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wildernessmedic

Any advice for jumping with a bad knee?

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Knee hasn't been great since getting out of the military. It's seemed to have gotten worse. MRI shows nothing but some old fragments and OSD. Haven't been able to do anything involving legs at the gym in about 9 months. Can't run without it swelling up. Hell, even light activities like volleyball cause it to swell up.

I've staid off it for weeks and avoided activity, but as soon as I use it again it swells up and is painful. Doesn't seem like it's going away.

Anything I can do landing to keep it mild? A brace? Touch down with my good leg first? When it's bad would a PLF every landing put less stress on it?

Any tips whatsoever? I hate making it worse but if it's not going to get better I'm not going to stop doing things I love like jumping.

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Learn to slide in properly. Not on your tailbone, but on your hip. I knew an instructor who landed like that on every jump. It's not sexy, but it can work.

Talk to some experienced older folks at your DZ. You still need to have the wing level over your head, and you still need to flare properly. The only thing worse than a busted knee is a broken tailbone or worse.

- Dan G

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One of the Perris load organizers named Mark slides it in on every landing presumably to save his knees (although I'm not sure) earning him the sobriquet "Skid Mark." It might be the solution!
"Now, why do witches burn?"
"...because they're made of... wood?"
"Good. So how do you tell whether she is made of wood?"
"Build a bridge out of her."

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I had my knee replaced 8 years ago. I am back in the air after a 12 year layoff. My first two jumps were fine up until landing, and then a piled in like a sack of potatoes. Bad flare timing.

I demo-ed a different main (209 Safire 2 -- wing loading 0.9) two days ago and while I did not stand up my landing, it was a much softer thud than the previous two. Just a little rusty and need a few more jumps to nail my flare point.

If an MRI shows nothing, ask your doctor to send you for PT. You may have a muscular imbalance between the good and bad leg.

The muscles that wrap around the knee are quite small, and need to be strengthened if you are not a regular work out kind of person.

I must work out 3 times a week to keep my legs strong.

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Bad knees and spinal injuries so I went with a big canopy for tippy toe stand ups or slide ins with no exceptions for longevity in the sport. A physical rehab therapist told me long ago to enjoy your new normal in the activity you love.
www.geronimoskydiving.com

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The top of my tib was crushed about 16 years ago and 2 years after all of the surgeries and PT I was back to jumping with pain medication, ice and elevation.

Accidently I found that by swimming several days a week with fins and limited arm motion, I went off of the pain medication and have cut the discomfort my 95%. I still need ice and elevation after swimming about 1/2 the time, but by strengthening the muscles above the knee, it took the pressure off of my knee.

and one last thing, stop running...... It's not going to help your knee, only make it worse.
Dano

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