose to test for my green belt next week too.
Just thought to give you an update.

 

[Shodan]

Faye-

Ouch!! I hope you are still able to test. Do you have a knee brace you can use if you do decide to test? I hope your MRI comes back okay- I blew out my knee on my second brown test, so you might want to delay your test if the doctor thinks you should. Get that knee strong before you push it too far.

Best of luck-
:asian: :karate:

 

[Faye]

Shodan,

Thank you! I am using a knee brace right now, to make sure i don't really pop it out. But I am not in pain at all. My doctor just want to make sure it's okay. I think i'll be fine, he said no tkd until MRI's back, i just got it done an hour ago and result will be in soon! will keep you all posted!

 

[Gary Crawford]

At 41, I am absolutely a member of the club.Mostly from stupidity though.When I was younger(and didn't quit until way after I should have),I was a die hard skateboarder,mostlty vert.I was skating a large half-pipe ramp on day after I hadn't skated for a couple weeks.I was getting carried away with myself way too early in my warm ups and attempted a high allyoop air before I got my balance dialed in.I didn't feel right and I bailed,not knee sliding down the ramp,I landed flat footed on the flat bottom.I saw my right knee seperate about five inches!I suffered with it instead of getting surgery.It was bearable until five years ago when I was kicked really hard in a sparring.I had a hard time with it for about eight months until one day,I turned and felt a big pop!All of a sudden,my knee felt great.I guess it was slightly dislocated till then.I don't feel totally confident with it when I kick with my left these days unles I wear a really tight support.

 

[Faye]

Gary- the thing is that I think the pressure on the leg is stronger when I'm kicking with my left leg because i'm planting my right knee on the floor, especially the jump kicks. I do wear a tight support right now, and I'll just have to wait and see what the doctor say. I don't suppose there are alot I can do besides the physical therapy to strengthen my quads.

 

[Gary Crawford]

I do allot of self-therapy.Leg lifts on the weight bench,but I get the most benifit from balancing with my left leg up and sqatting slowly with my right.

 

[Faye]

Hi all-

Just want to let you all know, my MRI result came back and it revealed ACL complete torn! I was surprised as hell because I did not feel any pain at all, no swelling no pain, i have full range of motion. The only reason i went to the doctor was becauase of my slight knee cap slipping in and out twice.
i wonder if this tear happened years ago because I really feel NO pain, nothing.
So, i either have to get surgery or do physical therapy and wear a knee brace. I will go with the latter just to see how it goes..
Really strange, no symptoms at all.

 

[TigerWoman]

Wow, you must have torn that awhlle ago. I have a friend who tore hers falling off a horse but she is in TKD as well, She was a orange belt then. She had a lot of pain, was out for awhile, and came back very slowly. She had trouble with spins at first (with no ACL, no surgery done), but slowly she adjusted. She's in her 30's. She is a red belt now but has had it fairly easy so far for requirements. I guess you have to make that decision to repair it and go through the rehabilitation period or do without. I wonder if any others on this board have torn ACLs and haven't had them repaired.
??? TW

 

[Faye]

I talked to my instructor today, and he actually had his ACL torn as well (from football), didn't repair it for 7 years and continued with martial arts. And then he eventually did get it repair. I, too, am curious if anyone has it torn and never fix it. I think i'm okay, with physical therapy, I should get stronger and be fine....
hopefully.

 

[donald]

I had a mcl injury about 8-10 years ago. which they said was only a streching, or bruising. after ward it would hurt me here, and there, and i even had a little more checking of it about 3 years ago. well this past may i stepped into a hole at work, and twisted it. i went to the urgent care that afternoon, and was told it was a sprain, but if it still bothered me in a week or so to have it checked further. it did, and i did. after some more care, and then finally an mri. i was told i had a tear of the lateral minscus, and they reccomended surgery. its been 9 months since the sugery, and it still is weak, and painful. especially going up/down elevations. thank The Lord Jesus that recently it has felt better while walking etc., but still feels wobbly at times, and painful. after(second opinion) surgery was told by surgeon,"saw some evidence of arthritis, but no need to be concerned about that for 10-20 more years"!!! my question is. has anyone else had an experience like this?
thanks,
By His Grace, 1st John 1:9

 

[jfarnsworth]

Good to hear that it is doing somewhat better. :asian:

 

[TigerWoman]

I've had two meniscal tears. I tore one doing a tornado round kick, dislocating and I scraped my knee back in instead of going to the ER. So it tore and then a couple of years ago I had an MRI for another problem and I tore the other side but my old one healed. Whenever I tore those, my hamstrings by the knee were sore I noticed. I also had trouble walking up and down stairs as it was unstable and buckled. Every once in a while it still does in class particularly when my hamstrings are sore.

I take Glucosamine Sulfate and if you do a search there is quite a bit written about it on MT. Anyway I do alot of knee exercises to keep the muscles, quads particularly the inner ones, and hamstrings strong plus wear a non-metal brace. Squats are great-not over 90° though. Its been working pretty good but still there is wear and tear from the discipline I'm in. I jumped on Friday, forgot myself, and paid for it this weekend. I really have to stop jumping altogether. Good luck on yours! TW