Tendonitis

at my kneecap. As a friend said: Feels like someone sticking an ice pick in my kneecap. It doesn't hurt all the time, just when I put some sort of load on it...like as I sit down, or sometimes comming up the stairs.

My trainer at the gym says this is a classic overuse problem...and here I've been worried I'm not riding enough.

How do I deal with this? It's freakin' me out cause I know I'm not riding enough in prep for the ALC, but I know it needs to heal or it'll get worse.

UGGH! I'm frustrated!

I'm sorry to hear about your knee. I'm not sure of the best remedy but would definately recommend having a fitter look over your position on the bike. Its very common to get knee problems from issues w/foot and leg position.

Good luck!

Tracy

I agree about the fit.

I had tendonitis in my elbow last year when I got my new bike. We inverted my stem (it has a 5 degree angle in it) so my handlebars would be very slightly closer and I took a couple of days off. I never felt anything after that...

In the meantime, I'd also make sure your legs are nicely spinning at 90rpm, too.

G'luck!

in addition to getting a proper fitting done, you shoul rest, ice your kneed and take ibuprofen (for the inflammation).

Tendonitis is the worst! :( I had it in my knee last year, before I started riding my bike. It was actually the reason I started riding, less impact on it than doing step aerobics. I went to the orthopedic dr. and he sent me to a phys. therapist who gave me a bunch of exercizes to do. I think the exercizes, and the biking has really helped the problem. Just be sure not to push too hard of gears because that makes it worse.

Hope you're feeling better soon! :)

Sorry to about the tendonitis, sending healing vibes. I just got over a nasty dose of it myself, in my lower back/hips. My holistic-minded doc suggested I try ginger, very good for helping the body heal from inflammation. You might want to get yourself a nice big "hand" of ginger root and use it inside and out. Inside - by way of tea & adding it to stir-fries or whatever ya got cooking. Outside - you could make a strong infusion and saturate a washcloth to lay on your poor knee when you're resting it. I even added a tiny dash of cayenne, which is great for pain relief. It really helped keep me comfortable, and got me back on the bike in a very short time.

I don't think these uses could have any ill effects. I bet it's EXACTLY the people who worry that they're not working hard enough who come down with tendonitis. We push further than we should to prove we're not slacking, and yeow!!

And oh yeah, there's also chocolate covered crystalized ginger...;)

Shadon,

Aren't you doing LifeCycle this year? Have you thought about have the god of bike fitters check out your set-up?

http://www.revolutionsinfitness.com/

I can recommend Curtis highly. He offers a discount for AIDs LifeCycle riders too.

Shadon, sooooooo sorry to hear about your boo boo. I just checked the ALC board and one of the Massage crew wraps up exactly what I do for mine.

And if that fails I totally agree with latelatebloomer "And oh yeah, there's also chocolate covered crystalized ginger...;)"

Just back from a ride and off for a hot bath, keeping warm really helps.

Hope this is ok if I cross-post the advice, I thought it was really good. This is from Nick, one of the ALC CMT's:

"It sounds like you're describing Patella Tendinitis, and honestly the only way that's going to go away is with time, ice, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Your best bet is to get rid of it, and then get your bike fit checked to make sure it doesn't come back. I had patella tendinitis something awful after ALC1, and it was all due to improper bike fit. Too high of a seat can cause your knee to hyperextend, which will overstretch the patella tendon and cause inflammation. See a professional fit expert!

Here's what I recommend, in order:

1. See your doctor. Verify that what you have is patella tendinitis. (I am not a doctor, and even if i were I wouldn't diagnose it over a forum.)
2. Use ice for 5-10 minutes at a time, several times a day to reduce the inflammation
3. Take advil (ibuprofin) or aleve (naproxen sodium) as needed or as prescribed by your doctor; this will also reduce inflammation
4. Continue doing moderate exercise; the body needs movement to heal. I highly recommend swimming; you get movement without impact, and you get cool water keeping inflammation down
5. Consider seeing a sports medicine specialist or physical therapist as-needed.

And always stretch; lateral movement of your knee or tight quads can cause stretching of the patella tendon and tendon doesn't like to stretch very far. Looser quads means the quads will stretch rather than the tendon. Also looser IT bands, adductors and hamstrings will keep your knee tracking straight up and down.

Be very careful not to overstretch, and don't "bounce" when you're stretching. Stretch slowly just to the point of resistance and then hold it for 30-60 seconds. If you stretch too far, you'll start stretching tendon again, and if you bounce you could overstretch and tear tendon and muscle.

Also don't over-ice.. just 5-10 minutes and then stop for a few hours. If you ice for too long, your body will think that the area is too cold and it'll flood the area with blood, which will increase the inflammation rather than decrease it."

all this is basicly what I do + keep warm (oh, that's why the tights all the time) and hydrated.

Shadon, Here's hoping you get better quick. Have you talked to a physical therapist? When I had tendonitis in an ankle, I was working at a place that had PT services for the employees. :) Our PT said I should go out and buy the highest heels I could balance on and wear them for a couple of weeks. Sounded wierd, but she explained that it keeps the ankle angled downward and pretty much imobilizes the achilles tendon. It worked anyway. This particular trick won't work for a knee, but a PT might know of other tricks that would.

I had tendonitis last summer when I changed pedals on my bike. After changing them back I keep my leg straight as much as possible. When sitting at my desk all day I found a box that I could prop my foot on and that really help the pain and helped me get rid of it.