Tips For Knee Pain

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I am 61 years old had 2 knew surgery's and am going to need a complete knee replacement. For me daily hiking is crucial. I do a daily 4 mile trail hike and without that I probably would not be backpack hunting. Also I've found for long term relief of knee pain I take a daily fish oil pill and you can also try chrondrotin and glucosamine. Seems some people see relief from the glusomanie others don't. Also I would encourage you if this continues to see your doctor. They may take X-rays and or a MRI. This is really helpful to see what exactly causes the knee pain. Then you may want to see a specialist. For me some cortisone shots one in the spring then one right before archery season is great. Last year I averaged 5-7 miles a day hiking and felt great. My doctor said my left knee if shot but to go as long as you can before knee replacement as technology gets better every year.. hope this helps from a long time knee sufferer
 
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Benjblt

Benjblt

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Exactly!

I struggled with knee and back pain for years and have finally found a massage therapist and chiropractor who understand how knees, hips, and back are all related. I'm feeling like I turned a corner recently on getting my tight hip flexors taken care of and moving again, some probably haven't moved correctly in 15 years. For me, it has been a slow painful process. I hate gym work (even stretching) and forget to do it half the time. Results are positive reinforcement though.
When I first started going to the massage therapist I see now, I would tell her I had back pain and she'd work on my hamstrings in addition to my back. For my knee pain, she'd work on my hips.
I highly recommend a good massage therapist. You want deep tissue massage. No scented candles and hot rocks. The pain of deep tissue massage can be excruciating when those muscles that have taken a set over the past 5 years are broken up, but stick with it. It's worth it. Eventually you'll go less and less as you get your flexibility back. I go about 6 times per year but would go more if I could afford it. My foam roller is important to maintenance, too.
My dad just had knee replacement surgery. Like me, he never saw a gym or dumbell he liked. I'll bet if he'd been proactive about it and made sure everything in his hips and legs was moving correctly and he had even strength in all of his muscle groups, through massage, stretching and exercise that knee replacement could have been avoided.

Good advise. I have a massage therapist that I think would be good. I think I just need to spend the money and do it. It's hard to mentally get past spending $75 or something to do it but I need to.
 

Brendan

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Good advise. I have a massage therapist that I think would be good. I think I just need to spend the money and do it. It's hard to mentally get past spending $75 or something to do it but I need to.

I've used a Chiropractor that specializes in Active Release Technique and Graston - and treats a ton of marathon runners (and is a runner himself). Basically - it's a combination of very targeted (painful) massage while moving the joints through certain range of motion. Better than just a massage therapist in my opinion. Benefit is that my health insurance covers a certain number of visits per year. I will often go see him, figure out what is f**ed up, and then try to manage on my own with foam rollers and my thera-cane....
 

GKPrice

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Good advise. I have a massage therapist that I think would be good. I think I just need to spend the money and do it. It's hard to mentally get past spending $75 or something to do it but I need to.

OF COURSE, everyone is different - 4 years ago I was talking to my internist of 36 years about the orthopedic findings via Xray and MRI, he made a comment I was at first taken aback by but then realized he was just stating his idea of fact when he simply said "I'd suppose all those years of doing stairs had something to do with it", his and MY point is stuff wears out, if you've used your body like it was meant to be USED then there will be things that tell the tale of getting older - Let's face it, it's all just pain management - I work for an orthopedic joint reconstruction hardware distribution company (Stryker medical) and my son is their #1 sales rep in the nation, this business nowadays requires reps to attend surgeries when requested and they're being "requested" more than ever, he sees a lot of bad hips and knees and talks on a personal level with most of "his" surgeons - You might be able to just cope with the pain and you might not, each time you peak in an inflammation cycle there is progressive damage done to the joint and surrounding tissue so be aware that gritting your teeth and buying a couple or three years on those knees might make the replacement that much more difficult for you, maybe not ...... I've had bone on bone in both for 5+ years now and I really don't want to have them done, cancelled a bilateral replacement in Feb because my back has gotten so bad I just figured I'd try to see if I could get the back working better first ... might be smart or I might regret it, time will tell but it's all sort of like gambling - Sure there will be advancements in these procedures, Stryker bought all the rights for the first "robotics" system on the market but the caveat to that is having a local medical facility willing to put out the $1,000,000+ to get one - If you decide to have the knees done try to find a Dr who has access to robotics is the only solid advice I can or should offer
 

GKPrice

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If I had that kind of recurring knee pain I would start with a visit to a good physical therapist. Something obviously isn't right. My knees don't snap and pop.

it is normal for some snapping or popping to occur on flexion but it should not be painful - there is also a phenomenon called "screw home process" when the knee joint is fully extended, in that position you lose in the area of 40% of the joint's integrity - don't lock you knees under load !
 

ScottinPA

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Footwear can do this too. I had a pair of Mammut boots last year that caused my right knee to hurt bad regardless of pack weight. Changed boots and no pain in knee. Just another idea...
 

hflier

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Search Navy Seals Budds Knee Video on google. Doing those exercises fixed my knees!!!!


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I've used a Chiropractor that specializes in Active Release Technique and Graston - and treats a ton of marathon runners (and is a runner himself). Basically - it's a combination of very targeted (painful) massage while moving the joints through certain range of motion. Better than just a massage therapist in my opinion. Benefit is that my health insurance covers a certain number of visits per year. I will often go see him, figure out what is f**ed up, and then try to manage on my own with foam rollers and my thera-cane....

This sounds a lot like what my massage therapist does. She'll keep a knuckle or elbow dug in to a tight muscle while you flex the joint until it releases. Dang, that smarts. I've often thought that having one person trained in both would be perfect so they could release the muscle, set the joint, and be done. Now, I've got to see them back to back if I can schedule it. It works fine, but sometimes one will identify a spot the other just can't seem to find.

Either way, there's nothing that adds to my quality of life health-wise more than massage and chiropractic.
 
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Footwear can do this too. I had a pair of Mammut boots last year that caused my right knee to hurt bad regardless of pack weight. Changed boots and no pain in knee. Just another idea...

This has definitely happened to me also. Sometimes it's just the brand or their insoles, other times it starts when there's uneven wear to the sole. When it gets bad enough, my knees feel it.
Since I started seeing the new chiropractor and massage therapist, my shoes don't wear unevenly as fast. This to me is further evidence that their work is helping my gait, posture, and body mechanics overall.
 
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Check out Josh Nordwick. I've been training with him since October. He's specialty is training to eliminate knee pain. Two days a week before you lift he has you do "Deceleration training" to build your knee strength. Then lots of other lifts to build leg and knee strength. He's a good dude who knows what he's doing!

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Benjblt

Benjblt

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Check out Josh Nordwick. I've been training with him since October. He's specialty is training to eliminate knee pain. Two days a week before you lift he has you do "Deceleration training" to build your knee strength. Then lots of other lifts to build leg and knee strength. He's a good dude who knows what he's doing!

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I like this guy. I'm currently listening the Gritty Bowmen podcast with him right now.
EPISODE 135: The Hunter’s Fitness Solution with Josh Nordwick - YouTube
 

lkwoolsey

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Do squats. Lots of them. Start off with light weight, and ensure your form is absolutely perfect. Try using knee sleeves when doing those squats as you're able to stack on more weight. I do a lot of bodybuilding/ power-lifting in the off season from hunting, and it keeps me in tip top shape for hunting (as long as I keep up on my cardio haha.) I've had problems with my knees since I was in the Army and lifting seems to help me. Just my experience, without knowing more about what exactly you have going on in your knee (sounds a bit like runners knee) it's tough to say what to do to help it.
 
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Start at a lower weight. Learn some yoga stretches for before and after. Yoga is a game changer. You don't have to say namaste when its all over just stretch. Sean vigue fitness on youtube has GREAT stretches for all levels. Im 36 and it truly is a game changer for work outs and recreation.

I just did 4 miles of uphill switch backs with 50lbs of sand, got to the top and took off my pack for a rest and twisted the bejeezus out of my ACL just when I put the pack back on... there is more to this load hauling stuff than meets the eye


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mvmnts

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Lots of good DIY advice in here. I agree with the folks saying that it's likely a muscular imbalance. If you want to save time, first place to start anyway would be to go see a physical therapist who specializes in movement, and/or running. They are going to be able to audit your body to see how it is moving and give you some basic exercises to get back back on track. You can always escalate from there if you have actual knee issues, but you probably don't. But the best rule of thumb is that if you're having pain, whether it's in a knee or your back, etc, strengthen the muscles involved. Don't cast it in a brace, stability control insoles, etc.

Up until last year, I had trouble running long distances. My knee would start to hurt after a mile and slowly get worse until I couldn't run any more. I went to see an orthopedic surgeon who works for our local professional sports team who is a marathoner himself, and he told me to basically put orthotics in my shoe and live with them. I'm 30 years old and otherwise active and healthy. I didn't like that answer. I got a second opinion, and now with a little adjustment to my form, and some movement focused strength training, I am running miles and miles without any pain. My point is, don't be satisfied with people who try to tell you not to do what you want to do, or who's solution is casting your injury or jumping into injections, supplements or surgery. Those are options of last resort, and you should do a lot of due diligence before getting there.

For strength training, I highly recommend a personal trainer who knows their stuff and can help you to strengthen your posterier chain. Squats, deadlifts, bench press, rows are all your friend. Twice a week will keep you doing the stuff you love and keeping the back pain away.
 

Beendare

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I'm still chuckling at the OP's question,

"Do any of you have Knee Pain".....ugh, yeah...I don't know of a hunter young or old that hasn't dealt with it.

Good question though....the more answers the better
 

Pierrebuiltknives

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I am 33 and had knee surgery when I was 18. I hike alot and backpack. Best thing i have found is squatting and general leg training. Stopping fora couple days to let the knees recover. Lots of water because that is lubrication.
I never hiked with hiking poles but us them on big miles and or bad terrain.
Saying this I can hike 12-15miles in rough terrain with 45lbs.
Get them leg muscles bulked because they support the knee.
Stop when you feel pain. Learn the difference between muscle and joint pain. Push the muscle. Break for joint pain.
I also bring a stretchy knee brace whenever i got out for multiple days and put it on BEFORE joitn pain gets bad.
 

ScottinPA

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Do squats. Lots of them. Start off with light weight, and ensure your form is absolutely perfect. Try using knee sleeves when doing those squats as you're able to stack on more weight. I do a lot of bodybuilding/ power-lifting in the off season from hunting, and it keeps me in tip top shape for hunting (as long as I keep up on my cardio haha.) I've had problems with my knees since I was in the Army and lifting seems to help me. Just my experience, without knowing more about what exactly you have going on in your knee (sounds a bit like runners knee) it's tough to say what to do to help it.

^^^ This too. Do some research on Rippitoe's Starting Strength, Barbell medicine stuff.
 
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