The Club No One Wants To Join

I am officially a member of the bad knees club.

As a physically active person, I thought bad knees happened from too much running - you can tell how much I love running. But, in fact, as the orthopedic specialist shared with me, it is due to hips. Now I know how to shake my hips, and I even enjoy a good pigeon pose in yoga. Apparently, that is not enough. When the doc asked me to stand on one foot and squat, well, I nearly fell over due to the diagonal line that my kneecap drew in thin air (it's supposed to go straight up and down).

I was scolded for not seeking help sooner and told not to go training for any triathlons anytime soon. The triathlon mandate felt harsh, as it was a new years resolution. In any event, my resolutions will have to focus elsewhere - like practicing all the exercises I'll learn in physical therapy for the next two months! I hope to share my knee pain management program with you all, if only to share the understanding that knee supports may not be the answer to your pain.

Here's how I knew my knee pain was bad enough to see a doctor:

1. Difficulty Lunging
Every time I lunge, it feels like my knee is pulling in two different directions. I focused on alignment and watched myself in the mirror, and still could only manage a few per leg without pain. I relish in muscle soreness due to healthy exertion, and I assure you this was pain.

Photo Credit

2. Noisy kNees
Your knees should not click, creek, pop or make any other noises reserved for construction sites. I found that at the peak of my machine weight lifting, particularly in regards to leg presses, my right knee would make a popping noise. Ouch. Again, I checked alignment, focussed on pushing through the whole foot and not just the toes - a common mistake - and yet, still snap crackle pop.

3. Wallet Remedies
Since I'm a conscious penny pincher and using my insurance makes me nervous -  it's the first time in my adult life that I've had decent insurance - I sought out other possible solutions. I didn't sink too much money into alternative management of knee pain, but I bought a brace and inserts for my gym shoes. Let me tell ya', braces are not the answer for all knee pain. In fact, the brace increased pressure on one of my knees. However, the shoe inserts, I do recommend, especially for the bunion and high arch-stricken, which brings me to...

4. Feet
Pay attention to them. I have a history of arch soreness after prolonged periods of time on my feet. This too can lead to knee pain and damage. When the doc picked on my pointy boots I thought Oh no he di'int! I thought I knew about shoes, but it seems my thrill for a pretty shoe may be a contributing factor to my knee pain. Also, think you just have bony feet? Think again, strange bump near the big toe? Probably a bunion, it's fairly common among females who like shoes...

Bunion-stricken shoe lover