Hey T-Nation,
This is my first post on these forums. This post is for people who have gone through or are going through similar experiences as me or have knowledge in this area (like PT’s or Trainers). I have messed up knees. I tore my ACL, MCL, and meniscus in multiple regions in a freak basketball accident about a year and a half ago. I got surgery on my right knee using my hamstring graft from the same leg.
Due to some levels of stupidity from my part, I had another accident and managed to obliterate my same knee only four months into my rehab. And I got pissed off and didn’t opt into surgery until a few months after when I realized life was awful with a bum knee. So I got another surgery done on the same knee this time using my patella tendon from my right knee since my doctor believed that would be the strongest ACL.
Long story short, this horrible phase made me re-evaluate my life and I decided to become strong as f#*& so I started lifting. I have lifted before but only for athletic conditioning so it was a different kind of training. Now I lift for strength and power.
Anyways, I am now 8 months of my second surgery and my knee is feeling pretty stable. The big problem I am having is that during squats, my patella on my bum knee flares up like crazy. I have pretty good form and I go ATG. Also I go for reps and keep the weight low, two plates or less. I just push through the pain. It doesn’t affect my workout because my leg muscles are worked really good. It just annoys the crap out of me because the pain radiates and makes me limp around.
I want to know is this going to stick with me forever or is that pain ever going to subside? What should I do to mitigate it? Stretching? Ice? Hot sauna? Any suggestions would be great.
Thanks.