Case Summary  |  Weak in the Knees

I am 67 yeasr old and for over 15 years, I was a long distance runner (marathons and 10K races) and about 10 years ago converted to long distance bicycle riding. I had always prided myself on never having serious injuries, after putting so much stress on my legs.

Then I started to notice that both of my knees would have unpredictable and unexpected bouts of weakness. I would get up from a sitting position and one or both of my knees would go limp and not be able to support me. Or I'd be walking along and all of a sudden there would be a twinge in one of my knees and it would just go limp. There was no appreciable pain associated with this feeling, just an increasing sense of insecurity in walking and standing.

I decided that it wasn't really the knees so much that needed help, but the muscles and tendons that surround and support the knees and the legs.

So I began a regimen of leg lifts at the gym and at home with the flexible bands. I could almost instantaneously feel some strength returning to my legs and knees as my quadriceps began to get stronger. Sometimes I lift each leg separately and sometimes together. I do 12 repetitions, rest for 30-50 seconds, and do 12 more. If the weight is too high for the second set of reps, I decrease it.

If I go for any noticeable period of time (say a week) without doing the leg lifts, I get the weak feeling in the knees again. It's great to have a personal solution that doesn't involve surgery!