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Performance Area => Injury, Prehab, & Rehab talk for the brittlebros => Topic started by: hennas87 on January 23, 2013, 07:10:31 pm
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hey guys,
I've been diagnosed with chondromalacia patella and have been told that I can't squat for a while although it seems I can still jump/play basketball so long as I warm up a lot beforehand.
problem is that squat gains don't come that easily for me and I'm worried that I'm going to lose what I have gained.
any recommendations on exercises I can do to maintain at least some of my strength for the squat. I can do deadlifts okay. I guess I just need exercises where I don't have to bend my knees a lot. kind of a tall order really and could be asking a pointless question.
I'm hoping my knee will recover relatively soon and I can get back into it although I will have to think more about why this might have happened and what I can do to prevent it happening again. I think it's probably because I was doing high intensity max effort squats twice a week.
anyway, thoughts anyone?
peace
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lots of people squat with high intensity twice a week without developing injuries, so it's probably not that by itself.
otherwise, i know fuckall about this so i'm not going to recommend anything.
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okay :)
anyone else, I'm open to all suggestions
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I really question the advice/diagnosis that you were given. I'm not one of those people who thinks squatting is the cure-all for everything; realistically some injuries will require cessation of squatting. What I don't understand is why you were told that you can play basketball/jump as long as you warm up before. Unlike squatting you really can't modulate the intensity of basketball (ie. you might need to jump 35 inches in the air to grab a rebound and probably won't be able to hold back and only jump 20 inches) and the shock and damage you can put on your knees on the hardwood is really unadvised for someone with a cartilage injury.
Perhaps you saw an internist or someone who isn't very experienced with athletes who gave the general advice that weightlifting is dangerous but sports are healthy. In any event I'd shelf playing any kind of basketball beyond free-throw shooting for the time being. You could get in the pool to maintain fitness and then slowly ease back into squatting very light to keep your movement patterns up while you recover. I wouldn't get on the court for any intense basketball until you are pain free before the warmup.
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Yeah I've had a friend who had knee issues that was like "hey I don't want to squat, my knee will hurt, so I'm thinking of buying a weight vest and doing plyos with it".
Go figure.
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I see your point there guys.
The reason I was told it was okay for me to play is because I told the doctor when I warm up properly it doesn't hurt when I play basketball. that being said i suppose despite the fact it doesn't hurt it still may be hindering recovery..
I'm going to be referred to a physio therapist soon, I'll have to wait and see what they say.
I also think squats are awesome and they should make knees stronger but perhaps I've been slacking on form here and there. just seems a little suspicious that the pain only started coming along when I started squatting twice a week with max effort.
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Update:
it appears my gluteus medius is weak and my I.t band is rather tight which seems to be forcing my knee cap to not track properly and thus grind.
I've been told to continue doing i t band foam rolling (as I was already doing that and it made it feel a little better) and have been given an exercise to strengthen the glute med where I lie on my side and raise one leg like what this guy says http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7y_TnADXS4
I did step ups at the gym also. Anyone know of any good exercises to strengthen glute med that are easy to isolate the muscle?