Knee injury - any advice?

Foyzy

Hi all,

I got into road cycling relatively recently but due to my enthusiasm to push big mileage have done myself an injury. Basically I went out and did 70 miles through the Surrey Hills with a wrongly set up pedal cleat and have twisted my knee quite badly. At the time it was extremely painful.

Looking into it, I believe what I have caused is ‘IBTS’ which is where you cause injury to the outside of the knee joint (my pedal cleat had too much toe-in). It doesn’t hurt generally just walking about, but as soon as I get back on a bike (even my hybrid commuter with correct cleat set up) after about 5 miles the pain starts to come back.

Has anyone else had this? What is the best way to fix it and how long does it take for the pain to completely disappear? I have booked myself in to get a professional cleat set up done this weekend on the road bike but as I say even on my hybrid that I’ve been riding for months with no issues it still hurts. Any advice gratefully received.

ugo.santalucia

I think people should stop asking for medical advice on a cycling forum. There is the NHS for this.
Every knee problem is different and very personal, there isn't a fix that works for all. I can only advise to rest. I suggest you contact an orthopaedic consultant

Foyzy

Given that this is a cycling specific injury I am guessing there must be plenty of people on a cycling forum who have had the same thing. I am just interested to hear how other people have dealt with the problem and how long it took.

NewTTer

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I think people should stop asking for medical advice on a cycling forum. There is the NHS for this.
Every knee problem is different and very personal, there isn't a fix that works for all. I can only advise to rest. I suggest you contact an orthopaedic consultant

+111111111 to this, I tire of people asking medical advice on forums, this or others it is just wrong. One day someone is going to get seriously hurt due to some poor advice, however well meaning it is As already advised rest and consult a medical professional

nutter_bed

+1 for doctor.
Knees are certainly not something to take advice on a forum about!

AchillesLeftKnee

Another vote for see a doctor, and definitely give it a proper rest in the meantime.

danowat

I think you guys are being a tad harsh, ITBS is quite common, and if the symptoms point to ITBS, then there are a number of things you can do without bothering a GP (who frankly, unless you get one who does sport, will likely not know much more about it than people on a forum)

If you have cured to reason why the ITBS started, then you can use R.I.C.E in the first instance, I used to suffer with ITBS and found working the ITB with a foam roller a massive help.

I went to a sports pyhsio with my ITBS and TBH, they weren't a great deal of help.

Foyzy

Thank you danowat for the first constructive answer. To be quite honest I see little point in going to a GP who will simply give me some Ibroprofen and tell me to take it easy for a couple of weeks because they know little about ITBS.

ITBS is an injury most commonly sustained by cycling or running, and there must be countless people on here who have had it so I am just keen to hear their first hand experiences.

danowat

RICE, foam roller, hamstring and glute stretches are what helped me.

NewTTer

Foyzy wrote:

Thank you danowat for the first constructive answer. To be quite honest I see little point in going to a GP who will simply give me some Ibroprofen and tell me to take it easy for a couple of weeks because they know little about ITBS.

ITBS is an injury most commonly sustained by cycling or running, and there must be countless people on here who have had it so I am just keen to hear their first hand experiences.

But is it? You said in your OP that you had "twisted" your knee, thus indicating some form of trauma injury rather than a progressive injury that would result in ITBS. Really was pointless coming on here and asking, 4 people tell you to seek medical advice, one person doesnt and you decide that he is right, just becasue he tells you what you want to hear, so what was the point in asking?

t.m.h.n.e.t

Sounds a bit like a classic case of diagnosis via google

garethjohn

Fwiw. Sprained my knee during the Cotswold classic in march. Stayed off the bike for a couple of weeks and iced regularly which worked a treat. Since then I've been given a garmin which showed my cadence to be down in the 60's so I was always grinding away seemingly stressing the knees especially up hill. Now I'm in the high 90's and much prefer riding this way. Been pain free since. I appreciate this may have been entirely coincidental and may not apply to your case whatsoever. Just sayin.

GBR1

Personally I groan every time people say go and see a doctor, they will not have a clue! I had to go to the doctors today for long term issue, I am 180cm and weigh 85kg and was told I am overweight and the NHS will do nothing for me till my BMI is OK. I have 12% body fat, NHS are useless........

Go and see a physio, ask a local cycling club if they have someone they will recommend who knows/deals with cycling injures on a regular basis!

Let him/her diagnose the injury, all be it you could well be correct.

I wish you well and I hope you get back on you bike ASAP!

southdownswolf

So are you suggesting to see a specialist rather than taking advice off a forum? My NHS doctor is quite happy to refer on to a specialist if sports injuries are involved.

Mikey23

Plus one for that ... My GP has recently referred me to a sports injury specialist as well as experts for other ongoing issues.

Personally I groan every time someone says ' don't go and see a doctor because they won't have a clue ' on the basis of their own personal experience.

bush70

for my tuppence worth ,in my experience with gps and consultant doctorts,misters,they are there to give opinions albeit qualified ones and it is up to anyone if they take on board what is said.my gp couldnt help me so he refered me to a consultant to look at a mri scan of my knee,i had severs tendonosis, and he then offered me advice which included no strenuous exercise involving running or cycling .i dont run now ,only for a bus,but i still cycle a lot even managing the fred whitton among a lot of other sportives.all anyone who is looking for advice is to take on board what the docs say but i would also listen to people who have had similar experiences.

Mark_P

I had a case of IT band friction syndrome. I went to a physio for a diagnosis, and they identified the fact that my glutes were mismatched in terms of strength. They gave me some exercises, and I payed out for a full bike fit, and the pain is gone. I'd definitely recommend seeing a physic.

DrKJM

Mark_P wrote:

I had a case of IT band friction syndrome. I went to a physio for a diagnosis, and they identified the fact that my glutes were mismatched in terms of strength. They gave me some exercises, and I payed out for a full bike fit, and the pain is gone. I'd definitely recommend seeing a physic.

Spookily similar to my own experience, though i"m earlier in the process. No resolution yet. But I saw a gp, saw a physio, have started the exercises. But, we're not all alike. So if someone says 'how the fuck should i know, see your doctor' chances are that's the best advice you'll get on any internet forum this decade.

Ron Stuart

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I think people should stop asking for medical advice on a cycling forum. There is the NHS for this.
Every knee problem is different and very personal, there isn't a fix that works for all. I can only advise to rest. I suggest you contact an orthopaedic consultant

Contacting the NHS with a self inflicted Knee problem in a bloody lottery as to whether you get any useful advice, best try and find initially a GP that rides a bike you might at least get some sympathy, after he or she tells you to go away and rest it for a couple of weeks and you go back he or she may refer you.

If you are a dentist or such like and can go direct/private to an orthopedic consultant then good luck to you.

Firstly you need an accurate diagnoses then expert guidance as regards treatment and not guys on a forum thinking what you have got is what they had and suggesting possibly remedies that stand more chance of doing more harm than any good

rob21

Leg Knee and Hip Pain....

http://www.cptips.com/knee.htm

kingrollo

Foyzy wrote:

Thank you danowat for the first constructive answer. To be quite honest I see little point in going to a GP who will simply give me some Ibroprofen and tell me to take it easy for a couple of weeks because they know little about ITBS.

ITBS is an injury most commonly sustained by cycling or running, and there must be countless people on here who have had it so I am just keen to hear their first hand experiences.

If the GP service was any good people wouldn't come onto forums asking advice. I work in a hospital and get loads of people who come into a+e who shouldn't - but the reason they come to A+E is because they get treated - not fobbed off. I think the exact opposite of poster no 2 - 'Go and see your GP' is possibly the most overrated piece of advice.

The GP however is a necessary evil - you have to get past him or her to get at the treatment (a process that will get much harder over the next few years) .

I honestly think a couple of hours 'googling' and posting on forums - is probably going to yield better results - than that first visit to your GP. Its also better to go to your GP with some idea of what the problem is - just turning up saying your leg hurts will get nothing.

A friend of mine had heel pain for close on 2 years - he's the macho type who doesn't like to go to the doctors - despite having this pain for 2 years the advice from the gp was to 'come back if it doesn't get better' !!!

slowondefy2

A doctor will have far more of a clue than the amateur internet diagnostics you'll get from any web forum. Of course doctors have varying interests, why not ask the receptionist if there's a doctor in the practise with a specific interest in sports injuries? Cycling is a pretty common interest in doctors...

A doctor may well just tell you to take some ibuprofen and rest for 10 days. So what? Do you really think that's all that was going through the doc's mind? If you think this kind of advice means the visit was a waste of time you have no clue about the diagnostic process. The majority of injuries don't need further treatment than this but there's no one better placed than your doctor to know which do and which don't.