Pain just under kneecap

Barrzy257

Was out Sunday and started to feel a real dull ache just below my left kneecap, would say fairly centralised. Been cycling around 18month, cadence avg around 95 for a ride, I have started doing some hard intervals on the turbo but no grinding gears. Was quite windy Sunday so did have to work a little harder. Just wondering if its something I should worry about, or just put it down to a hard weeks training? Cheers

sungod

many possibilities, have a look here for some...

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

could be simply not used to the extra effort, but i'd have a good look at set-up to see if it's correct, as you develop more power the effect of any imbalance or set-up issue could increase the risk of strain/injury

StorckSpeed

I'd plump for IT Band especially if it's accompanied by any pain at the outside of your knee.
If it persists I'd spend £40 and go see a physio, tell them the issue and they will manipulate your knee and give you a diagnosis. Knee issues are fairly complex, and can be difficult to pin-point, self diagnosis and stretches could do more harm than good.

wishitwasallflat

In that location with the onset you describe it is far more likely to be patella tendonitis than ITB syndrome (i'm a Physio by the way). Any decent Physio will differentiate in five minutes with a physical exam and will treat. It may well just be over working it - or working it differently (I have to be real careful not to overload when doing the turbo and try to keep cadence high and load down (i.e. spin) or I get exactly what you describe). If it is that a week or so of spinning more and using less force would settle it. Also ice the affected tendon for 20 minutes every two hours for three days if you can to help it settle.

Also check that CTtips sige it is spot-on.

Barrzy257

Thanks for all the replies, have been very helpful! After doing some reading and listening to your comments I do also believe it is patella tendinitis, but in early stages, glad I've caught it now so I can do something about it!
Much appreciated!

dwanes

I had this pain 9 months into cycling, in both knees to the point during rides I could not put any pressure on them. I was worried because I was loving my cycling.
For me I solved it by resting for 2 weeks, changing to spd pedals from road pedals to give more float, and getting my knees positioned correctly over my pedals which involved slamming my saddle as far forward as it would go.
The change/ relief was instant. And have not has a problem with them since, even with hard hill training.

snowley

Im currently experiencing a similar pain so this is really helpful to read.

dwanes

Barrzy257, snowley,
what pedals are you currently using? the bike shops I went to see said that road pedals, and lack of float in them, were the main cause of knee problems.

wishitwasallflat

dwanes wrote:

Barrzy257, snowley,
what pedals are you currently using? the bike shops I went to see said that road pedals, and lack of float in them, were the main cause of knee problems.

Can well be - I am a fan of Speedplay myself - but float issue would tend to cause medial or lateral issues more than central. I think central pain at the front below the kneecap (indicative of patella tendonitis) is much more likely to be caused by incorrect forward/back placement (of saddle or cleat) and/or saddle height (too low) than float issues. That said float is important as it allows natural movements and can compensate for misalingment of cleats - Speedplay Zeros are your friend if that's your issue. But I would say check the CT tips site Sungod posted first (especially if you ain't rich enough to be able to try Speedplays on spec !).

blablablacksheep

oxoman wrote:

Having spent 12 months having Physio for ITB damage from walking accident i would strongly recommend seeing pysio or quack if it still hurts after a few days. Totally agree with Storck.

:shock:

I currently have ITB pain and havnt been able to get rid f it for over 2 years nearly now.

Really like to hear what they did to help cure it.
Im a runner and so i know thats what caused it(too much in one go, my own fault)
But it isnt painful all the time, just when i sprint/no warmup.

Tried foam rolling, didnt help much just hurts very little change, physio scares me as im worried they just say, stop running, which the last NHS Physio said .( i dont think he knew anything about running though, which is common problem with NHS they dont understand competitions and how you must train ect.)

wishitwasallflat

blablablacksheep wrote:

oxoman wrote:

Having spent 12 months having Physio for ITB damage from walking accident i would strongly recommend seeing pysio or quack if it still hurts after a few days. Totally agree with Storck.

:shock:

I currently have ITB pain and havnt been able to get rid f it for over 2 years nearly now.

Really like to hear what they did to help cure it.
Im a runner and so i know thats what caused it(too much in one go, my own fault)
But it isnt painful all the time, just when i sprint/no warmup.

Tried foam rolling, didnt help much just hurts very little change, physio scares me as im worried they just say, stop running, which the last NHS Physio said .( i dont think he knew anything about running though, which is common problem with NHS they dont understand competitions and how you must train ect.)

The only real option for ITB is to try to remove the source of the irritation (for a while don't panic!) to let it settle if it is acute and then stretching and muscle re-balancing to try to prevent any tendancy to recur. Most of the work is done by the client as stretching and exervices but you need a decent physio to diagnose and show you them. Yes you can pick them up on the web but they can be tricky to get right and if you don't know the feel and anatomy its not adviced (but for some there is no other option).

PS - Its not an NHS problem some are good some bad - some care some don't NHS or private is not the issue - find someone good who cares by word of mouth or try NHS - you may strike gold