Please help with my knee problem!!

[Bigg Mike]

I have found myself in dire need of help. I have patella tendonitis, and my knees are killing me. I stretch and stretch but they dont stop hurting. They give out on me all the time!! Any suggestions? I can't train like this!!

[NebS]

See a professional!

Techinically speaking this might be the worst place to come for advice only because we DON'T have and PHD's in medicine or anything...

Not to downgrade anyones opinions or anything, but compared to some guys we suck :p

[Acenes]

See a professional. (The experience here on the forum is good to give advice on "small" problems that one can take care of by themselves, but for serious and recurring stuff (like knees giving out on you repeatedly) ... see a professional, it will fix the problem much faster and much better.)

[Bigg Mike]

I have already seen a doctor last year about it. He told me to do some stretches to keep the tendons loose and to take ibuprofen for the pain. I have been doing this (maybe not often enough) and I am still experiencing problems. I was moreso looking to see if anyone on this forum has experienced this problem as it relates to grappling. And if so, what they do to help it so that they can continue training.

[Dannicus]

Aside from medical attention Mike, just take it easy. Don't overtrain. You may have to cut back on training time, I know you have been trying to lose some weight, I struggle with that too, The pain might start getting a little bit less for you as you slim down. Talk with your instructor, see if they can suggest anything for you that might adapt your training to your specific needs.

But most importantly, listen to your body. If your body is saying no more, you have to take that into account. Good luck sir! Keep us updated.

[Acenes]

!!!Physiotherapy!!!

They did wonders for my knee... I liked it better than a doctor because they would work with me and then give me stuff to do on my own.

Each time I went back the type of excercise progressed to account for the progess of the healing process.
And when it was "better" the physiotherapist showed me some excercises which I can do at home to continually strengthen the problem area on my knee (and I don't have to go back in and pay more money that way too).

!!!Physiotherapy!!!

[Oneiros]

Physiotherapy +1 for this from me too...

[spud]

Have you tried using shark cartliage? I have had several knee ops & since using this stuff they certainly seem better. I also wear volleyball knee pads when I train as I was also getting bursitis in one knee.
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[PacificFlows]

I had this problem as I began training, too. Here's how I fixed it:

Pistols. Do them. Often. The goal is to make you stengthen the system of muscles that help support your knee ligaments. This is pretty obvious, I know. I don't want to sound condescending by giving you information you already know, but I CANNOT stress the importance enough! So I say again. PISTOLS!

Do NOT stretch before a workout. It weakens the ligaments and makes them more prone to injury. Stretch after, when everything is warm from activity. Do not stretch first thing in the morning. Your fluids need time to re-establish themselves in your joints. I know that sounds vague, and I can't say I understand the science behind it 100%. But that's for the experts to know, am I right?

This may sound dumb, but if your knee ligaments are giving you pain. Stop stretching them for a while. Maybe about a month, stick to nothing but strengthening the joint with pistols and squats. Proper form should be of the utmost importance, or you're probably just going to make things worse. Think of it as practice, as oppose to working out. That does not mean stop stretching. Just stop stretching the knee. Instead, stretch your hips, your groin, your hamstrings, and your back. My problem came from one set of ligaments in the complex system that is the knee being too loose, and the others not being loose enough. This created uneven tension, and to make a long story short, fucked my shit up.

Get a knee brace for training. External ligaments are life savers.

Hope this advice helps.

[Otto]

Bigg Mike,
First - sit on the floor with your foot tucked by your butt.
Take the knuckles of your forefingers and dig back and forth directly under your patella. Do this for about a minute.
Second - buy some "liquid advil gel caps" cut one open with a pair of scissors, squeeze the liquid all over your knee. Do this in the morning, mid-day and before you go to bed.
I can't explain to you, bio-chemically, why it will help, but it will.
Third - see a good chiropractor/kinesiologist.
Good luck.

[Otto]

P.S.
Massage the liquid advil in.