Does anyone else have this problem with their legs?

[Anonymous]

Every time I rest my legs while laying down or lay side ways my knees and ankles hurt a lot. The get kind of stiff and I have a hard time walking normally for a few moments. My Knees also bend inward and crack a lot. I don't know what the problem is and I am worried. I actually quit running track, because I feared that I do a tremendous amount of damage to my joints. I think I am double jointed in my knees, but I really couldn't say. Does anyone else have this problem or know what my body's problem is. Also, I am not over weight so added pounds on my joints does not sound like that is the problem.

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

Sounds like a muscle imbalance. Tight hamstrings / underdeveloped quads. I ran long distance and eventually my hamstrings were much much stronger than my quads causing an unnatural pull on my knee that was making it deviate from its natural course AFTER runs (runner's knee). Made it nearly impossible to walk up or down stairs after cooling down from a run. After races I couldn't even walk (cause my hamstrings were tight and my quads were too weak to compensate). Also, my knee use to make a clicking sound at full extension every other step when I walked. Since then I've started doing heavy weight squats and cycling. After three months of heavy weight squats the pain after runs and the over extension clicking in my knee went away. I can make my knee crack still, but it doesn't do it by itself now and definitely not every other step like it use to.

You just have weak quads is all. Start working them and the problem will go away. I had the problem for a year in high school, thinking it was permanent and that I screwed up my knees indefinitely running. But I was wrong. And I'm happy I was wrong. xD Just do weighted squats every other day. And don't worry, cause you can fix it.

[Asker]

those sound kind of hard to do, but it is so worth it if the cracking will stop :D thanks dude :)

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

working out isn't suppose to be easy hun :P and the cracking will go away if you put in the effort, promise.

[Anonymous]

i have the same problem but for me its because I have muscle imbalance the outter thigh muscles are tighter and stiffer then my inner thighs and the tightness is pulling my knee cap, I can't go up or down the stairs without pain...ive gone to physical therapy and am taking pills, can't say that I'm all better thought. you just have to see a therapist and learn exercises to balance those muscles out. they will take an xray too

[Asker]

Oh, okay. I will talk to my mother about it, thank you for your answer =]