Knee Injury

[Shamrock]

You know Shamrock, it's always been noted that a damaged back can affect the legs.
However, it works in reverse too, a damaged leg can damage the back in turn. This is often a result of an altered gait or compromised balance.
A wobble board (if your able) may be a help.

I had issues with my ankles and calves before. I had neglected them in all training and I found they became sore and damaged easily. The wobble board strengthened my lower legs and....I know this ounds drastic....but it really did make me a fitter, more well conditioned individual by allowing me to train to my optimum level.

Yeah I here ya Donny. I've started getting stiffness in my other leg and the DR assured me that is purely down to the way I'm walking to overcompensate for the injured knee on the other side. To be honest I've heard so many different opinions from the Dr's I'm starting to lose faith in them.

I'm going to see the physio I used to use when I was boxing and basically put myself totally in his hands. At least I trust the guy 100 %

[Master]

I had ACL operation on right knee2 years ago and have not played football since although I am 3 weeks away from playing again. It has been my only motivation to get back into condition. I had cartilage surgery on my left knee, think they trimmed it about 9 months ago. They said I have no ligament in it but it feels stable. I have strengthened them using the cross trainer which can be boring but listening to good music passes the time. I also run on the grass with good trainers and have had no effects.

[Sharla]

Hey sharla

I get back pain on the same side that my knee is injured and stiffness virtually down that whole side.

I'm gonna give this a try. Many thanks for taking the time to help out

You're welcome - it took so long for me to work this out I had to have some input.

I had a physio who insisted my knee and back pain were completely unrelated without really exploring the possibility at all. He wasted months of my time and a LOT of my money! Basically I can relate to your frustration!

Yeah whether it's the cause of or resulting from the back pain having tight muscles pulling you out of alignment won't help your knee.

I didn't begin to have any stable, consistant recovery from my knee pain until I learnt how to treat the back problem.

What hitmandonny pointed out is also relevant. I wanted to rep you for that hitmandonny but I have to spread it around! They say that Psoas tightening can come from muscles in your feet not functioning correctly. Oddly enough I got orthodics, my back pain increased after a while and then a bout 6 months later my knee went.

One of my (many) theories is that the orthodics limited my usual range of motion of muscles in my feet which tightened my Psoas, increased my back pain and then after this worsened over a certain threshhold my knee took it.

If I was working on a wobble board or medicine balls with bare feet the exercise would have both strengthened those muscles which become weak in rigid shoes and stretched my calves and hamstrings etc

I think the best approach is to do stretches etc which target all your areas of pain because they might be aggrivating each other and slowing your recovery regardless of what started it.

Let us know how it goes. I'd be interested in learning from your experience as a case study sort of thing

[Scrap]

Injurys and keeping oral stability is hard and basically thats the problem for rehabillatating most injurys, thats the problem in a nutshell

[donnydarkoIRL]

Sharal raised a very good point there.

Muscle problems in th efeet can realy trigger problems in th elgs. They may not actually create any effect until they are given a trigger such as an injury or large increase in work, but when they do they can cause many problems.

This may be of absolutley no help to you though, sorry Shamrock

[Sharla]

It is helpful! Don't sell yourself short hitmandonny!

If you encourage the tight muscles in your lower back to loosen and any muscles in the legs to loosen which are tight you've got a better chance of correcting the tracking problem in your knee. So the stretch I put up and any other Psoas stretches will help.

I find I have tight gluts so I have to loosen them a lot to get into the proper stretch but someone else I know is limited more by her hamstring flexibility so that will be an individual thing you'll discover as you get into your stretching.

Some medicine ball work which Scrap has put up before will help stretch the hamstrings and get your oral stability and proper foor muscle function back:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBaA7tNSRNk

Hope you don't mind me putting this in Scap - I got it from your giveaway videos link.

As I said before Shamrock please let us know how you're going. I'll be really interested to know how much faster your recovery is when you can start treating all of the effected muscles from the beginning.

[donnydarkoIRL]

Sharla, I don't know If thats going to help Shamrock, but thats going to help me for sure!

Just before I got sick, I was having a bit of stiffness in my back and glutes. The rest I have been forced to take will probably help and those stretches surely will! If I can rep you now I will!

[Scrap]

A few years ago apremier player came to me 2weeks after being operated on for a snapprd C L PLUS Snapped A L snapped Patela tendon. We had him playing 1st team football in 3 months.

[Sharla]

Sharla, I don't know If thats going to help Shamrock, but thats going to help me for sure!

Just before I got sick, I was having a bit of stiffness in my back and glutes. The rest I have been forced to take will probably help and those stretches surely will! If I can rep you now I will!

You might have stiffness in the same places I do! It's a long shot but just in case I'll try to get some pics on here of some stretches I have found recently. Maybe they'll help you too? I'll try to get to it today if not over the weekend - it's a long weekend in Australia this weekend - public holiday on Monday for Adelaide cup day

A few years ago apremier player came to me 2weeks after being operated on for a snapprd C L PLUS Snapped A L snapped Patela tendon. We had him playing 1st team football in 3 months.

Ouch so he just about had the knee cap floating randomly - and you got him back in 3 months! He must think of you as his guardian angel Scrap!

[Sharla]

Right Hitmandonny - I tried scanning pics from my stretches book in but am having issues - something to do with space.

So anyway in case you've heard of them, can find them in a book you have or can borrow this book from your local library (SUPERSTRETCH by Jacqueline Lysycia) these are the stretches I've found hit the spot for me:

• Standing side bend
• Standing hamstring stretch
• Easy twist
• Chest Release
• Spine twist
• Inside and outside hip openers
• Frog Stretch
• Hurdle Stretch
• Seated stradle
• Low and high Dragon lunges
• Runners lunge
• Sleeping swan stretch which follows on to the Upright swan
• Shoelace foreward bend
• Seated waist stretch
• Seated chest stretch

Some of these like the Shoelace forward bend I wouldn't do when your knees feel unstable but they are great glut looseners!

I got all of these from a book with nice big glossy pictures which is targeted towards women. There's not really enough upper body and arm stretches in it for me to recommend it specifically for boxers but it has a lot for the hips, legs and lower back.

I'd be interested in what other references people have and recommend for stretching?

I should mention I am stretching before bed at the moment so I have time to hold a lot of these for a couple of minutes without worrying about getting too cold to train and take a while to get through them. I don't think I could fit this in regularly before or after training!

[Shamrock]

Went to the physio today and she has strapped my knee. It's tracking quite dramatically to the side which has tightened the tendonds and tissues down from my thigh to my knee. Got to leave the strapping on for about a week and continue my exercises and then she will review it. She seems to really know what she's doing and I'm feeling more confident that it will get sorted.

[donnydarkoIRL]

Thats good mate, I'm happy for ya and hope it repair itself in time.

[Master]

Good luck Shamrock.

I went to play football for the first time in two years with my mates this Sunday but not enough turned up so it was cancelled. I will play next week, it is on grass so easier on the knees but I do want to play indoor too but will not risk that yet. The physio advised me not play yet but I feel bored on the cross trainer and my knee feels more stable.

[Shamrock]

Cheers guys.

Master I know how hard it is mate but it's really important to be patient. Just think how much worse it would be to rush back to playing and then give yourself an even bigger set back. Better to miss out in the short term and get back to 100% fella

[Sharla]

You know I had that taping done to my knee and to be honest it didn't help me. that doesn't mean it won't help you. I really would get that stiffness in your lower back checked out by a chiropractor or an osteopath though.

The physios swore blck and blue that my back and knee were not related but they were and when treating the back the knee made a full, swift recovery.

Don't underestimate the connection there. If your back is sore it probably needs treating regardless of whether or not it helps your knee. Don't just endure the pain.

Good luck mate