Riding through a pulled muscle

[gabriellesca]

I pulled a strange muscle right under and to the inside of my knee last night during spin class. My knee and leg has been hurting a bit but I thought it was due to a walking-intense vacation in Spain and a tough round of squats last weekend when I got back. But in spin we were up for almost the entire class and it was pretty bad last night and this morning. Painful to walk and a tiny bit swollen.

I wanted to try to get on my bike to train for a team ride next week - any advice on whether it would be good or bad to ride through this? Not encouraged that riding last night REALLY hurt it. But we were up alot. Icing and Ibuprofin - but its not helping.

[Eden]

Sounds less like a pulled muscle than something with the joint... pushing a painful joint usually is not a good idea - just leads to more problems - especially if riding is very painful.

A little rest now can head off a *lot* of time off later - so put some compression on it, keep up the ice and nsaids and give it a few days off. If it doesn't get better seek some professional help.

I can feel your pain - I haven't been able to race all month and will miss my favorite because of a problem with my knee/ankle - and mine is because of being hit by a car 2 years ago..... these things can linger if you don't take care of them.

[gabriellesca]

Thanks Eden - posters on the other board agreed that it doesn't sound like a pulled muscle. I've got it elevated and icing - but I think I will go to urgent care tomorrow morning to see what's going on. I have a bum ankle and so now both legs are a challenge.

But I'm SO SO SORRY to hear of your injury - how awful! Is there hope for recovery and being able to ride again?

[Eden]

Oh yeah - I'm not off of my bike completely, but I can't race because right now it hurts a lot to climb at anything more than an easy spin.... and that's not working for me, as I'm mostly a climber.... (my "A" race is a 3 day stage race with probably around 14,000 feet of climbing over the stages) Fortunately I have a really good PT as a teammate. She knew exactly what it was right away. She figures it has taken this long for it to really rear its head because I'm pretty good at compensating - using muscles that I really shouldn't be... but now its come to a point where I'm feeling the consequences. It's not so bad that I won't be able to get back and hopefully it won't take that long either. I need to strengthen the muscles I haven't been using and loosen up some joints that haven't been moving right, but I don't think I have any intractable damage.

[gabriellesca]

Oh thank goodness Eden - it would be horrible to think of the lasting effects of that accident being permanent.