Rehabbing, strengthening knees question

[Nitemare]

I have been fairly physically active for the past year and just started playing tennis mid-summer of last year. All told I dropped about 30-40 lbs and am now in great shape with a good resting heart rate.

My left knee has always caused me problems so I have always babied it(ruptured the bursa gland behind my knee cap in my youth). The first time I played tennis I heard something pop in my right knee. Every since then after playing tennis my knees have both hurt even when wearing a knee brace(just not as much).

Basically, I can't keep them bent for a prolonged period of time after playing and I can not bend them past a certain point when squatting.

I usually play 1-2 times a week in winter and 2-4 times a week when it is warmer. I do stretch and warm up before playing sets.

So I'm thinking of leg curls to strengthen the tendons & muscles as I can't really do any squats.

 

[MiniDoom]

start cycling. I had knee issues years ago and started biking and my knees have never been stronger.

 

[highland145]

start cycling. I had knee issues years ago and started biking and my knees have never been stronger.

This. Now if someone will recommend gel gloves my hands will wake up.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Your problem is this: you had an injury, you let it heal, and then continued with your daily life. However, if you were an athlete, you would have had the injury, let it heal, rehabbed the leg for increased strength and proprioception, increased your balance, and then would have continued with your previous routine. When you jumped into playing tennis, your knee had not seen a stress like that. That's why it hurt.

You need to ease into exercise of any sort, especially something like tennis that is stop-and-go, generating some moderate forces on the knee as a whole. To be perfectly honest, I could probably list a bunch of exercises you could do as a supplement to your current tennis routine. The problem is you may have injured something else on your first day out due to not easing into your program. Go see a doctor, get a prescription for a physical therapist (don't leave without one), go get it diagnosed, and get a list of exercises from them. They will be able to diagnose any new problems and work on your specific weaknesses. Your pain won't go away until you address it through rehab exercises.

Personally, I wouldn't train an athlete who didn't cross-train to some extent (at least with weightlifting plus their sport of choice). This problem likely would have come out early in squat sessions or would have been fixed by strengthening the muscles surrounding the knee.

 

[StageLeft]

Actually in OP's case I recommend seeing a physician about this. Knee pain is one thing but physical limited range of motion is another. I'd get things checked out to make sure you're not flirting with something severe and then after that probably see a good PT who can recommend something specific to your problem.

I say this because it doesn't seem you need generic leg strengthening.

Why are you wearing a knee brace? Who told you to do that; why are you doing it? You don't need to squat but you do need full range of motion in your knees.

BTW, now that I've written the above I'm reading SociallyChallenged post and see he is saying the same thing. Do it; see somebody to find out what is really wrong with your knees.

 

[Nitemare]

Well the limited range in movement doesn't last long, that is why I was thinking that I just needed to strengthen them or recondition them.

I played again last night for a few hours and today they are fine albeit. a little tender.

No one told me to wear a knee brace, but I saw others wearing them and thought I would just for a little more support.

I have an exercise bike at home that I never use, but I will break it out and see if that helps, else I go see a physician.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Well the limited range in movement doesn't last long, that is why I was thinking that I just needed to strengthen them or recondition them.

I played again last night for a few hours and today they are fine albeit. a little tender.

No one told me to wear a knee brace, but I saw others wearing them and thought I would just for a little more support.

I have an exercise bike at home that I never use, but I will break it out and see if that helps, else I go see a physician.

Perhaps you are living in a perpetual state of limited ROM. If you had rehabbed it actively, you would have a greater passive and active flexibility in your legs. You do need to strengthen the muscles around the knee and you need to improve balance and proprioception - you can't do that on your own, especially if you're not exactly sure what's going on.

Wearing a knee brace actually allows your knees to get weaker. It is a device that does the work for your knee, allowing the stabilizing muscles to stand by and do less work. Go to a PT, quit wearing the knee brace (and start with a lighter intensity for a bit), and your knees will feel a million times better. I don't recommend the bike all that much because it won't engage muscles to stabilize the knee from many angles. It's only anteriorly and posteriorly. There's a lot of other forces acting on your knee when you run from side to side.

 

[highland145]

A few hours? No wonder it hurts. But then I am 45.

 

[Zargon]

swimming is what they wanted me to do to rehab my knee and quad. VERY low impact strengthening

 

[SociallyChallenged]

swimming is what they wanted me to do to rehab my knee and quad. VERY low impact strengthening

That's typically used for people who are just coming off a non-weightbearing condition. However, if you want to use it like you would in tennis, you'll have to rehab it through weightbearing exercise. He playing tennis already so he clearly isn't that bad. I'm not saying swimming is a bad idea either. I'm saying there are better alternatives to directly address the problems of someone with a knee injury.

 

[alkemyst]

Actually in OP's case I recommend seeing a physician about this. Knee pain is one thing but physical limited range of motion is another. I'd get things checked out to make sure you're not flirting with something severe and then after that probably see a good PT who can recommend something specific to your problem.

QFT esp the part where something popped.

I let an injury go about 4 years now, just got it all worked out. It took finding the best guy in my area and getting into a really good PT routine TARGETTED to my injury.

He is Dr. Gavin Yee...pretty much a founder of many joint replacements.

I have been back at the gym 2 weeks not (started the 3rd on a 4 day split routine)...been pain free in that joint so far.