*knee*pain*solution!!!

[Flybye]

For the last three rides over 20 miles, I have been having this intense pain below my left knee on the outside of my leg. If you run your left fingertips down to the bone below and to the outside of the kneecap (not your kneecap itself), that is the spot. It hurt from that spot to about 5 inches below. Sometimes it would hurt behind my knee, too.

When I was on the top of my pedal stroke pushing down and right at the end of the pedal stroke pulling up, I felt sharp pain in my fibular head area.The pain wasn't constant but it was way more present than absent. It varied from REALLY hurting to not hurting at all. Three ibuprofen didn't even cut the mustard when it came to pain and I am a pansy when it comes to taking medication. In fact, I have a century coming up and I was going to bail out if I couldn't get the pain under control. The strange thing, too, was that the pain was only there when I was riding. I was fine otherwise.

The first physical therapist treated it twice as a fibular head muscle inflammation and taped me up. It helped some, but not really that much. I did a couple of rides with the tape on but the issue wasn't really resolved.

I found a second physical therapist who is a triathlete in her third season and who also does professional bike fittings. I went for an appointment with her on Monday. The bike fit went well.

We made a few minor changes to the bike but what I really wanted to share with you was how she COMPLETELY RESOLVED the knee pain that I was having.

This is what she did: Look at the right side of the page - "Pre-wrap used as a patellar tendon strap."

http://www.pre-wrap.com/KneeProducts.html

The only difference is that she started the wrap below my knee and only wrapped the pre wrap around three times. She then rolled it and made sure that it was below the bone where the fibular head or the tendon was. The band was snug, but not tight.

I RODE 60 MILES WITHOUT EVEN A HINT OF PAIN!!

I am so amazed at what this little fix did and I hope that I can help other cyclists out! I spent enough cashola that I'd love for others to benefit.

[Bad JuJu]

I have been using a Cho-Pat strap for a couple of years now. I was having similar knee pain to yours, only it didn't go so far below my knee, and I was getting ready for a four-day tour. I tried the Cho-Pat, and it worked like a champ. I did four days of riding in a row, 40-60 miles a day, and nooooooo knee pain.

The Cho-Pat is kind of expensive though. I don't think the upper strap does much, so I may try your solution.

[Flybye]

JuJu - This didn't -chaff-chaffe-chafe- (pick your spelling ) either. Did yours?

[Wahine]

Thanks for that!! I've never seen pre-wrap used like that. I have all kinds of great PT ideas now. Mmwahahahahah. Always looking for new ways to torture.

[F8th637]

That is amazing! As a crappy-knee sufferer I am always into what works for people. I see what she did but I don't exactly get how it works. Did it stop something from moving for you? Did she explain? I'm super curious.

[Flybye]

That is amazing! As a crappy-knee sufferer I am always into what works for people. I see what she did but I don't exactly get how it works. Did it stop something from moving for you? Did she explain? I'm super curious.

I am not a physical therapist, not by any stretch of the imagination, but this is what I *seem* to remember - I got so much information that day with the bike fit and everything that some of it is cloudy.


Wahine - help me out if I get this wrong!!

When the leg moves during the pedal stroke the patellar tendon should stay in place and that is what the strap does - it keeps the tendon from moving around. I think

I am re-reading this and laughing - I need some expert explanation here cuz I am not at all official enough about this?!?

Sheesh, I don't know - IT JUST WORKS!

[Flybye]

Thanks for that!! I've never seen pre-wrap used like that. I have all kinds of great PT ideas now. Mmwahahahahah. Always looking for new ways to torture.

That's the kind of torture we like- Physical torture-

[Wahine]

It could be used to compress the patellar tendon and this helps to redistribute forces through the tendon so that the area experiencing repetitive microtrauma can have a break. But it sounds like she positioned it on you below the fibular head. It would do the same thing there except that the tendon being pressured would be the gastrocs of the biceps femoris insertion.

Short answer - it dissipates forces.

[Flybye]

It could be used to compress the patellar tendon and this helps to redistribute forces through the tendon so that the area experiencing repetitive microtrauma can have a break. But it sounds like she positioned it on you below the fibular head. It would do the same thing there except that the tendon being pressured would be the gastrocs of the biceps femoris insertion.

Short answer - it dissipates forces.

That's exactly what I was trying to say !!!

[Bad JuJu]

JuJu - This didn't -chaff-chaffe-chafe- (pick your spelling ) either. Did yours?

Fly--the lower part of the strap has always been very comfortable, but the upper strap--the part that goes above the knee--does sometimes chafe. That's why I'm thinking of switching.

[OakLeaf]

Fly, Juju: I've tried all sorts of PF straps and the most comfortable, supportive one I've found is the Futuro strap from the drugstore.