knee pain!?

Question

m a dancer...this year im dancing 6 1/2 hrs a week. im getting this sharp pain on the inside of my knee (facing inwards) when im dancing, running, and going up stairs. one of my dance teachers thought it mite be from trying to run in PE "turned out", like in ballet. in pe, we run the mile every wednesday, and my knees are DYING by the end for like 20 minutes. i think about running parallel, but it doesnt always work. wat do i have? wat shuld i do about it? is it worth going to a specialized doctor about?? thx so much!

Answer 1

maybe you should get arch support...it really helps.

Answer 2

Sounds like you've torn your inside muscle,not your knee. You use different muscles for dancing and running so I'm sure that it is a muscle that you haven't used frequently. Try to wrap a hot towel (as hot as you can stand) around your knee area at night when you are at home. This will relax the muscle (no a hot bath will not work) and it will begin to heal itself. Next take time off from dance or you might injure yourself further and down the road that will make a big difference. PE is mandatory but dancing is not. You can go to the doctor which will either get you aprescription for the pain or a shot in your knee which you don't want. Elevate your leg every night at home when you have your knee wrappedin the hot towel. Also wrap your knee with an ace bandage before your run every wednesday so that your knee has some support.

Answer 3

You need to see a doctor. Yes it is totally worth it seeing a specialist. I had a knee pain that I put up with for a year, and then I finally went to a doctor. The problem was solved with special exersises in a matter of 3 weeks! Knee is a very complicated joint. I don't think people can give you sound advise over the internet. One very common problem for dancers that leads to knee pain is uneven strength in the muscles that surround the knee. But only a doctor can tell for sure and also tell you what to do about it.
Don't aggravate it by running.
And - sorry to be rude, I don't know how to put it nicely - don't waste your time and money on random things that people have suggested as a fix. Just go to the doctor. It is faster and better. Yes, your knees deserve it that you take them to the doctor even if the pain is not too terrible.

Answer 4

I found this....Hope it will help you. It is from Lisa Howel, a dance therapist. Try to have a look.

A lot of dancers get pains around their knees, especially when they
are growing, so I thought that I should clear up exactly why this
is the case.

I used to get so frustrated when I was at school. Whenever I ran,
or did lots of allegro, I would get this terrible pain in my knees
and they would swell up for 2 days. I complained of the pain, and
was just told I had "water on the knee" and that I would grow out
of it.

After a few years of my Physiotherapy Degree I realized that this
was ridiculous, and the issue I had would have been simply
corrected by some leg alignment retraining and a simple taping
technique. I don't want this to happen to any other dancers, as it
is really hard dealing with pain all the time, so the leg alignment
retraining gets a whole stage in 'The Perfect Pointe Book"

www.theperfectpointebook.com/index2.html

Question of the Week!

"Hi Lisa! Why, when I work so hard at my flexibility, does it seem
to either not change or just get worse?!! And why do I get aches
around my knees that just kind of come and go?"
(Caroline, (12 yrs old), NSW, Australia)

Well, Caroline, (and just about every girl and boy out there
between the ages of 10 and 16), this is really common! As we grow,
all of the action takes place at the growth plates in our bones,
and it does take some time for the muscles, ligaments and nerves to
adjust to their new positions. This means that hamstrings that were
allowing you to get into the splits easily three months ago might
be a little short for the new leg they are attached to! And as
tempting as it is to stretch them out constantly, it is also a time
when we have to be REALLY careful about how much, and how hard we
stretch.

Unfortunately, a lot of your muscles attach to the bones right on
the growth plate. If you stretch too vigorously, or are pushed into
a stretch by someone else (try and avoid this wherever possible)
you can actually pull the muscles where it attaches onto the bone.
Where your Hamstrings attach (up under your bottom) is a really
common place for this to happen especially if you are pushed into
the splits. Try and feel any stretching in the middle parts of your
hamstrings, especially if you know you are having a period of
growth.

If you are trying to regain your flexibility, focus on all the
other muscles of the leg and pelvis (as in the email a few weeks
ago) rather than pushing into the splits.

Assessing the alignment of your leg en fondu can give you lots of
clues as to why your knees may be sore. If the leg is moving out of
alignment, the pull of the muscles will be at the wrong angle and
all kinds of things can go wrong!

Test 7 of 'The Perfect Pointe Book' is a great one to use to work
out exactly where you are weak. The descriptions of 'common
problems' trouble shoots all the areas that could be causing each
weakness and give exercise to work on that particular area. If all
of the muscles are not holding the leg in the right alignment, then
the knee cap can rub on the thigh bone, and it can get really
irritated underneath.

Make sure that you are not making your knee pain worse by
repeatedly doing an exercise the wrong way. Go to
www.theperfectpointebook.com/index2.html to get detailed
instruction on all of the exercises you need to strengthen your
hips and ankles to protect your knees!

Remember that the book is not only about going onto pointe, but is
all about teaching you how to use all areas of your body better, to
make sure that you have the best control possible for all of your
dancing!

The way the muscle attaches into the growth plates can cause a few
different problems if you are doing a lot of sports involving
jumping and running (...sound familiar?), which is why a lot of
girls and boys who dance get issue with their knees around this
time.

If a muscle is working really hard and one end of it is attached to
a growth plate, the constant pulling can aggravate the growth plate
and you can get quite a bit of pain.

If you have pain below the knee cap, and you think it may be the
growth plates, follow this link for a more detailed explanation
(with pictures!).

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=LGgNK&m=1l7Sz1LcxriG89&b=Qrt.95RZFnI8nW68Ev6HeA
ory=Knee

If you are having more random pains at night, and the pain is more
above the knee joint, it may be purely action at the growth plate.
Make sure that when it has been a little sore you do not do too
much jumping or strong stretching.

Use Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation to settle any sudden
increases in pain.

If you do have persistent pains in the knees, and have done
everything in 'The Perfect Pointe Book' to work on your leg
alignment it may be best to see a sports physiotherapist (physical
therapist), ideally one that specializes in dancers, as they can
show you exercises and taping techniques to reduce the pain.

I hope this helps!

Answer 5

If you are around 10-12 years old you may have Osgoods-Shlaters. It is a problems for young people when their bones are ossifying. You will grow out of it. Go to a doctor, or buy a brace at a good sports supply store. The brace is simply a tight "roll" worn under the affected knee, or knees. It will help the pain. I train gymnasts and dancers, and the problem is relatively common.
If you are older, you may have patellar-femoral syndrome, indicating that the backside of your patella, kneecap is suffering from an overuse syndrome. If you ignore the pain, it can be a lifelong problem. You should definitely have a doctor look into this.

Answer 6

An Ace wrap might help but being in turnout position so much you may need to do some exercises in a straighter position that is less stressful to your knee. Talk to a physical therapist who can give some specific things to do to build up the other muscles surrounding the knee. Ballet and running are sort of a strange mix anyway! LOL

Answer 7

I am not a medical practitioner ,however...I am suggesting you may have a condition called "tendonitis"this is an condition caused by excessive movement to the joints,the tendons surrounding the knee joint cartilage becomes inflamed.Rest is useually a good reliever,the nature of your excercise could well be the very cause of your troubles . I suggest you get a much prefered medical opinion from your own GP,or seek medical advise from a orthopedic specialist . I hope this is of some informative nature to you.

Answer 8

You may have a torn ligament, or a tear in your meniscus (cartilage). Tears in your cartilage do not heal the way that rest of your body does, and virtually everyone that sustains an internal knee injury has to have knee surgery to have it repaired. I would recommend seeing your family physician. Your regular doctor can do x-rays to see if something is wrong, and then if necessary refer you to an orthopedic surgeon.

Answer 9

Thank you for asking us at Yahoo but I would suggest you to consult an orthopaedic doctor.

Meanwhile you can visit my blog meant for the awareness of Knee Related Problems at
http://drknee.blogspot.com

Answer 10

You might try orthotics for your feet. The right kind of arch support can often dramatically help your knees. It makes a world of difference for me.

Answer 11

well if its causing you that much pain then definately go to the normal doctors and if they think its serious then they will tell you to go to a specialist, but yeah definatley get medical help x