Bad Knee or Knees?

LoneStarDiva started this discussion · 4/9/2011

If any of you have had a bad knee or knees and found ways around moving (somewhat gracefully?) from floor to pole and back again... I'd sure like to hear about it (or see video?) Since I'm just starting (and even squats are VErY challenging) I thought I ask. Otherwise.. I'm going to 'document' my progress for future reference for others. (IF I figure out a way around it.) Now, when I say 'bad knee'... I mean one eligible (or near it) for replacement. Constant pain, or bone on bone 'rubbing'. OKAY...., THANKS

6 replies

Runemist34 · 4/9/2011
Hey LoneStar, do you mean an advanced form of patellofemural syndrome? Where the kneecap is rubbing on your thigh bone? 'Cause I've got that! I'm still not too far, so I can treat it with physiotherapy...but it still frigging hurts! 😕 My thing is that my knees hurt when they're bent, and I have weight on them. This includes sitting down, or standing from a sitting position, and things like that. Obviously, this also causes problems when getting up from the floor when dancing! My trick is to try to exaggerate the getting up, so really push your butt up first as much as you can (looser hamstrings really help with this, too! I've been working on mine 💪) And, also, when I'm feeling slightly less graceful (though I'm doing my best to make it more graceful), I use my arms to pull me up! I hope your knees get taken care of...chronic pain really screws us up, I noticed, and when I finally had a few weeks without the knee pain...I couldn't believe it. I was so happy. So, take care of yourself!
LoneStarDiva · 4/10/2011
I watched your video and commeted. :)
Evie Bloom · 4/10/2011
my knees do that, since about 3 years before I started poling. All my joints are on their way to being shot and the doctors have been pretty useless so far at even trying to guess what is up. they think I am too young to have anything wrong but my mum had arthritus from late 20's... same age as me. Shock horror. I might have something else, but I have something. the crunching tells me so. Anyway, I wear knee support (like sports support or tube bandages) I dont do any squats when they are bad!! It sometimes helps me to straigten the leg and relax the knee and move the knee cap gently round in a circle (sometimes this grinds a second or so) It seems to relax the knee and the pain gets less for a bit. I have no idea if that is the right thing to do but as I said, No help from doctors yet bar a few daft blood tests that came back showing nada Oh and my other savior is my hot water bottle. I couldnt live without it. Infact I should get at least two more to place around my broken being!!
LoneStarDiva · 4/10/2011
Hi Laney.. sounds like OA. But.. eh.. doctors.. pffft. :) I started years ago w/ torn maniscus, had surgery.. pics showed LOTS of 'pink' all over of OA inflamation.. so.. It was better, but not over. NOW.. the femer cuts into the tibia w/every step. It was cool to see on computer tho. An ever deepening slice into the bone joint on bottom.. BUT.. :):) since starting THIS (and what I wanted to actuallyTELL you.. :) - supporting muscle is EVERYTHING! (A doctor actually did have me trying some little puny leg lifts years ago but it just hurt too much, so I never believed it would work).. BUT THIS .. Veena's workout is GREAT.. DO IT and just do what you CAN do. It helps. .it really does. I feel like a totally new person/body. (and if you missed it.. I'm 57. ;)
Runemist34 · 4/10/2011
Lainey, if your doctors aren't taking you seriously, I would suggest a new doctor! It really sucks when professionals dismiss you out of hand, or in my case, don't bother to get all the facts. My doctor prescribed me some exercises that made my knees freak out really badly, and it was because those exercises only work for short-term patellofemural syndrome, not long term. I've got new exercises now, and they don't damage me anymore. I have to learn to keep up with them, though! And yes, with the pole dancing, it's getting slightly easier, and it helps to work on all different parts of my body...so it never happens anywhere else :P
RoseMay · 4/11/2011
My knees are "bad" in the way that I can't knee while holding all my weight on my knees. This makes a lot of floor work moves impossible and it also proves challenging to get up from the floor in a graceful way. One way I found to get up from the ground is to have both feet next to the pole, grab the pole with one or two arms and then pull the body up. And I found that I can land on my knees after a back hook or front hook spin when I still carry my weight with the arms (so after finishing the spin I don't let go of the pole). Then I can change the position of the feet by bringing them to the front and step on them and then I can pull myself up with the arms. I hope the descriptions are understandable 😀 I'm still looking for other ways to get up, or do some graceful floorwork that doesn't only involve lying on my back.. Apart from that, I just cut the "ugly" parts out of my videos 😉