I just smashed up my knee

[DanieMarie]

I'm really worried about this......

It was nearly midnight and my phone rang. Knowing it had to be from Canada I was a bit worried because they know it's late and I jumped up and tripped and smashed my right knee into the door. It hurts like an EFFING BEOTCH now, and I'm really worried because I cycle to work every morning. it's a 10 minute cycle, but if I had to take public transport (especially with a limp) it could take up to 45 minutes, which would be a huge chunk extra of my free time, sitting on the stinking, smelling U-bahn and doing nothing. Plus I wouldn't make it to ANY of the millions of other things I have to do this week after work, and I wouldn't be able to do any sports, which depresses me beyond belief because I LIVE for staying active. Like seriously....I have depresssion and the endorphines from exercise are the only thing that actually works.

Anyway I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but it really, REALLY REALLY hurts. I can barely bend it and I have pain shooting up and down my right leg. Partly, I just wanted to rant, but also, any advice so that my life doesn't become an effing pain in the ass?

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: I just smashed up my knee

Get it checked out! You may have chipped/fractured a bone or something. I know you are into sports, etc., so you'd know if it was something minor, and it doesn't sound like you think that.

[LadyGarnetRose]

Re: I just smashed up my knee

OUCH! Hope it heals up quickly, and nothing major was done to it.

[volcaniclastic]

Re: I just smashed up my knee

Is it warm? Swollen? Do you notice any bruising or tenderness on the knee? Can you tell if the pain is coming from your knee joint or from your patellar joint?

ICE IT. ICE IT ICE IT ICE IT. 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off, for the first 72 hours. At least 3 times a day.

...and I would recommend going to see a doc just in case. Speaking from experience, knee injuries are awful. Go get it checked out, even if it turns out to be nothing.

But seriously, ice it.

[Dez]

Re: I just smashed up my knee

Ow!

Hope you're feeling better soon!

[Ophidia]

Re: I just smashed up my knee

RICE - Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate!

Coming from someone w/a bone injury that required knee surgery, do the RICE thing & if it continues to give you shooting pains or keeps swelling, get thee to an X-ray tech/orthopedic specialist.

If you absolutely, positively cannot sit still for two or three days, do yoga for your other body parts. A couple of days without moving one leg too much won't kill you.

[DanieMarie]

Re: I just smashed up my knee

Thanks everyone...I iced it and kept it elevated....didn't go to the doc because it was 1 am when I posted that and it didn't quite feel like ER stuff either, though painful. It's still really stiff and painful but I can move it and I think I'll make it by bike today!

[Caelia]

Re: I just smashed up my knee

Oi! I remember a dance clinic / audition where they didn't warn us about slamming down on our knees to hardwood gym floors (slamming down on your knees anyway is a death sentence to a dancer's career). My knees were so bruised they were blood red and could barely move for my dance classes the next day!

Everyone nailed it with the RICE method. Try to move as little as possible and get it checked out. Screwing up your knees is bad, take it from me. If you must move keep off your feet as much as possible and GENTLY stretch if you must do something. Depending on the yoga move it may be too strenuous on your knee. Also, keep your knee bandaged with ACE bandage stuff. Start a little under the knee, wrap towards the heart, then avoiding the kneecap try to bandage above the knee. If all else fails get a special brace for your knee.

ADD: If my explanation sucked here's a link that does a better job, though I was told not to wrap the actual knee *shrug*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANg1DV7iks8

[Ophidia]

Re: I just smashed up my knee

If you must move keep off your feet as much as possible and GENTLY stretch if you must do something. Depending on the yoga move it may be too strenuous on your knee.

I was picturing some of the more sedentary yoga moves, or upper body only. Should have probably elaborated on my post. Considering what Danie has said about moving around & exercising, we all know she's not going to sit still & let her knee recover - maybe moving the upper body will be some kind of compromise?

[Caelia]

Re: I just smashed up my knee

I was picturing some of the more sedentary yoga moves, or upper body only. Should have probably elaborated on my post. Considering what Danie has said about moving around & exercising, we all know she's not going to sit still & let her knee recover - maybe moving the upper body will be some kind of compromise?

Yeah, I shouldn't type at ungodly hours lol. Then I could see you didn't mean all of them.

She could probably get away with some Pilates if that's the case. Some exercises are meant to use your legs as well, but since it's very abdominal-oriented there are plenty of exercises she can find that don't involve the knees or legs.

[DanieMarie]

Re: I just smashed up my knee

I was picturing some of the more sedentary yoga moves, or upper body only. Should have probably elaborated on my post. Considering what Danie has said about moving around & exercising, we all know she's not going to sit still & let her knee recover - maybe moving the upper body will be some kind of compromise?

I swear I've tried, though I've had to cycle to get to work and there are a lot of stairs and often no elevators in Berlin. But I've been mostly good and have tried to not move it otherwise and even when I've had to I've tried to shift my weight and keep it straight (so I mostly do the pedaling work with my left leg, skip down and up stairs, etc).

It's starting to feel a lot better, so maybe I didn't hurt it as bad as I was afraid I did, or it's just another example of how crazy fast I heal!

---------- Post added at 09:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:50 PM ----------

Yeah, I shouldn't type at ungodly hours lol. Then I could see you didn't mean all of them.

She could probably get away with some Pilates if that's the case. Some exercises are meant to use your legs as well, but since it's very abdominal-oriented there are plenty of exercises she can find that don't involve the knees or legs.

Thanks! I have some tapes and I'll try that until I'm certain I've healed properly!

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: I just smashed up my knee

Be good to yourself and your knee. Hope it heals up soon. But meanwhile don't over do it!