Legs!!!!

[Claudette]

Hey everyone. I used to have incredible legs, up until a couple of years ago after I joined the Navy and came down with chronic IT-band tendonitis and Patella Femoral Syndrome. I've been active my whole life--I once competed in roller skating, have ran and weight trained my whole life. A couple of years ago my knee problems stopped me from running, which eventually led to me no longer being able to do leg presses, and now I can't do weighted squats and even lunges hurt. Now I'm stationed on a ship and all of my weight goes to my legs. I'm incredible depressed b/c my legs were my "defining" feature for as long as I could remember. Now all I can do is the elliptical and even that hurts sometimes. I've had MRIs done and there's absolutely nothing wrong with my cartilage or anything like that. I haven't weight trained in over six months because of being underway and basically tired of the pain in my legs. I'm looking to get back into it (I have been doing pilates and trying yoga, but some of the movements hurt my knees). Anyway, does anyone have any recommendations? Oh, btw, riding bikes is out also. I'm looking to get my legs back to the way they used to be, when I could do plyrometrics and run. Any movements anyone could recommend would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Claudette]

No response? No one has had this problem before????

 

[Arnold]

If you cannot do any type of pressing movements without knee pain I see no way that you will be able to regain the msucle mass.

 

[Claudette]

OUCH! That hurt more than my knee pain. Thank you for your response. I just wish I knew what was wrong with my legs. Merry Christmas!

 

[P-funk]

all you have is patella femoral (which is just amltracking of the patella) IT-band syndrome (which means your IT band is just tight. which also leads me to believe that your patella is tracking lateraly) and you haven't had a doctor or pyhsical therapsit tell you that all you need to do is stretch like crazy to loosed up your it band??? what the hell!!! It isn't like you have a tear in your meniscus or a torn ACL or tendon or something. You are just tight!!! I have the same problems that you have. How did I fix it?? I stretched!!! That is all you need to do. Pay close attention to stretching your IT band, piraformis, and the lateral portion of your hamstring out as much as possible. Do it everyday. Loosen those muscles up to release the patella a bit. May also want to do some hip addcution to strength then those muscles on the medial portion of the leg which can help to pull the patella back to a neutral position as well. Seated and standing with cables can help. Also, some squats with a narrow stance will take pressure off the IT-band and put more pressure on the adductors. You can even do tactile work for the adductors like a leg press with a narrow stance and take a small (light) medecine ball and squeeze it between your legs during the exercise to make the adductors work more. hope that helps a bit.

 

[Hawkwind]

I was going to suggest you try Pilates and yoga, you are already. Have you tried wrapping your knees before doing any of your routine to see if possibly it will provide enough support to help you through a Pilates or yoga routine? Do you have a pool onboard ship? Maybe try swimming?

**And yes! You really need to get in the habit of stretching!