wendyg

Yes, I will definitely try to make sure my feet are parallel when I walk or stand! As for the regular kneeling position, I’ve tried it several times with the tips of my bottom feet still on the floor (mostly on accident when I’m in the store and I’m looking at something on the bottom shelf) and it feels VERY strange. Its actually when I knelt in that position that I first truly noticed that my muscles didn’t feel like they were in the right place. But I’m working on it. What I do is: from downward dog, bring my knees to the floor, and then go into child’s pose (very slowly) until my hips are on my heels. Then, I slowly sit up and let my muscles adjust to the kneeling position. Sometimes, if that position feels okay, I’ll go ahead and put my toes on the floor again and then slowly go into a sort of kneeling/squatting position. But that one still always feels very strange and I will usually ice it afterwards.

And really, I only do that little routine a few times a week for a few minutes, so I will definitely try doing it while watching TV or something. Thank you so much for the recommendations! I will let you know how it goes. :cheese:

Hi Gabrielle! Thanks so much for a response. To answer your questions…

No, unfortunately I am not still doing hot yoga. I stopped almost all forms of exercise for a couple of months after the swelling and onset of acute pain, and then slowly got back into it after seeing the doctor and having those tests done. I actually tried getting back into exercise using regular yoga, but then I found that my knee would be sore the rest of the day and the next day (which was a more intense effect than if I just did the bike or walked). So eventually I learned that yoga irritated it. I still stretch my legs out a bit every day or every other day, but not to the degree of yoga stretching.

What makes it hurt now… its interesting because if I use my knee too much, it aches. But if I don’t use it enough, it aches. So there’s some kind of medium to be found, but even when I think I’ve found it there is a little soreness. I can’t say PAIN so much anymore, mostly its just discomfort and aching and soreness. Sitting cross legged on the floor irritates it (not immediately, its a prolonged effect), as does too much activity like the eliptical for more than 10 or 15 min, walking up or down more than 3 or 4 flights of stairs, squatting down to the floor, etc. But again, I’m able to do these things, it just aches afterwards.

I do not have any alignment issues that I’m aware of, although I guess I naturally tend to stand with my feet pointed a little outwards. No issues with pronating.

I only massage it in response to aches around the knee itself. I usually feel the discomfort in and around my knee, but as I rub it, it continues to feel good if I rub a little down into my shins or a little up into my quads or over to the side of my knee. Sometimes it also feels good to stretch my calf.

I’m sure all of this sounds terribly confusing, so I apologize. Its been confusing me for MONTHS now. Which is why I came here! 🙂 I just wish I knew what I did, or what muscle I harmed, or how I could rehabilitate it. In fact, I’ve thought several times about just doing hot yoga again to see what happens, but then I’m terrified that it would set me back to where I was in the beginning.