be nice to your knees

[crazycanuck]

Ok, so the above thread title probably already makes sense to you & you're wondering why it's taken an off on my bike to understand...

I got back on my bike the other day as i was told yes i could however take it slowly...I did & my knee's still not 100%...which i find very depressing...(i feel like a fat heffalump..no long distances for almost 2 weeks@!!) Anywho, to make a long story short, be nice to your joints & don't fall on rocks...

Perhaps i could ask, has anyone else experienced the following-it's during the pushing movement down when you bring the knee up again that is causing the pain at the top of my knee. I can't do any hills very fast & am taking it slowly atm...(even stairs are painful)

I'm annoyed...I wanna bike faster & i know Ã*'m impatient but perhaps another week or so and i'll be back to normal...

c

[ajhagg]

If your having problems with your knees maybe your bike isnt set up properly. You should go to your local bike shop and get them to check this out for you.

[allabouteva]

I agree wholeheartedly.

My friend is a MTB mad physiotherapist, and he helped me a lot with setting up my bike. Both my knees used to hurt like crazy. So my friend helped me set up my bike, and even the position of your cleats make a huge difference.

My knees don't hurt at all now.

But I know how you feel! It's been raining heaps here, and biking opportunities have been limited. And it's SO frustrating!!!

[mary9761]

I know how frustrating it can be to have patience to let something heal without wanting to push the situation. Try to hang in there and let that knee heal then double check your seat position etc to see if you don't possibly need an adjustment.
Good luck
Mary

[CorsairMac]

Ok, so the above thread title probably already makes sense to you & you're wondering why it's taken an off on my bike to understand...

I got back on my bike the other day as i was told yes i could however take it slowly...I did & my knee's still not 100%...which i find very depressing...(i feel like a fat heffalump..no long distances for almost 2 weeks@!!) Anywho, to make a long story short, be nice to your joints & don't fall on rocks...

Perhaps i could ask, has anyone else experienced the following-it's during the pushing movement down when you bring the knee up again that is causing the pain at the top of my knee. I can't do any hills very fast & am taking it slowly atm...(even stairs are painful)

I'm annoyed...I wanna bike faster & i know Ã*'m impatient but perhaps another week or so and i'll be back to normal...

c

Have you called the doc and talked to him about it??.....just to make sure there isn't some residual damage still lurking beneath the depths??

[RoadRaven]

like the others say - most likely a set-up issue...

Check how far forward/back your seat is... what angle is the nose... is your seat height right... check the handlebars... check the reach for your arms to the handle bars... but most likely it will be the pedals... make sure the angles are positioned correctly for you...

Any changes to any of the above should be done in small increments, and pref only one at a time...

Good luck, once its right for you it will feel like a new bike

[bikerchick68]

OK... I'm confused... from what Canuck said she fell on rock... is that what caused the injury? If so, it may NOT be setup... if the knee is hurting for no apparent reason, then I'd say get a fit done... but if ya fell on it, and have had it checked, you may just need to be patient... knees aren't made for slamming into rocks... sorry... I know it's gotta be a bummer!

[Bike Goddess]

CrazyC- I have a little tool I carry with me for small adjustments on my bike. It has various sizes of allen wrenches on it which are great.

If you have this tool (you can get it at your LBS)you can adjust the seat height yourself. Have someone at the LBS show you. I will often play with my seat height when I'm out on a ride. You'll discover right away if that's where the problem is. Just be sure you get the adjustment tight! You can also tape where the seat was so you have a benchmark.

The other suggestions about positioning your seat will also help.

Another area for adjustment is your handlebars/stem. I'd go to the LBS for that one. It's amazing what a small adjustment will do for you, trust me!

[traveller_62]

...

I got back on my bike the other day as i was told yes i could however take it slowly...I did & my knee's still not 100%...which i find very depressing...(i feel like a fat heffalump..no long distances for almost 2 weeks@!!) Anywho, to make a long story short, be nice to your joints & don't fall on rocks...

Hey C -

If you have rested for two weeks and have taken aspirin or some other anti-inflammatory and there is still pain on use it is time for a visit to the doc! The kind of pain you describe could be due to lots of things. There is always the possibility of a small fracture or a problem with the tendons in that area. Best to have someone take a quick peek to be sure.

If you have to rest for another couple of weeks you can work on your abdominal core strength and flexibility (which will help increase your cycling speed when you get back on your bike!).

Hope your are back on your bike soon!

- traveller

[LBTC]

I agree that a medical professional should probably check your knees and a bike professional should probably check your bike.

One thing that was suggested to me as that pain right at the top of the knee actually indicates that the inner thigh muscle lacks strength. Perhaps that's an area that you could focus on in your strength training to see if it helps?

I find that medical professionals do a better job of figuring things out if they are presented with several options....silly, it seems, but better to take an involved and proactive approach with our own health, than to just assume that they'll think of everything!

Good luck!
Namaste,
~T~

[crazycanuck]

I've had very little direction in regards to sports injuries or injuries in general-i stopped taking nurofen when the swelling went down & thought not to ice my knee as i could walk..

(I thought the feeling in my knee was in my head and have been taking it easy however i thought perhaps i should see someone who has a clue about these things..but then wondered if i was going to waste thier time...)

I went and saw a sports physio & all that's wrong is the tendon under my knee is inflamed..He pressed on the area of the right knee where i fell- firmly massaging it for about 5-10 min (ow ow ow......i can handle pain..) & then wrapped it in ice...

(He showed me where on the knee with a skeleton so if i find a pic of one i could tell you...)

He said to take nurofen every 8hrs & to do the same icing routine at home this weekend. So i have to go back on monday.

I'm off to the pool...

c

[mary9761]

I'm glad you had the knee checked out. We depend on them for so much more than even cycling so it's not something to mess with. I had a problem with my knee in early '88 that indirectly led to my accident that put me on disability and a downward spiral until I recently started riding the bike again. We never found out what was the problem with mine, other than I'm prearthritic and have since had some slight meniscus tears (likely due to all my weight wear and tear) I know I have to listen to my knees if I want to keep on the road (literally) to better health and hopefully complete recovery from all my physical problems.
Follow what the doc says and good luck, thanks for keeping us updated.
Mary

[CorsairMac]

Thnx for going to the doc and having that looked at, and updating us on the outcome. With an injury like you had, the doc was the first place to go. Also, did they tell you to keep on eye on it from now on? I had an ortho tell me way back when - once you take a hard blow on the knee it can lead to potential problems in the future!

Any idea when you can get back on the bike?

[crazycanuck]

LBTC...you mentioned "One thing that was suggested to me as that pain right at the top of the knee actually indicates that the inner thigh muscle lacks strength." you're just about on the mark!...

I went to my pilates session today (worked on mid section only) & we were discussing where i keep feeling certain muscles above my knee on the right side & directly below the knee on the left/a bit abvove either being really sore or feeling like someone's squeezing them...She came to the conclusion that my VMO(vastus medialus Oblique) at the side of the knee (you probably knew that right..) needed strenghtening & the ITB on the outside of the leg needed stretching...(the pains above don't include the knee itself as that's being iced etc)

Corsairmac-not sure when i can get back on the bike-will wait until my appt on monday. Just have to ice it & take nurofen.

BTW...is tendonitis the same thing as having a bruised tendon? I'm still wandering on the net looking at sites on knees & sports injuries...any ideas?

thanks c

[pkq]

My bad knee screams with pain up on the upstroke towards the end of long, grueling rides. But it has a lot of problems so it is expected.

Keep those knees safe and healthy. A friend is a PT who recommended ice water soaks for an ankle sprain. Worked wonders!

An excellent point has been raised about keeping opposing muscle groups "equally" strong. Life is all about balance, isn't it?

I am no doctor but would think bruising and tendonitis are not the same.

Good luck with your knee recovery.