Re: Your knee hurts now, what do you do?

[Guest guest]

Your knee hurts now, what do you do?

> I've been diagnosed with CP after a trip and fall in 2002. We're trying to

go after it with physical therapy, which had to be put on hold in order to

concentrate on the PT for a shoulder injury beginning in early April. I was

only really diagnosed with CP officially in March, and the PT on the knees

began in March. I've had no surgeries on my knees and the goal is to build

up the muscles and get, if I understand the doctor correctly, the kneecap

tracking in a better way so the pain is lessened and I can manage stairs

better.

>

> Here's a question. You're in a restaurant, you're home, you're in an

airplane, at work... Your knee(s) are hurting so bad you can't sit there

anymore. If you have the room, can make the room, what exercises (with

minimal equipment, minimal " dramatics " if you're in public) would you do to

lessen the pain? Would you whip out a ziplock bag from your purse and ask

someone to fill it with ice and wait to exercise later?

>

> [i've got a plane trip from the west to the east coast at the end of the

month, so getting up to exercise may not really be an option then. I'll

bring a shake to cool ice pack and pain pills and stretch my leg as straight

as I can under the seat in front of me.]

>

> I'm curious of the stretching exercises my PT gave me, which of them is my

best bet for someone without that much experience, without that much built

up muscle tone, which ones have people found (or alternate things like

icing, elevation, etc.) do you do for relief under different circumstances??

I tried all those things, with only minimal relief for a minimal amount of

time. Ultimately I had a lateral release in both knees in the last month

which seems to have helped. I still have at least short term soft tissue

pain from the surgery, but I can sit comfortably for the first time in

years.

Mike

MT

[Guest guest]

Hi Sophie:

Have you tried stretching, massaging or using the Stick?

Just my theory here, but maybe if you loosen up the muscles and

tendons in and around the knee, it will help take the pressure off

and reduce your pain. Specifically, have you ever tried massaging

the lateral retinaculum, the quads, etc.?

For me, if I go for a long run, my muscles will stiffen up afterwards

and my knees will be sore. After I loosen everything up with the

Stick, the knee pain goes away. I know it isn't the same as someone

having CP pain, but maybe it'll help.

Another thought (and it is just my thought)... I don't know if you

can tolerate them, but maybe you should try wearing Spandex-type

leggings or tights on the plane. Wearing tight pants (under baggy

pants if you prefer) may help keep blood from settling in your legs,

which may keep you more comfortable. They say you're supposed to

keep your shoes tied on planes for the same reason. The lower

pressure in the plane can allow blood to settle in your lower

extremities. " They " think this is one of the contributors to DVT

(deep vein thrombosis) on airplanes.

I just told you to loosen up your legs, then tighten them up with

Spandex... Ha-ha! Contradictory I guess, but you've got to see what

works for you.

HTH,

Doug

P.S. - Sorry to sound like a Stick salesman, but I do think it is a

great product.

> I've been diagnosed with CP after a trip and fall in 2002. We're

trying to go after it with physical therapy, which had to be put on

hold in order to concentrate on the PT for a shoulder injury

beginning in early April. I was only really diagnosed with CP

officially in March, and the PT on the knees began in March. I've had

no surgeries on my knees and the goal is to build up the muscles and

get, if I understand the doctor correctly, the kneecap tracking in a

better way so the pain is lessened and I can manage stairs better.

>

> Here's a question. You're in a restaurant, you're home, you're in

an airplane, at work... Your knee(s) are hurting so bad you can't sit

there anymore. If you have the room, can make the room, what

exercises (with minimal equipment, minimal " dramatics " if you're in

public) would you do to lessen the pain? Would you whip out a ziplock

bag from your purse and ask someone to fill it with ice and wait to

exercise later?

>

> [i've got a plane trip from the west to the east coast at the end

of the month, so getting up to exercise may not really be an option

then. I'll bring a shake to cool ice pack and pain pills and stretch

my leg as straight as I can under the seat in front of me.]

>

> I'm curious of the stretching exercises my PT gave me, which of

them is my best bet for someone without that much experience, without

that much built up muscle tone, which ones have people found (or

alternate things like icing, elevation, etc.) do you do for relief

under different circumstances??

>

> Thanks!

> Sophie

[Guest guest]

My responses below w/ ***.

> have you ever tried massaging

> the lateral retinaculum, the quads, etc.?>>

>

> Can you give me a URL maybe of where I can learn to do this?

*** Don't have any specific webpage, but I bet you can Google up a

few things. Basically, just rub deeply along your lateral

retinaculum, each quad muscle, your calf muscles with your thumbs and

fingers. It should hurt a little, and you may feel the

muscles " release " a little bit as they loosen up. Check the web for

info on Myofascial Release - there's plenty out there. That is

basically what you are trying to do.

> What is The Stick?? Is this something they'd let me get on an

airplane with? :-o Ha!

*** The Stick is a great tool for myofascial release. It is

basically a glorified rolling pin. In fact, you can use an actual

rolling pin (the narrower the better), but the stick is pretty cheap

and probably works a little better. There is plenty of info one the

web. The 'official' website is:

http://www.thestick.com

*** You can get the Travel Stick (there are several models). It is

17 " long and made of plastic. I can't imagine you'd have a problem

getting on the plane! It's $25.95 + shipping. You may be able to

find it a little cheaper. They sell them in alot of the running

catalogs.

*** Again, not to " sell " anyone on the Stick. But I even bought a

second one because my wife couldn't stand it when I took our Stick

out of the house for a workout and she was left " Stickless. " She's

hooked on the thing worse than I am!

Take care,

Doug

[Guest guest]

You know I'm not sure if the stick would show up

on the x-ray machine, I think most of its made out

of plastic. Now, the flight attendant may not

be so nice seeing a large stick coming out of your

carry-on bag. Somehow it would probably be best

to know if your " allowed " to have an object like

that in the passenger section.

Connie

> I checked out the stick website. I wouldn't count on

> being able to carry that thing on the plane. I think

> there is a strong chance that security would consider

> a long, hard rod like that a potential weapon. Even

> the though the travel version is shorter than the rest

> (to fit easier in suitcases), at 17 " long it's

> probably too big to use on the plane anyway.

>

>

>