I would do anything to go back in time about five years and tell that Parita to be a well informed runner. If nothing else, I would have made her buy the right running shoes for her feet. That may have prevented the issue I’m dealing with today. Grrr…
So I saw an Orthopedic doctor yesterday. He thinks I could have arthritis OR a problem with my meniscus OR an even “erosion” of my knee cartilage OR a slow chipping off of my knee cartilage. Oh boy!
He basically offered two options. One, from this point forward, only engage in low impact workouts and activities. Or two, get an MRI to understand what the real problem is and go from there. I told him I was too young to just accept my knee pain as a part of life and that I would be getting an MRI soon. There we have it. More updates to follow.
Based on my experience, I wanted to share a brief list of things I wish I had/had not done. This may be handy for those of you who are as stubborn as I am.
- Get fitted for running shoes. Please. I did so (too little too late at that point) and my knee actually started to feel better. The pain wasn’t quite gone but it was better. And I know that these new shoes are going to cost $100+, but trust me, it’s worth it.
- If your pain (knee, back, arm, etc.) steadily continues for a period of time, don’t just sit there and wish it away. GO SEE A DOCTOR. I should have gone to see someone three years ago, but I didn’t. Like a lot of people, I thought the pain would just go away on its own. But guess what, it didn’t and now I have a potential surgery on my hands.
- Don’t workout through the pain. I remember so many times where my knee would start to ache start half way through a run, and I would just push through it. Why? Who the hell knows! Know that it’s ok to stop and that doing so doesn’t make you any less of a runner.
- Don’t let the word ‘low’ deceive you…low impact workouts are awesome. Walking is probably one of my favorite ways to get moving. All you need is the “right” pair of shoes – that’s it! Yoga is also a great workout – for the mind and the body. And I’ve also found that strength training has been great for my knees (you just have to know which moves to avoid), and it’s a great way to tone up.
- And finally, if your pain wakes you up in the middle of the night (not just one night, multiple nights), it’s time to see a doctor. Basically, don’t wait for something big to happen before you take action. There comes a point where you have to see an expert and let them help you.
And in an effort to find the humor in this and every situation, I leave with you with this…
Ah, I’m so sorry you’re suffering through this at such a young age…I can only imagine how frustrating it is! I wasn’t able to work out much in December because my leg was acting up and that one month frustrated me! Like you said, low impact exercise can still be a great workout, especially walking and swimming! I’m sure strength training will also help strengthen your knees so get squatting (that is if your knee permits)! Maybe I lucked out but that last 3 pairs of Asics I bought were relatively reasonable (relatively being the key word)- they were each about 40 pounds which is about $70!
Thanks K! Hoping it’s nothing too serious.
And I am doing more squats and lunge since my knees allow them for the most part. I’m hoping all that muscle will help.
Even before I read you said MRI I was telling you through the screen to get an MRI. It answers so many questions so fast. I wish I’d gotten on a year before I did! the problem is when I comes back and the only real fix is surgery. *sigh*
Eek! I’m hoping my doc can find a non surgical fix!
I tore my meniscus in high school and danced on it for MONTHS before getting it checked out and then ended up having surgery. Looking back on it, I probably shouldn’t have danced on it (I was devastated when I had to sit out all year) but now that I’ve had the surgery my knee is completely back to new and I can definitely recognize the signs of abnormal knee pain! Crossing my fingers that whatever’s wrong with your knee has a quick fix.
Thanks and ouch! That sounds painful. I really hope I don’t have to get surgery done on it. Fingers crossed!
I am sorry about the knee problem but I am glad you are being proactive and visit a doctor. Often times I ignore the pain and it solves on its own but now that you have mentioned your experience, I am little worried and feels like I need to be careful too..hope u feel better soon.
Thank you! And make sure you take steps to figure out what is causing your pain and if you need to see a doctor. So important!
Hi Parita,
I started following your blog just this week. I really liked the flow and various thoughts you put out there… Sorry to hear about your knee pain… there are a few home remedies that maybe you could try out… “they” being home-remedies, take some time to get working, but maybe they could help you in the long run…
I’ve been searching online for healthy blogs or websites or whatever and I found that flax seed oil is good in lubricating joints. Maybe you could get some seeds or a quicker option is to get a bottle of seed oil capsules… they don’t do anything visible, but work inside…and show overall improvement. Hope this helps.
Hi Vandana! Thank you for reading my random thoughts!
I will def look into flax as a supplement. I also believe natural foods can help relieve pain.
LOL at the cartoon first. But on a more serious note, I know the frustration of an injury and the tips you have listed are all great and SHOULD be common sense. However, i’m know I’m not the only one who has tried to keep going through the pain so it’s a handy reminder 😀
Thanks, Sig! It’s funny how common sense goes to the wayside in situations like these.
I’m so sorry about your injury!!! That really stinks 🙁 I hope the MRI can tell you what is wrong so you can figure out how to fix it!
Thanks for telling me that experiencing knee pain for a certain period of time requires an appointment with the doctor. My brother, who plays for the school’s track and field team, had mentioned that he’s been having knee pain since last week. It might be better to have himself checked by a doctor before it gets worse and leads to knee replacement surgery.