Too Young to Fall Apart!

[Meaux]

I am 27 years old and I think I'm coming apart. No actually, I've been getting a lot of pains on my right side. I've had problems with my right knee for a while now, but a lot of times, when I'm riding, I seem to feel a lot of pressure under the kneecap and there's a dull ache. I've also started getting a sharp pain in my lower back on the right side that sometimes radiates down through my behind and down the back of my leg. This is not always riding related. Any suggestions on what this could be and how to help? I'm on the heavy side, which could explain the knee problem, but not when I'm riding, right?

[CyclChyk]

Not sure what could cause the knee but the other...sciatic nerve? I have that issue with my left side/bum/leg....

[bike4ever]

Do you have a leg length discrepancy? This can cause pain in both of the areas you mentioned.

[Meaux]

Both of those sound like really viable options, is this something for the primary care dr., or do I need to see a specialist? Is there anything that can be done for sciatica?

[Kathi]

Have you checked your saddle height? A to high or low saddle can cause knee pain.

Your description also sounds like patellar femoral syndrome also known as chrondrolamcia.

If your saddle and bike fit is right on I'd see an ortho. If it is connected to chrondrolamacia he will recommend pt to strengthen the quads. Be forwarned, if you do have this problem it won't go away with a few weeks of PT, it's a lifelong committment to keep it under control.

[DarcyInOregon]

Meaux, you need to see the doctor. The knee pain might be the seat position, or it might be that you tore something in the knee and you need surgery. The pain on the right, that sounds exactly like sciatica. However, sciatica is typically caused by a ruptured disk or two in the lower back that causes the sciatic nerve cluster to get inflamed. The sciatic nerve clusters are located on the upper part of each buttock. You need to see the doctor so that a determination can be made on whether you need x-rays and MRIs. Disks in the back can be ruptured easily, as easily as turning over in your sleep and twisting your back in the wrong way. Or it might be something else. Whatever it all is, you need to see your doctor.

[Offthegrid]

I'm your age, and I had a lot of issues with the low back pain radiating down the butt and my entire leg. Sometimes my entire leg would go numb when I was sleeping. Scary. (I had X-rays and MRI. My doctor said I have a herniated disk, but he doesn't think that's causing the problem. Hence, I'm switching doctors).

ANYhow, mine has gotten dramatically better since this started about 5 months ago. In fact, I can't remember the last time I felt pain there, and I didn't give up biking, swimming or lifting weights. So just wanted to give you a bit of hope that even if you do nothing about that, it can get better over time.

[Duck on Wheels]

Do you have a leg length discrepancy? This can cause pain in both of the areas you mentioned.

While I'm sure this can be an explanation for back and leg pains in serious cases (e.g. scoliosis), it can also an easy out for a physician who can't find a better diagnosis. After all, NOBODY is symmetrical!

That said, I'm with the others on this. Get your pains checked out. They can be caused by overburdening certain muscles and joints (for instance if your seat post is too high so you're "rocking" from side to side while pedalling and thereby putting some extra sideways strain on your knees as well as some wear and tear on the pelvic area). Also, if one or both knees are troubling you, say due to the weight issues, that can lead to your shifting muscle tension elsewhere, which in turn can lead to back pain, or hip pain, or ankle pain, or neck pain... The back pains do also sound like sciatica, and I've had similar pains at times from IBD-related rheumatism. So it may be about adjusting your bike, or adjusting your exercize program and techniques, or adjusting your weight, or worst case it could be a matter for medical treatment or even surgery. In all likelihood this is NOT simply something you'll have to live with from here on out. A GP may be able to work it out, or may send you on to an orthopedic specialist.

GOOD LUCK, and do let us know what you learn.

[CycleChic06]

I am not a doctor and don't claim to really know what I'm talking about. Speaking from personal experience, the knee sounds like tendonitis. But it could be any number of other knee problems, or could just be related to your seat height. It all depends on the circumstances surrounding the onset of the pain.

If it's causing you discomfort it obviously warrants a doctor's visit.

[doc]

If biking makes everything worse, you should definitely consider shelling out the $$ to make sure you are fitted properly on the bike. Incorrect fit can cause lots of problems.

[Offthegrid]

Apparently a new study seems to back up what I said about my experience with back/leg pain ... that it got better in time without surgery.

(If the link doesn't work, it's the top story on the New York Times today.)

People with ruptured disks in their lower backs usually recover whether or not they have surgery, researchers are reporting today. The study, a large trial, found that surgery appeared to relieve pain more quickly but that most people recovered eventually and that there was no harm in waiting.

The study, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, is the only large and well-designed trial to compare surgery for sciatica with waiting.