Patella Tracking

[stacy_rass]

Hey guys,

Im new here as you can see.Just found this site and I think its all im looking for.I have had patella tracking problems in both knees for 6 months.I have just come back from my Orthopedic specialist and he says i have to start building up my quads to a much bigger size and he is sure I can recover from this.I am someone who just used to run 45-50 miles a week.I have not done any thing very physical in 6 nmonths.I am not too confident in just going into my gym and going crazy trying to strenghten my quads without the proper knowledge ie. form,reps etc-so i find myself here.All my ortho told me was to do leg extensions but then i read here that squats are best or maybe i should do both.

I have done my own research on building up the quads for patella tracking but they seem to be aimed at old aged people.Im in good condition myself and would like a something a bit more strenuous.Just from the posts on this forum i see squats are popular for the quads altough im sure i would have to start with just dumbells.Squats are the thing that cause me the most problems as regards pattella pain but the impression that i got from my ortho was that im not doing myself any long term damage so just get on with it.

What i would like to know is what would you guys recommend i do in terms of exercises,reps etc.Also if anybody had this problem i would greatly appreciate any help regarding what theyve done to get rid of it.

Thanks guys-Keep up the good work

Stacy

 

[Tatyana]

If you are not sure of your form, then I would start off lighter.

As you are a distance runner, it is also highly probable you will be slow twitch dominant in your quads, so they will respond better to higher reps.

There are a lot of variations you could try

1 x 20 reps

10 x 10 reps

3/4 x 12-15 reps

It depends on which bit of your quads you want to build up, which way your patella is being pulled as to foot placement as well.

 

[stacy_rass]

Thanks Tatyana,

My patella is tracking laterally so I am building up my VMO at home with ankle weights and my feet turned to 1 o clock.My Ortho told me to continue this and to get my general quad to a much bigger size.Rectus Femoris will be the one i will be concentrating in the gym.I have a natural tendacy to jump in and do too much too soon when it comes to fitness and have gotten numerous injuries as a result.I dont want to make this mistake again but at he same time i want to get better as soon as possible so i will be looking to the experts here to give me any advice on reps,exercise etc

Thanks for the info

 

[SaiBoT]

My Little brother had some knee problems since childhood and his ortho recommended weightlifting. For the first 3 months he only did leg extensions and leg curl twice a week for 5 sets of 12 each. Then he started smith machine squats and also calf rises. At 17 120lbs of bodyweight he could smith-squat and heel rise more than 340lbs for 12-15reps! Not bad for a kid with strong orthopedic issues and I really envy his calf size.

So don't be afraid of squats and heavylifting, through progressive overload you will get stronger and bigger quads. Google and Youtube the exercises and you will find the best way to perform them. GOOD LUCK

 

[stacy_rass]

Cheers Saibotica,

I will try 5x12 3 times a week and see how I get on and then move to more advanced exercises.I will report back if sucesssfuly treated.

Thanks everyone

 

[SaiBoT]

Cheers Saibotica,

I will try 5x12 3 times a week and see how I get on and then move to more advanced exercises.I will report back if sucesssfuly treated.

Thanks everyone

Anytime

 

[Edmund]

I've had three surgerys on my right knee, the first surgery was for a major injury to my knee. It caused tracking problems but it eventually got corrected through working out. Sometimes I can squat on the Smith machine but can't do free squats anymore due to the injury. The advice here is spot on, it will get better, just keep at it.

 

[dsurdyka]

You need to see a physical therapist who specializes in sports/athlete rehab. Patella tracking problems are due to a number of different issues in the lower extremity from the ground up. Often anterior knee pain is related to poor glute activation and/or weak hip abductors/external rotators. There can be flexibility imbalances such as a tight IT band/tight quads. You can have good passive flexibility but weak active mobility. Check out Gray Cook's site functionalmovementscreen.com. He has books that outline basic movement pattern problems with corrective exercises. Better yet, find a physical therapist that is FMS certified. Additional problems can be structural such as excess knee valgus or foot/ankle valgus/ over pronation. If squatting is hurting your knee then you need to check technique. Seated Leg extensions will usually make things worse. A good therapist can also use taping techniques to enable painfree corrective exercise. NO pain, no gain does not apply to joint pain, pain will cause reciprocal inhibition and you can actually get weaker. By the way, I am an orthopedic surgeon. Hope this helps. Sounds like your surgeon oversimplified the problem and gave the "old" canned answer.

 

[dsurdyka]

sorry,
Functional Movement Screen

 

[FunFun]

NO pain, no gain does not apply to joint pain, pain will cause reciprocal inhibition and you can actually get weaker.

I thought "reciprocal inhibition" was necessary in order for joints to operate efficiently.

Reciprocal inhibition: In muscular movement, the simultaneous relaxation of one muscle and the contraction of its antagonist.