Knee pain

[gnGracie]

I've been having knee problems off and on for a while, but they seem much worse lately. Today my knees even bothered me during my ride (usually they don't). Mostly I'm having pain with getting up and down and going up or down stairs, and it's predominantly my left knee for the time being.

Does anyone know of some good knee strengthening exercises? This is starting to hurt to the point I'm afraid it might put me out of commission for a while, and I definitely DO NOT want that to happen! I'm just getting good and strong again following Christmas break.

[Zen]

How old are you?

[moondoggie]

check your saddle. positioning can lead to knee pain.

[indysteel]

Can you be more specific about where on you knee it hurts?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Two common causes of knee pain while riding can be:

Saddle either too low or too high (most often it's too low, especially with new riders). A too-low saddle typically causes pain near the front lower part of your kneecap.
or...
If you use clipless pedals, I've read that sometimes the angle at which your foot is set in can cause knee pain if it's not right for you. (I can't speak personally about this since I don't use clipless.)

[ny biker]

If you use clipless pedals, I've read that sometimes the angle at which your foot is set in can cause knee pain if it's not right for you. (I can't speak personally about this since I don't use clipless.)

This happened to me when I first got clipless pedals. The guy at the bike shop adjusted my cleats and the problem was fixed.

A few years ago I had problems with my right knee which was diagnosed as my patella tracking incorrectly. After some PT the problem is mostly gone. I learned that I tend to point my knee inward when I bend it, including when I walk down stairs. So now I make sure the knee stays over my toes when it bends.

[lunacycles]

Front of the knee pain is often a sign that your saddle is too far forward and/or your seat tube angle is too steep. This is somewhat common on small road frames utilizing 700c wheels.

[Zen]

Again, how old are you you?
Let's start from the basics.

[gnGracie]

Thanks for the responses.

I'm 38. As to where the pain is, I believe it's mostly in the front and sides (I've always been horrible at qualifying pain). I don't use clips, or even have the sharp pedals that grasp shoes. I'm just using the regular pedals and wearing my walking shoes (I usually walk after my ride). I do have my saddle pointed down at a very slight angle - I did this to relieve saddle discomfort, and it has worked very well. I have discontinued my lunges this week, which is starting to help.



Hi GnGracie!

Ahhh, knee pain... yes, I know it well...

You might have some IT band inflammation (...trips up/down the stairs hurt when mine flare up). Best thing you can do is get yourself a foam roller, and roll on your side from your hip to the knee. Also roll your quads. Do this a LOT... every day. While you're rolling, you can also pick four-five different spots on your leg-- stop at each spot and bend your knee 10x's, which works the roller into your leg even more. Yes, it will hurt a little.. but that means youre doing it right.

Also, ice daily. I swear, ice does amazing things for inflamed tendons.

Good luck :)

Jen, when you say roll, do I lay on my side and roll my body up and down the roller? Would the foam roller be like one of the spaghetti floaties people use in pools? I'm very interested in trying this.

A couple ladies mentioned angle of foot on the pedal... What is the correct position/angle of the foot on the pedal? I think I probably put the pads of my feet on the pedals. Should I move my feet forward or backward?

[moondoggie]

can i seriously suggest getting clipless pedals...FROGS.
these are free floating and allow your knees to move naturally, as well as investing in a nice saddle and studying your seat positioning
you will use the proper full range legs muscles with pedals and become a better efficient spinner.
i have had knee pain my whole life due to large quads, small knee caps these two things as well as strengthing the whole leg has minimize the majority of my pain beside your typical getting older stuff.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

The simplest test in my opinion would be to raise your saddle a half inch at a time to see if that helps. I always know when I need to raise my saddle because when it's too low I get pain in the fronts of my kneecaps. Do try this before you experiment with more complex solutions. Using plain pedals is not going to 'cause' knee pain. Poor body position can certainly cause pain anywhere.
Am I assuming correctly that you have not been riding a long time? Many beginners have their saddles too low because they feel insecure when they can't put one foot on the ground while still sitting on their saddle. I don't know if this is true for you, since you are not giving too much information about your riding style.
Also, have you been straining your knees lately more than usual in other exercise? Slow and easy is good for avoiding joint stress.

[Smilie]

Yes, it will hurt a little.. but that means youre doing it right.

I have a set of exercises that I got from the PT that target the butt muscles (yep)... but dont do them nearly enough... But, from what Ive been told, weak glutes are often the source of a lot of knee pain.

Good luck :)

It will hurt a little?!?! Ha!! That made me laugh out loud, as it hurts me a LOT! :D That foam roller is the DEVIL! But I use it at least 2 or 3 times a week.:p

I have such pain in my left knee (ACL replacement) since I started hard training with our cycling group. While riding I have found pointing my toes down, relieves the pain, as does pushing with the heel down. If you tend to peddle flat footed, that can increase your pain, it does mine. As does high tension, so I don't put it on the highest tension. ( I train with a spinning bike since my SO says no to putting my new bike on a trainer:D) That is what I do while in class to relieve the pain.

Going up and down stairs feels like I have my two leg bones squishing a huge massive bruise between them. Right in the middle of my knee. Is this kind of knee pain caused by IT band inflammation?

I also would like to know what exercises my glutes need to help with my knee pain! Please share!

[OakLeaf]

FWIW, DH had to ditch his Speedplay Frogs because they hurt his knee. Even with plenty of float, your knee's getting torqued when the cleat is pointing a different direction from the way your knee wants to track.

A three-bolt design like Look pedals allows you to adjust the angle of the cleat. Trial and error can get you pretty dang close on cleat alignment if you're not ready to spring for a proper fitting.

And... time may prove me a liar... but I don't believe that knee pain is inevitable with advancing age.

[Smilie]

And... time may prove me a liar... but I don't believe that knee pain is inevitable with advancing age.


*GASP* :p

[Kelly728]

http://www.performbetter.com/catalog/assets/Exercisesheets/PDF/FoamRoller.pdf


Link to a PDF file with a lot of foam roller uses. Not sure how to answer OPs question though.

[OakLeaf]

Even Sports Authority has 6" x 18" foam rollers now. (I know, I know, but they're 10 miles closer than the running store... sorry. :o) You'd be more likely to find The Stick at a more specialized store though.

Edit: my favorite bodyweight glute exercise is the Gymnast's Scale: stand on one leg, hinge at the hip while raising the opposite leg behind you so that you're in tabletop position in neutral spine from head to heel, then squat, being sure to hold tabletop. It may not even be more than a quarter squat but you will DEFINITELY feel it in those glutes!


And, search this forum for "foam roller." One of the PTs posted some links to videos that are very instructive.

I miss them. :( Knot, Wahine, come back and I promise not to ask you any more stupid questions, or even intelligent ones that you're not getting paid to answer. Pretty please. :( We like your company, not just your knowledge.

[Zen]

You want foam roller info? We'll here ya' go (http://search.about.com/fullsearch.htm?terms=foam%20roller%20exercises)
I was originally thinking arthritis. The OP isn't too young for that. But even if it is arthritis, strengthening the surrounding muscles is a good treatment.

You can get a foam roller at an local PT office.

[gnGracie]

Thanks for the links and replies. I'll be checking out the links. Zen, I am so too young for arthritis!! (Not really, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it). ;) Someone mentioned a good seat - I did purchase a Terry seat shortly after I got my bike, which has helped a lot. I'll definitely look into the clipless pedals (I'm not even sure what those are) and see if maybe that will make a difference. I'll also be looking into these rollers, although they sound kind of scary. :eek:

[crazycanuck]

Foam rollers aren't that bad..really!! Just remember to stretch & roll after each ride :)

[KathiCville]

+1 on the value of using a foam roller! When I use mine consistently---meaning 4x to 5x a week for about 15 minutes each time, it makes an amazing difference in how I feel. The roller works wonders on trigger points that might otherwise be tough to get at using your fist or a tennis ball. My lower back, glutes, IT band, quads all benefit. As others have said, the roller will probably hurt at first, but the tenderness will lessen with regular use. :)

If you're interested, you might want to take a look at Clair Davies' trigger point self-therapy book. Chockful of good info on referred pain and trigger points. It helped me figure out the source of assorted aches, pains and lack of flexibility.

[Ruby Rider 2]

What is it? Sounds like I need one.

[Kelly728]

http://www.runningwarehouse.com/descpage-OPTP186.html

This is a foam roller. It is used to work out the tension in your muscles. There are links to exercises/how to use throughout this thread.

[lattae]

I have found a new foam roller that is really neat,, by www.tptherapy.com look at their site and it really does work those knots and sore spots out of the legs... I had an older foam roller that worked okay but this one seems to really massage some of the sore areas in the legs.. I'd highly recommend it..

[Onix]

So....really, you should see a doc if the pain keeps up after minor saddle adjustments and such. I could have pretty much written your post. My knees started getting messed up when I started walking strangely/adjusting my walking due to a neuroma (angry nerve) in the ball of my foot. From there, something happened, and basically my knee cap isn't tracking correctly, and has too much movement...so it slides around and hurts. I just started seeing a physical therapist for this. Apparently (based on her tests), I have really strong muscles in some places (the biking ones), and some major deficits in other places (hopefully stretches will be able to fix my problem). GOOD LUCK!

[Kris]

I've had knee pain for years. I had physical therapy a few years ago, and it has helped some; the PT said biking was excellent. The doc said I'd just have to put up with it until it was bad enough for a knee replacement. (yikes!) Losing weight helped some, but it still hurt to be on my feet more than a few minutes, and there was minor pain while bikeing. Then about a month ago, I started yoga classes twice a week, and trying some of the moves at home. The knee pain is gone! Or darned near. I don't know which of the many moves caused the miracle, but I'm grateful