Knee Pain.. Exercises and Stretches?

Blindside_137 · Posted: Jul 05, 2009 12:28 pm Post subject: Knee Pain.. Exercises and Stretches?

I've never really gotten hurt from wakeboarding, but I've had plenty of falls where I'll get the wind knocked out of me.

Well last year was really the first year I started trying tricks and once I started attempting a 360 there was one fall where I came down and tweaked my left knee pretty good. It killed in the water and was tense all the way back to the dock. I don't really remember the duration of my soreness but it hurt to have it bent less than about 70 degrees or so. But I eventually was fine and never hurt myself the rest of the season.

A few weeks ago however, I was coming in to just do a simple grab and ended up getting horribly off axis/out of control and was spinning around (like the 360 I hurt myself on last year) and the same thing. But I think this was more intense than last year. It went away after a week but one day I was throwing a football and when I planted my left foot to chuck it, it killed me again. I guess the twisting motion of my body reaggravated it or something. So I went wakeboarding again for the first time again this weekend and everything felt fine, no problems with my grabs and 180's but I came in for my second toeside 180 of the day and my position must have been off because as soon as I hit the wake, my knee was throbbing again.

The pain is right around the back area of my knee and I thought I just jammed it or something like you do to a finger but who knows..

I've been hitting the gym pretty religiously since I got to college last fall but the one thing I should do more of is my legs. Anyone know of anything that will help? I am going to start stretching a few minutes a day now and before any future session. But I'm wondering if there are any other things I can do to strengthen that part of my knee while it's still somewhat vulnerable.

lawdog2131 · Posted: Jul 05, 2009 6:21 pm Post subject:

You might want to go get an MRI done on your knee. It's possible that may have a slightly torn ligament in your knee. Alot of people can still function on a partially torn ligament in their knees. Just a thought though.

WilsonH · Posted: Jul 05, 2009 10:28 pm Post subject:

As lawdog2131 said, get an MRI. I've always had bad knees and trust me.. better safe than sorry. I twisted my knee once off a huge kicker skiing and did huge ligament damage and I walked... well limped Razz

away. My physical therapist told me to do some stretches but I think time helped heal it more than exercise. I'd just advise you get it checked out by a professional before you go out and try wakeboarding again for sure.

BigAirNZ · Criminal Joined: 31 Mar 2009 Posts: 59 City: Auckland

I did mine trying 360's also. Felt fine after a while then nailed it again kiteboarding a couple of months later so finally went to see a physio. turned out to be a torn patella tendon or something (I dont speak doctor very well)
Decline squats and exercycle to fix mine but definetly get it looked at, sooner rather than later!

riverfreak · Posted: Jul 06, 2009 12:37 pm Post subject:

get the MRI - sounds like a partial ACL tear or it could be complete - that could be a time bomb and will put you out for the season - I'm paying for it now....

knee injury sucks

Blindside_137 · Posted: Jul 06, 2009 12:53 pm Post subject:

ok, i'm definitely going to have it checked out. thanks for all the input

When I hurt it initially back in mid/late June I went out the next day and had no pain riding around workin on my surface 360's. And over this past weekend had absolutely no pain doing my normal list of tricks and jumps at 22mph.

But leaving the wake TS that one time awkwardly tweaked it again.

It still doesn't hurt when I walk around or anything. But it is uncomfortable to bend my knee like you would doing a quad stretch. I'm sure this is something I'll hear from the doctor but is it really that bad? Would I be able to walk around fine or ride the day after the injury with a tear like that? I'm really hoping that with some resistance free squatting, a week off from riding and a trip to the doctor that i'll be good to go in a couple weeks.

riverfreak · Posted: Jul 06, 2009 2:37 pm Post subject:

I'm still learning about this ACL crap....but I have tweaked this knee doing 180s before.....I've done a few 360s but honestly rarely get the handle pass so I quit trying.......huge grabbed 180s is my "look at me I'm 36 kids" trick....

I had some other spraining besides the ACL tear, but yes you can walk without your ACL or especially if it is a partial tear..... I can walk without the brace now, but it is still painful 3 weeks later

I've tweaked this same knee several times.....thats sounds like what you are doing.....not to depress you but its probably just a matter of time before you have a more serious injury.....

if you do have ACL replacement you are looking at at least 6 months of recovery/rehab...... I would have it checked out for sure, in the meantime get a good brace and enjoy what is left of your season.....

some knee injuries can be fully rehabed.....damn knees are complicated.......so get the MRI.....a therapist can hook you up with the strength building exersizing you need to be doing......

good luck.....

ride on brotha!!!

LFADAM · Posted: Jul 06, 2009 2:46 pm Post subject:

Im with you man...I sprained my knee pretty bad in early June...I was on crutches for a couple days because I couldnt put any weight on it or bend it. Went to the doc and they said it was just a bad sprain, took X rays (no problems), and gave me some anti inflammmatorys. After 3 days I was limping around, after a week I could walk just about normally, then I waited another week. The doc said I could ride whenever it felt strong enough and guessed a couple weeks. I had another orthopaedic doc look at it after 2 weeks and cleared me to ride, even though it was weak and painful in certain motions. I decided to wait a few more days, and eased my way into riding. I could still feel some weakness though, and now I keep tweaking it and itll stiffen up again for a couple days so I decided to take another week off after the latest one and hope for the best. Its getting really annoying though... Mad

I want to be 100 percent.

Blindside_137 · Posted: Jul 07, 2009 11:32 am Post subject:

thanks again for the help riverfreak, I think I saw in another thread you're having some knee issues yourself.. hope everything works out well for you.

and thanks adam, it really does suck. I thought I'd be working on inverts or something by this time of the summer but it looks like it'll be several weeks before i can ride again.

but i'd rather sacrifice a month or so this season than several decades or so of life from my knee. it is really annoying though.. Sad