Sore knees and hip

Cubic

I've noticed that I tend to get a slightly sore left hip during and after riding. Feels like it's in the area around the hip joint/top of the femur. My right hip feels fine. I also sometimes get pain in my knees after riding - below the patella on the inner side. This is more of a sharp pain, especially going downstairs, whereas in the hip it's more of a dull ache.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what the problem may be and any stretches etc. that may help?

I'm also considering going for a proper bike fit. As I'm in London I'm looking at CycleFit and Bespoke/RETUL. Can anyone recommend one over the other? They're both pretty pricey so are they worth it over the standard fittings (~£30) from a bike shop?

Thanks for your help.

Nelson Longflap

You're entering dangerous territory here, and likely to get some dodgy answers

Here's mine.

Possible tight hip-flexor (psoas) muscle used to pull the femur up in the pedal stroke. Can cause all sorts of pelvic alignment problems if not relaxed. Thankfully, I have no idea about your knee troubles. I'm getting something similar with my right hip (left leg slightly longer) and am doing some hip-flexor and illiotibial band (ITB) stretches which alleviate the ache. Google these. I'm fairly sure (and genuinely hope) you won't be making the problem worse if you try some out.

Do the sensible thing though and see a physio/osteo/sports massseur. Your GP should refer you if you don't have enough funds to go private.

I too think it's about time I went for a proper bike fit...

Doobz

why not try adjusting your seat and make sure its not too low?

Steve_F

Google Runner's knee. Sounds a lot like it.

gkerr4

Steve_F wrote:

Google Runner's knee. Sounds a lot like it.

agree - sounds like that to me too!

(i;m not a medical professional - but this is my opinion... )

It's caused by a weakness in the vastus medialis or vastus medialis oblique. - this is the little teardrop muscle just above the knee on the inner thigh.

I have a week left one following knee surgery last year and it hurts sharply in the same area you describe when coming down stairs - it's better later in the day when the muscles are warm but first thing in the morning it is worse.

Exercise - squats agains the wall with a cushion between the knees - squeeze the cushion and hold the squat for as long as you can. If you have access to a gym then leg extensions or leg presses are good - as it the bike itself!

no idea on the hip - but would check 'fit' and position on the bike - you may be rocking your hips if the saddle is too high.

MyCycling.com

The best assessment of course should be by a physio who treats cyclists. Cycling has very unique requirements and a regular physio may not be fully across the issues.

I had a similar knee problem that knocked half my season out of me. I tried a bunch of different physios and then finally went to one who treated cyclists specifically and he largely solved it.

It sounds like a similar problem to what I had, but it may not be so don't take this as gospel.

I fixed mine by stretching my itb correctly and then doing specific exercises that strengthened my inner quad. It was as though there was an imbalance where my ITB was very tight and my inner quad was also too weak which then pulled things out of alignment.

The strengthening side of things was the catalyst to fixing the problem. Is stretched for months before that and as soon as I added that dimension, the problem went away within days.

Here's a good ITB stretch for cyclists.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=IzUZ36qvEUo

Good luck. I know your pain.

MyCycling.com

Oh.... I concur that getting a proper bike fit-up is also essential. That and stretching every day, even if it's for 5-10 minutes after your ride (which is the best time to stretch).

If you blame the fact you don't have enough time, cut your ride short that amount. It's worth it!

bluecow

The having trouble walking down stairs is a classic symptom of ITBS. If you having to side step down then its a good indicator and the location of the pain is also telling.
A really good stretch for the ITB is to lie on the floor, both knees at 90. The get a theraband (or just a belt will do) and put one foot in it (like a stirrup). Then cross the affected leg over the bent knee of the other leg (keeping the banded leg straight). You should feel a stretch across the outside of the knee.
I probably havent described this very well, but if you can do it, it is better than the "one leg behind the other whilst standing and lean" method.

Tino4444

Cubic wrote:

I've noticed that I tend to get a slightly sore left hip during and after riding. Feels like it's in the area around the hip joint/top of the femur. My right hip feels fine. I also sometimes get pain in my knees after riding - below the patella on the inner side. This is more of a sharp pain, especially going downstairs, whereas in the hip it's more of a dull ache.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what the problem may be and any stretches etc. that may help?

I'm also considering going for a proper bike fit. As I'm in London I'm looking at CycleFit and Bespoke/RETUL. Can anyone recommend one over the other? They're both pretty pricey so are they worth it over the standard fittings (~£30) from a bike shop?

Thanks for your help.

Hi,

It could be that your seat is set too high. Are your hips moving from side to side and your knees locking out at the bottom of each pedal turn as you are cycling? If so search the net for setting up your seat height correctly.

Your knee pain could also be as a result of your seat height, but also do you have clipless pedals on your bike? if so are these set up correctly as this can have a negative effect on your knees if not.

Tino.

u01akrg

I had a similar problem with my left hip, which started after sprinting down the platform to catch my train. I was off my bike for three months, and didn't cycle properly for 6. In fact I had trouble just walking for a while (nevermind stairs).

The physio I saw gave me a series of stretches for my gluts and one for my quads. I stopped doing the glut ones regulalry as I then developed groin strain (might have been over-doing it), but the think that really helped (and still does if the pain flares up) is stretching the quads.

The doc and physio reckoned the problem was caused by my exercise only being cycling and the muscles being unbalanced due to working them in a limited range when on the bike. That makes sense to me, but I also remeasured my saddle height and increased it by an inch. I'm now training regualrly on the bike (in preparation for a London to Paris charity ride) with no problems, and have done a bit of running. Part of my training now includes working on core strength and balancing muscle groups.

I think the advice in previous posts is sound, especially seeing specialists for both the injury (and getting it fixed), and checking your bike set up.

horizon1967

i was recommended time pedal as my knee was hurting all the time.Anyway it worked brilliantly for me and would highly recommend them