Margaux Lember

USA
1 Posts
 
Posted - 06/02/2006 :  07:51:36  Show Profile  Send Margaux Lember an AOL message  Reply with Quote
So I mysteriously injured my right knee about a month ago. I first noticed it while lifting weights at the gym because exercises that didn't hurt before now did. I hadn't really done anything different within the previous month in terms of amount of weight or frequency of lifting either. So I asked one of the trainers at the gym and he said to avoid these exercises for a month. So here I am a month later and slowly starting up again and now I've pinpointed the problem-it's only painful when I'm doing leg curls and on the lowering of my legs when doing extensions. I can do them without weights at all but I cannot even do 10lbs without a sharp pain, going across the back half of my joint from the inferior medial half of the joint to the other side. It only hurts with activity.

UWPT

9 Posts
 
Posted - 06/02/2006 :  10:59:26  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Margaux,
It was good that you took a month off but it appears that you haven't improved to the point of being symptom free. From what you are describing "pain with doing leg curls (hamstrings are stressed) and on the lowering of my legs when doing extensions" (eccentric contraction of quads with concentric contraction of hams)you may have some kind of hamstring involvement. You also report sharp pain at the posterior aspect of your knee. I am assuming when you write "back half of my joint from the inferior medial half of the joint to the other side" that you are referring to the back of the knee or poplital region. This is the region where the hamstrings insert distally. Since you only experience pain with activity and from the information given you may have sustained a hamstring strain. The hamstrings are compsed of three muscles and assist with the bending of your knee and can be injured from various activites such as running, jumping or kicking. A popliteal cyst(sac of fluid that develops in the back of the knee because of irrtation due to abnormal forces) could result in the pain you are experiencing as well. I would definitely consult with your physician or a PT to address your condition as you have had it for awhile now. Meanwhile, I would continue to refrain from the exercise activities that elicit pain. GENTLE hamstring stretches, heat/ice and massage to the region could be helpful as well.