I Went to an Orthopedist for Knee Pain and Got Shocked
Whenever I went up or down stairs, my knee ached, so I kept putting it off—until I finally went to the hospital. The doctor said, "Your cartilage isn't worn down; the problem is that you have so little muscle that your knee can't support itself."
I'm only in my early 30s, and he said I'm already starting to lose muscle... He literally prescribed going to the gym. The most frustrating part was that I was paying hospital bills because I hadn't exercised.
Starting that day, I began doing lower-body workouts three times a week, and now that it's been two months, it definitely hurts less. If your joints hurt, don't just slap on a pain patch—go get checked out. The cause might be different from what you think.
9 answers
What did you do for your lower-body workout? My knee was aching too, so I just ran, and it got worse, so I stopped. I'm wondering if starting with squats or the leg press is the right call.
I've had a similar experience. It only hurt when I went down stairs, so I just used pain relief patches, but after getting checked, they said my muscle mass was clearly lower than average for my age. Since I started exercising, it definitely hurts less. I wish I had known earlier, like the person who wrote this.
Oh, I didn't know this—I thought knee pain was just because of age.
Facts—knees really are muscles. That's why I started doing squats too.
So in the end, it’s exercise that’s the answer again ㅠ I can totally relate to the saying that hospital bills feel like such a waste.
You must have been pretty shocked to hear about muscle loss in your early 30s. But honestly, these days even people in their 20s hear that a lot if they just sit around all day, since they have almost no muscle. I went in the year before last because my back hurt, got told I had no core muscles, and started working out—and I ended up spending more on workout clothes than on hospital bills lol. Still, since the pain's gone, it's a net win.
Anyone toughing it out with pain patches on gets a big upvote lol that’s me
Well, that's a bit... It's hard to conclude that all knee pain is caused by weak muscles, isn't it? Some people have cartilage or meniscus issues, and while trying to build muscle, they end up making it worse. Since your doctor said so, it may be true in your case, but generalizing is a bit much.
For real, it’s true that joints need muscle support. But checkups are one thing—there are also plenty of cases where you need an MRI to get an accurate answer. If they just take an X-ray and blame it on your muscles, that feels a bit iffy. Anyway, I’m glad you’re doing better.