Knowing source of knee pain is helpful. Do you have arthritis, or patellofemoral (m)by Tiger Rats (Login TigerRats)syndrome, or both (probably the top two)? Or some other knee problem? If you have early arthritis, losing weight is the best thing you can do for your knee. Wear soft soled supportive shoes with good arch support, walk on soft surfaces, walk rather than run (it's the pounding). Incline can be helpful to up your cardio effort while avoiding running. Elliptical trainer or stairmaster (the one that resists you on the way up so there's no pounding) can be helpful -- ellipticals are very popular because they're easy on your joints. If you have patellofemoral syndrome, there is great physical therapy for that. Some people have both patellofemoral syndrome and arthritis. Patellofemoral syndrome, also known as anterior knee pain, has to do with the kneecap not tracking properly when you bend your knee -- it pulls off to the side and rubs, can even cause swelling and arthritic changes behind the kneecap. Treatment is exercises to stabilize the muscle forces that pull on the patella. Don't forget water walking -- if you walk in a pool, the water holds your body up so no pressure on the knees, but the water also provides incredible resistance, making you work really hard to walk through it. Walking laps in the pool is an incredible workout; try it! A lot of people love their water aerobics classes, also. There's always something you can do! Tigs from IP address 76.173.137.94 Respond to this message Return to Index
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