minor knee injury

[illogick]

Hey all, so for the past week and a half or so my knee has been bothering me. It's not a really severe issue, the pain isn't terrible... I can fence with it easy enough, but I don't want to run the risk of a more serious injury down the line because of my negligence... Anyway, my knee hurts whenever I put a lot of pressure on it when it's bent; it's the knee of my back leg when i'm en garde, so it's obviously going to see a good amount of pressure. The pain is very localized, I can only feel it in the area directly above the kneecap.

Any ideas on what this may be, and how to treat it? I'm sure I can't be the first fencer to have something like this, so I decided to ask about it here.

Thanks in advance

[Elendae]

It could be patellofemoral pain syndrome... or it could be something else completely. Is there any swelling? Does it hurt when you walk or do anything else? Also, even though you may think it's a minor injury, you should probably get it checked out by a doctor, just to be safe. This past July I thought I had sprained my knee in a fall. It turned out to be a cartilage tear, which required surgery. Better safe than sorry.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

See a doctor. In my world, "minor" and "knee injury" aren't words used in the same sentance, unless the sentance is something along the lines of "it was not a minor knee injury".............

It might be fine. Someone here might be able to tell you what it might be.

But do you really want to risk it?

[illogick]

There is no swelling at all, it doesn't even hurt when I walk. Sometimes it hurts when going up stairs, but that's it.

Myrddin, I'll see if i can get it checked out by the athletic trainer for my team.

[Elendae]

Originally Posted by illogick

There is no swelling at all, it doesn't even hurt when I walk. Sometimes it hurts when going up stairs, but that's it.

Myrddin, I'll see if i can get it checked out by the athletic trainer for my team.

It could be a cartilage problem. I'd get it checked out as soon as possible. It may be something that is reversible, with proper treatment.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

I'm not any kind of doctor. What I'm talking about here is based only on personal experience, and is not a medical fact.

But I've fixed my knees and other fencers knees through a method...

1. Stretch your hamstrings. Really really really stretch them. I'm talking about your chin touching your knee.

2. Squat heavy weights. I know it sounds contradictory, but I believe you have to cause your body to generate growth hormone in order to heal its injuries effectively. You can do this by squatting, which causes your body to secrete anabolic hormones. This is the most painful medicine IMHO. Its amazing the way peoples knee pain goes away once they start squatting atleast 1.5 x their bodyweight.

[jessicasimpson]

if going the stretching route, try to focus on stretching you IT Bands, they can really mess with your knees

[App13]

In the mean time you should just turn your back foot in a little bit, so if you brought your feet together it wouldn't be a 90 degree angle, more like a 45 degree one.

[Heavenguard]

Stop whatever you're doing and see a doctor before you proceed further.

[kmak_577]

Originally Posted by illogick

Hey all, so for the past week and a half or so my knee has been bothering me. It's not a really severe issue, the pain isn't terrible... I can fence with it easy enough, but I don't want to run the risk of a more serious injury down the line because of my negligence... Anyway, my knee hurts whenever I put a lot of pressure on it when it's bent; it's the knee of my back leg when i'm en garde, so it's obviously going to see a good amount of pressure. The pain is very localized, I can only feel it in the area directly above the kneecap.

Any ideas on what this may be, and how to treat it? I'm sure I can't be the first fencer to have something like this, so I decided to ask about it here.

Thanks in advance

At the moment I have the same symptoms however please see a doctor and dont go with my advice its mearly telling you whats wrong with me when I have the same sypmtomes. Mine is a lower quad strain, I first thought it was a traped nerve but the doctor told me it wasnt, so now am on anti inflamatory gel and seeing a physiotherapist tonight (this may seem abit extreme but I have a team event at the weekend and I want to be on top form for then). But I strongly eurge you to get it checked out, just incase.

[Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by D+F+P=Hadouken!

1. Stretch your hamstrings. Really really really stretch them. I'm talking about your chin touching your knee.

I heard edew had his chin touching knees, but they weren't HIS knees....

[pinkelephant]

Originally Posted by Heavenguard

Stop whatever you're doing and see a doctor before you proceed further.

Totally agree. Knees are complex things and need a professional, not a bunch of well-meaning amateurs.

[ifencesabre]

This has happened to me before
you should just lay off of it for a while
you don't need to see a doctor unless
it's REALLY bothering you

[xcrunner]

Originally Posted by D+F+P=Hadouken!

2. Squat heavy weights. I know it sounds contradictory, but I believe you have to cause your body to generate growth hormone in order to heal its injuries effectively. You can do this by squatting, which causes your body to secrete anabolic hormones. This is the most painful medicine IMHO. Its amazing the way peoples knee pain goes away once they start squatting atleast 1.5 x their bodyweight.

no. that will aggrivate the knee. i wouldn't even do bodyweight squats. one legged squats going down to the point it hurts will do fine. aim for 2x10 daily

Originally Posted by illogick

Hey all, so for the past week and a half or so my knee has been bothering me. It's not a really severe issue, the pain isn't terrible... I can fence with it easy enough, but I don't want to run the risk of a more serious injury down the line because of my negligence... Anyway, my knee hurts whenever I put a lot of pressure on it when it's bent; it's the knee of my back leg when i'm en garde, so it's obviously going to see a good amount of pressure. The pain is very localized, I can only feel it in the area directly above the kneecap.

Any ideas on what this may be, and how to treat it? I'm sure I can't be the first fencer to have something like this, so I decided to ask about it here.

Thanks in advance

you could have patellar tendonitis. you can fence through that injury, but do what people have been saying with the stretching. especially your IT band, hammies, and quads. roll out your IT band a couple times a day. try heating your knee before you fence. don't burn it, just get it warm while massaging it. ice after you fence for about 15-20 minutes massaging where the pain is with the ice. (best way to do this is with an ice cup.) also do a cross friction massage on your patellar tendon after you ice.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Originally Posted by xcrunner

no. that will aggrivate the knee. i wouldn't even do bodyweight squats. one legged squats going down to the point it hurts will do fine. aim for 2x10 daily

So doing one legged squats is OK, but bodyweight squats are not? Explain please.

Why two sets of ten? Thats a repetition setup, but its not a progression.

I know that what I preach sounds crazy, but it works, and not just for me.

[xcrunner]

if you're doing one legged squats to the point where you feel pain, you are doing what you need to strengthen the leg. the excersize doesn't need to be a progression it is designed to strengthen and restabillize your knee. once you go past a 90 degree bend in the knees, then yes, doing one legged squats is hard. but think about this, when you walk or run, each step is esentially a one legged squat. by going down to the point of pain, this person shouldn't be able to go past any significant bend. the progression you are looking for comes when the knee and leg gets stronger and healthy and you can bend further without pain.

[illogick]

Hey guys,

Thanks to everyone for the input. Had a session with the athletic trainer for my team, the tentative diagnosis has been "Quadriceps Tendonitis"... Not the quadricep itself, but the little bit between the bottom of the thigh and the kneecap, as I've said before. I don't really know how or why it's been called quadriceps tendonitis, but that's beside the point...

I've been RICEing it regularly (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate), as well as stretching and taking standard Ibuprofen... Since the time I started the topic, the pain has definitely gone down a very significant amount. I think i have it under control now, but if it still hurts by the end of next week, I'll go to my *real* physician.

Thanks again for all the input, I'll post again if there are any interesting developments... I figure someone could at least benefit from the information.

[xcrunner]

Originally Posted by illogick

Hey guys,

Thanks to everyone for the input. Had a session with the athletic trainer for my team, the tentative diagnosis has been "Quadriceps Tendonitis"... Not the quadricep itself, but the little bit between the bottom of the thigh and the kneecap, as I've said before. I don't really know how or why it's been called quadriceps tendonitis, but that's beside the point...

I've been RICEing it regularly (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate), as well as stretching and taking standard Ibuprofen... Since the time I started the topic, the pain has definitely gone down a very significant amount. I think i have it under control now, but if it still hurts by the end of next week, I'll go to my *real* physician.

Thanks again for all the input, I'll post again if there are any interesting developments... I figure someone could at least benefit from the information.

i assume if you have a team trainer you're ncaa. trainers are legit and know what their talking about, don't go to a physician until they tell you to. keep doing the RICE and ask your trainers about ultrasound for your quad. talk to your weight lifting coach and have them talk to the trainers' office to set you up some type of PT to get back into the swing of things.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

Originally Posted by xcrunner

i assume if you have a team trainer you're ncaa.

For the record, some club teams have access to the NCAA trainers.

At Smith, we're only supposed to go during certain hours, and it's clear that we're not the priority, but for general questions and injuries at practice, as long as they're around, we're welcome.

[Medinilla]

hey man, after yesterdays competition i have got exactely the same pain on my back leg knee...
does anyone know what could be the reason for it?? in my case i know is not lack of stretching...