Strained Knee

Hi,
Has anyone ever had a strained knee? Unfortunately I was fitted on my new bike wrong and have strained my knee pretty good. I have been off my bike since the middle of June and it has not gotten much better. I saw a doctor two weeks ago and he took x-rays and told me It was a strain. Ive been seeing a PT for 10 days now and religously doing my excercises, but still know change. So either this is a long healing injury or something else is going on. The doctor does not feel its a tear. Thanks.

P.S. Girls-be sure you are fitted on your bike correctly-it makes a world of difference.

Hi there.. I was also on a poorly fitted bike and ended up with an ITBL strain... it took a stretching routine, proper fit and TIME to heal it... I was OK'd to ride flat slow rides but could not climb for a long time... felt like my outside knee was being stabbed if I attempted to climb! BUT, it did heal and I am riding again and climbing with no issues... slow as ever, but at least doing it! Hope you're better soon... I know how frustrating it is...

howdy go and welcome to the board. If you haven't had a chance yet (and while you're recovering) pop on over to the "getting to know you" thread and spend several hours giggling at us and then - if so inclined - tell us something about you!

as for the knee: you injured it in June and just went to the Dr 2 wks ago so you probably continued to aggravate the injury during that time. Give it some time and some rest - it'll get better and the bike will wait for you! You'll thank yourself in the long run my friend!

what exactly does a strained knee feel like? I'd like to see if perhaps my knee issues could be the result of a strain ...

It is kind of hard to explain but I will try. On the inside of my knee there is a band that is sore. It is all most like Im being pinched. It used to get sore when I road, but I didn't back off enough so now it bothers me If I walk or run or ride. It does not hurt to the touch nor does it hurt if you twist and tweek my leg in wierd positions. Trying to stay off it is hard being I have three young children at home.
What is going on with your Knee? If you don't mind me asking?

for me with the ITBL strain the knee felt like it was being stabbed... outer leg tho, not inner... and my hip joints felt sore a lot... the IT band goes from outter hip to knee...mine was overly tight and caused the excrutiating pain...

I'm no doc, so if you can, do go and find out for sure what's going on...corsair is right... you will be glad you got it diagnosed and treated before making it worse... I put it off and paid the price...

The front of my knees were sore when I first started riding and all it took was raising my seat and they almost instantly stopped hurting. It could just be something as easy as changing postions on your bike. Seeing a doctor and talking to a good bike fitter is a good idea.

well good ... my knee pain doesn't sound that bad then. It's just new and I think it has to do with riding my beach cruiser more than usual.

I started cycling because of knee problems with my running ... it got to where I couldn't even walk ten steps without having one cap or the other lock up and it hurt so bad it brought tears to my eyes. I gave up running on the advise of some specialist doc, who also said surgery was a very real possiblility. Under the guidance of my cousin and her husband, who are both physical therapists, I did some muscle strengthening, then by accident found cycling and I can't remember my knees ever feeling so good.

Except for now, when climbing, I get an ache, more on the outside of the knee and NOT bad .... just sort of there for a minute once in a while .... that has me a bit concerned. I have been riding my cruiser to work and around town ... sort of hilly but nothing I would call a climb .... it only has the one gear AND a more relaxed position. The seat is further behind the pedals, maybe I'm working / stretching someting new.

Long enough, wrap it up! I'll monitor them but I'm not too worried ... just curious if the strain was similar ...

Hi Gals
Re: this knee pain - There was a great article in Bicycling Magazine in Nov/Dec 1997 issue. Maybe your local library has old copies in microfiche?

There's several items on different types of knee pain. But here's what it said that seems to relate to the area of pinching/inside band type pain:

" 3. You feel the pain on the inside, middle of the knee in the cleft next to the patella. Here is located a 'plica' or fold, often called the 'appendix of the knee' because it's an embryoligcal remnant. Only 70% of people have a plica but in some cases it saws against the patella and femur while pedaling. It's often the result of a low saddle and external foot rotation from a toe-out riding position.
Diagnosis: Medial retinaculum inflammation (medial synovial plica syndrome)
Treatment: Ice, friction massage, NSAIDs and raising the saddle. Some cases require surgery to snip away the plica."

In my own experience, I wrote to Andrew Pruitt (through the magazine) and was flabbergasted when he actually called me personally (!!) from his cell phone while on his way to pick up his kid from soccer practise! (This is one dedicated guy!) .. I had felt the snapping pinching sensation but mine was on the outside (lateral) knee area. I had wasted alot of time with Physio on a "strain" (mis)diagnosis though - because when I finally went in for arthroscopic exploratory surgery, lo and behold, the orthopedic surgery found a plica. Not only on the medial side but also on the lateral side! He snipped, but he did see that this plica had been sawing across the lateral side for long enough that there had been Grade 3 cartilage degeneration from it. (Imagine a piece of twine held tight and moved back and forth over the edge of a table 100 x's per minute - as cycling rpm's do --- y'ouch!! Smoking!). I opted to have the other knee explored (as I was feeling the snapping sensation there too) and sure enough, plica there too. That side is good though - less damage.

Soooooo ... you might wanna track down the full article and read more about Plica on the 'net.
I know that for me, I wish that the Sports Doc I had seen, (who said it was just a strain) and Physiotherapists that I spent mucho dinero on would be as Knowledgeable and Dedicated as Andrew Pruitt! It would have saved me my cartilage in the long run. :)

makes you feel fragile and mortal, doesn't it? As I approach a milestone birthday I am starting to feel more aches than I used to ... and be more aware that I need this body for quite a few more years. Seems silly that exercise is causing problems!

thanks for the magazine tip. I'll try to find that article.