ankle/knee problem?

[ninjaboyjohn]

I've been playing DDR for about an hour a day almost every day for the past few weeks. I've been getting better and feeling great.

Except my right leg has started bugging me and I don't know what to do about it.

*description of problem*
I have a slight tingling pain that shoots from my right ankle to my right knee. It doesn't hurt badly, just annoying, and I feel it when I walk and go up or down stairs.

My right knee has always "popped" a lot when I walk and when I bend it, and I guess I could describe the pain as the feeling my knee gets when its about to pop, but its constant.

When I play DDR, it starts hurting after about 10 minutes, and makes my leg feel weaker, especially on jumps.

After about 30 minutes of playing, though, the leg feels fine and feels great for the rest of the day. When I wake up in the morning, the annoying pain is back.

I guess what I'm asking is if anyone has experienced something similar, and if it is worth it to take a break or just to try to build up the strength in my legs so this niggling pain will go away? Any suggestions?

[abrannan]

It doesn't sound like a strength issue to me, or else it would get worse throughout your DDR sessions. It could be a nerve issue that's causing the pain. Or possibly a tendon or ligament issue, and as it stretches out through your playing it feels better. Try doing some lower leg stretching exercises and see how that affects the pain. If stretching doesn't help, you may want to see your doctor. It could be a sign that something's wrong with your leg, and pushing it too hard could result in a much more serious injury. You might also try to take a few days off DDR and see how it feels then. If it's a small tear in a muscle or ligament, resting will give it time to heal, which playing for an hour a day isn't doing.