Knee Pain

[li10up]

I've searched the boards but haven't found what I'm looking for. I'm trying to find out which parts of my knee I've injured. A little background. I started riding in 2005. Like a lot of newbies I was mashing instead of spinning and in the first few weeks I felt a pain in the back of my left knee to the left of mid-line. My knee hasn't recovered since. Anyone have any ideas as to what I may have injured? When I sit with my legs propped up on an ottoman my left knee just hurts so bad that I have to put a pillow under it to keep it slightly bent.

Second issue: I now also have pain at the front of my left kneecap - almost at the very top of the kneecap. It doesn't feel like it's inside...feels more like on the surface. I can't figure out what this is either. I feel it in my right knee a bit too but not nearly like the left. I don't think it is chondromalacia because it feels like it's close to the surface. What might this be? I've read all the articles about adjusting seat and cleat position, float, etc. Which I'm doing in small increments. But I'm wondering what I've injured. It doesn't seem severe enough to go to my GP about. Any ideas?

[salsabike]

Take a look at this:

http://www.cptips.com/knee.htm

[li10up]

I've looked at that...but I'm trying to find out what body parts I've injured. Thanks for responding though.

I'm pretty knowledgeable when it comes to anatomy but I can't figure out the sources of these aches/pains. I'm pretty sure the cause is from pushing too big a gear when starting out and bike geometry...

[han-grrl]

the best thing to do is go to a physiotherapist to diagnose your knee.

[li10up]

the best thing to do is go to a physiotherapist to diagnose your knee.It's not bad enough for me to want to pay for a dr. visit. Just trying to figure out what I injured.

[DrBadger]

The fact that your "old" injury causes enough pain that you can't sit with your legs up on an ottoman without a pillow this long after you first hurt it makes it sound like it is time to see the Dr. I know that it is a pain to schedule the appointment and pay for it, but the longer you let things go, the more problems you are likely to have. It is even possible that the recent pain is due to slight changes you have made in you biking or walking in an attempt to prevent pain from the previous injury.

When I hurt my knee (torn ACL) I didn't have a choice but to go to the Dr and Physical therapy since I couldn't walk without my knee giving out. But even with much more minor issues the longer they are left the more damage you risk doing. Please think about making an appointment to see your GP and see about getting a referrel for a physical therapist (or if you don't have to worry about insurance requiring you to see your GP first, make an appointment with a PT that specializes in sports medicine)

Good luck!

[Eden]

I used to have knee pain on my old bike - both behind the knee and what felt like under the bottom of the knee cap.

It was from two things for me (back of knee pain) - weak hamstrings, this one I fixed by doing very light weights on the leg machine at the gym (I cant recall what it is called) that you lie on your stomach with the weights on the backs of your legs bend at the knee towards your butt. I really really had to be careful to not agravate it doing this. I started out with no weight, just the plate and worked up over about a month - but still not with much weight. I think I may have topped out at 30 lbs or less.

The other thing that caused (under knee cap pain) it was a bike that was too long. It probably had cranks that were too long too, but the stetched out position meant I wasn't using my thigh muscles the way I should have been and it was really stressing my knees.

The only thing that used to make them feel better for me was support - wrapping them up in ace bandages, but now that I have a bike that fits and I've paid attention and strenghtened those hammies I don't get any more knee pain at all.

[li10up]

I guess I should ask my GP about it. But I'm being treated for back pain/sciatica and don't want my GP to think I'm a hypochondriac either. It took me years to convience him that I didn't just have "allergies". Finally another doc discovered I had a deviated septum. Had surgery for it and I'm much improved but still not as good as I'd like. Took me 9 years to get him to send me to the pain clinic to get the injections. Hmmm, maybe I should start asking about the knee now....maybe he'll take me seriously in a couple of years. :rolleyes:

[DeniseGoldberg]

... It took me years to convience him that I didn't just have "allergies". Finally another doc discovered I had a deviated septum. Had surgery for it and I'm much improved but still not as good as I'd like. Took me 9 years to get him to send me to the pain clinic to get the injections. Hmmm, maybe I should start asking about the knee now....maybe he'll take me seriously in a couple of years. :rolleyes:
And you're still going to this doctor? It shouldn't take this long for him to listen to your complaints and treat your problems. If it were me I'd be searching for a new doc.

--- Denise

[7rider]

Can you go directly to an orthopedic surgeon directly without a referral from you primary care provider?
An orthopod might be able to give a better diagnosis than your GP.

[li10up]

I'm in an HMO - it's a pain to try to change your primary care physician and you can't see anyone without a referral.

[VeloVT]

I say go to the doctor too...

But as far as the front/top of knee pain is concerned... I've found that I get pain in this location when my saddle is positioned too far forward. It's amazing, I rode 30 miles once with it bothering me (well, really hurting), my boyfriend noticed I was favoring one knee a little (knee was starting to rotate in towards the toptube when normally it tracks quite straight). I got off the bike, moved the saddle back 1/4 of an inch, and rode another ten miles with no pain whatsoever. I've had this happen since (I've changed saddles a few times recently and it always seems to take me a bit of time to get the position on a new one right), it's amazing to me, that I could ride for miles in pain (which you'd think would inflame whatever it's bothering), make a small adjustment, and have the pain go away without a trace for miles more.

Of course you may be having another issue entirely -- but it's worth checking your saddle position.

Good luck!

[li10up]

Thanks liza. I'm going to move the saddle back a bit and see if that helps. I already feel too stretched out but I'll see how it goes.