Knee pain, repetitive stress injury?

[Kathi]

Gray also recommends "The Stick" for getting in areas you can't get with the foam roll. I got the "Tiger Tail" Perform Better.Com and the "Fitball Therapy Ball" http://www.performbetter.com/SearchResult.aspx?rnd=30
The ball works better than a tennis ball for spots that need lots of work, especially the glutes and back.

Both are small enough to pack for travel, including bike tours.

[Melalvai]

I stayed completely off the bike for a full week. I've been walking a lot, just about long enough to make it hurt and then I stop. Today I biked 3 miles to work and home. Each ride it did ok until the 3rd mile and then it started to hurt, not excruciating just uncomfortable.

No more 70+ mile rides for me, but I don't really want to, so that's all good.

I can't believe how light my bike felt after lugging all that stuff all over the midwest!

[Melalvai]

I continued to walk (and drive) after the one trip to work last Wednesday. Yesterday (Friday) I noticed that even long walks didn't trigger any knee pain. So just now I tried out a short trip. 4 miles, a couple big hills, and NO knee pain. I'm cured!!!

I'm so excited that I can quit being a motorist.

However I will not head out on any 70+ mile trips quite yet.

[Melalvai]

I'm confused.

The 4 mile bike ride yesterday did NOT trigger any knee pain. Walking hasn't either, for the last 3 or 4 days.

Sitting in my daughter's recital, and sitting through Star Trek, DID.

What do you think? Does it still sound like IT band? I suppose I could see a doctor. Eh.

[Kathi]

Yes, if it continues much longer it's worth getting checked out. It's not worth sitting around worrying about. Seeing a Doc will give you reassurance and it may be ok.

That's exactly how my knee pain started years ago. I could ride my bike but couldn't sit or climb stairs. My diagnosis was Chondromalacia, was told the muscles needed to be stronger and was given exercises for the muscles around the kneecap. Note that newer theories are indicating problems in the hip, not knee cap tracking.

Last summer I ignored my knee pain because I didn't want to hear the same old story. I ended up with hip, foot and back pain as well as knee pain.

In late Feb. I finished 4 mos of PT and still had issues. Still thinking my bike fit was the cause of all my issues I went to a PT who also does bike fit hoping he could spot the problem. Instead, he rechecked ME! and found my left SI joint was locked up while the right SI joint was very loose. After a little manipulation all the pain went out of my right hip. That was on Friday, today I did a 22 mile bike ride with some really good hills and no pain anywhere. Just tiredness because I'm deconditioned at this point.

I'm still in awe that such a simple little thing could cause so much pain even though I experienced no pain in that joint.

Good luck, and congratulations on doing your tour.

[coyote]

Wow, this is exactly what I'm going thru right now. I can't go up stairs or sit for long periods. Biking doesn't really bother it. I'm in my 3rd month of PT and not seeing any real improvement. I go back to the Dr. in a couple of weeks.

I went on vacation a few weeks ago and really tore it up...the friends we stayed with lived up a flight of stairs. Biking is becoming diffucult. I'm getting frustrated, and depressed.

This thread gives me some hope.

Thanks,
Mary

[lattae]

I went out biking today and seems like the ITB inflammation and pain has subsided but now I noticed that I had pain under the knee cap and surrounding it a bit. I'm really getting tired of it. Been to PT, sports dr so don't know what to do next. I've taken my daughter to a chiropractor recently and he is using a light laser on her back so I may discuss my knee problem with him. Has anyone had any success with chiropractors with knee issues?

I've been doing stretches that I've learned from PT on a regular basis too and that seems to loosen up the hips which I know are tight. Don't know if this will be a chronic problem but was hoping that I'd be able to bike without pain. I'm thankful that the ITB pain is eliminated but would like things to get back to normal. I don't know whether to return to my sports MD and discuss it with him or maybe even visit my LBS to check out the fit again (I've had this bike for 5 years and had a pro fit at the time of purchase)

[Kathi]

My advice from my pt is to go back to my bike fitter for a refit. It's been 3 yrs for me, I was recovering from ACL surgery, things have obviously changed. His advice is to go back to the person who did the fit because different fitters will have different ideas. Also he does not believe in shims, etc.

If you can't see the original fitter then my pt's recommendation was to start fresh with a new fit, he suggested 3 dimensional such as a Retul fit.

I'm seeing my fitter on Monday, I hope he doesn't think an entire fit is necessary, I've spent a lot of money on this with little results (except for my new pt).

My ortho was more discouraging than helpful, told me to live with the osteroarthritis in my hip, although he said something was causing it but he didn't know what, wanted to do lateral release surgery and prescribed a brace for my knee. I'd read online that people with piriformis issues (I thought that's what mine was) tried chiropractors and acupuncture but didn't get much of a resolution.

My original Pt told me my right hip was weak and I was "overdoing it" but his exercises made me feel worse. I was to the point of just living with the pain and wasn't going to pursue any more medical attention.

Before you spend any more money buy or borrow Gray Cooks book and also check out Gary Gray (he has some articles online). My new pt follows Grays principles and I knew that before I went to him. You could have an inpingement that you're not feeling. Cook and Gray won't help you diagnose yourself but will help you understand asymmetries and movement patterns. They seem to be on the same page, the hips can be an obnoxious neighbor.