Pain above knees

Pain & Rehab Forum [Moderated]
1

Hello Drs. Miles, Ray, and Amato,

I am a 60 yo woman who has been training with a SS coach for about two months. I have powerlifted before, but not consistantly. In the last couple of weeks, I have noticed swelling above both knees. It has not interfered with my ability to train, but it is painful to walk up and down stairs. It feels like the swelling is fluid, but my knowledge of anatomy is limited.

I haven’t been to see anyone about it because I’m pretty sure I will get the “you’re 60 and you’re doing what?” question. Is this something I need to be concerned about, or is it just OLS (old lady s#*t)?

I train twice a week, lifting heavy on each of the lifts once a week. My latest squat was 115 x 5, DL 170 x 3, Bench 95 x 3.

Thank you.

2

Pain above the kneecap often means quadriceps tendinitis. Pain on the inside or outside of your knee could be a sign of a torn ligament (the medial collateral ligament on the inside, or lateral collateral ligament on the outside), Dr.

3

Hi Ruby,

Glad to hear you’ve picked up training! Hopefully we can get you on the right track so you can continue.

We would recommend starting out by reading this article in detail, as it lays out our general approach in these sorts of situations: Pain in Training: What To Do?