Knee strap & "Runners Knee"

[Catrin]

I did get the recommended knee strap before class tonight and it went fine. I didn't run, and modified a couple of exercises that my knee didn't like but it seemed to go well. Still a bit of swelling, but better than yesterday.

I appreciate the helpful comments like always, thank you.

[Catrin]

Things are much better now The knee cap is still a bit wonky, but I know that this is, a couple of good longer, easy, bike rides will take care of that. It is like riding helps to settle it down and gets things back where they should be. Planning a pre-dawn ride tomorrow morning if I can get up early enough to beat the heat.

[tangentgirl]

Late to the party here, but a knee strap saved me earlier this month. Literally, I was hanging from a bridge, caught only by my knee strap, with stinging crocodiles waiting in the toxic river below.

No, wait, that didn't actually happen. Not even figuratively.

What did happen was that I had been training for this half marathon since January. First one, TNT, BFD for me. Was very very careful, maybe overly careful, with my training, because I have had injuries in the past. Was great. Two weeks before the race, my knee went all to heck.

After a few really bad training runs, I visited Dr. Dan, my favorite sports doc. Everyone should have a Dr. Dan. Dr. Dan is awesome, he's done ironmans, he does 24 hour mtn bike races and ultramarathons. He knows it all and will do what he can to keep you racing. Dr. Dan, he's the Man.

Dr. Dan said, "Tangentgirl, quit running on that! RICE, RICE, baby!" I wasn't sure how to rest with that tune in my head, but I did it anyways. He said to get a knee strap, use it right before and during the race. The one caveat was that the knee strap is like Advil...it will help with the pain, but it won't cure the problem. The rest ice blah blah helped with the long-term problem (patella tendonitis), the knee strap helped with the immediate pain.

So, I wore my knee strap, ran 13.1, didn't die, did finish, had fun, woo to the hoo!

That's my knee strap story. TL;DR: knee strap good for relieving pain while running, won't cure problem. The end.

[Catrin]

Yayyy Tangentgirl!

Thankfully I don't have tendonitis, just a bruised patella from a fall. The pain is mainly gone My kneecap always get a little wonky if I don't ride for a week or so - riding really helps it. I've a ride planned today, but if there are problems I will cut it short. My mtb vacation starts in 9 days and I fully intend on being ready. I really feel the need for cardio today though so I hope it works, it's been a full week...

[Catrin]

I spoke too soon, kind of. The patella pain is 100% gone, all that is left is a bit of a problem with the VMO muscle - this has happened before but that was related to a tight IT band. Apparently when I hit my knee during the fall that bruised the patella - it also aggravated the VMO.

I've checked out the rehab exercises my osteopath provided and they appear to also be good for strengthening the VMO. I am assuming that the use of a brace wouldn't help this muscle - is this a correct assumption? I've a mountain bike ride planned on Thursday so will be doing whatever I need to do in order to be ready for it. My knee feels MUCH better overall, and I can ride, but I want to take care of this as soon as I can so it won't impact my vacation

[tangentgirl]

I've a mountain bike ride planned on Thursday so will be doing whatever I need to do in order to be ready for it.

Why not rest it and be sure? I'm guessing there's nothing you can do while riding on Thursday that will make you better prepared for your MTB vacation. However, you could aggravate things again. Sure, projecting a little here, but resting now seems like it would give you a better chance to heal.

My mtb vacation starts in 9 days and I fully intend on being ready. I really feel the need for cardio today though so I hope it works, it's been a full week...

Jump in the pool! Or maybe do some light spinning on an indoor bike or trainer. Then you can stop immediately if things go wrong, instead of being out on a ride and having to slog back on a hurt knee.

Whatever you do, good luck, have a great vacation!

[Catrin]

Good advice Tangentgirl, I will just play it by ear. If there is any discomfort Thursday morning then I will cancel the ride - but hoping I won't have to do so. I did try to ride this morning but turned around after half a mile, saw no reason to push it any further. Thankfully I had a fantastic easy ride yesterday with next to no pain so this is obviously something that is going to tease me. My dr. hasn't pulled me off gym work - just no running and if it hurts I am not doing it...

That is my new mantra - "if it hurts don't do it" which is a vast improvement over my OLD one which went something like "pain? pain?!? what's that?"