knee pain all of a sudden

chatlow

Haven't been on the bike for about 2 weeks but have kept up with the regular stretches. Got to about 25 miles in (hardest part done) and my left knee was very sore. It's the side of the knee (outside). Pain would go away briefly when I fully stretched my leg out, and also wasn't too bad when out of the saddle. It just seemed to have given up with the monotonous 70-90 cadence and needed a change.

Iced it a lot yesterday and walking feels better now, but can still feel it.

Searches suggest cleat and saddle position - but I haven't made any changes to my setup for a few months.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

dinyull

You may not have made any changes, but say the seat post slips 1/10th of a mm every time you go out it won't take too long before it's dropped enough to knock your position slightly out.

So for that, I'd check saddle height first. Easy enough to do, get sat down and when 1 of your feet is at the bottom of the stroke there should only be a slight bend in your leg.

I'd avoid making changes to saddle height and cleats at the same time as you'll not know what's fixed it/made it worse.

Ben6899

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19707445#p19707445]chatlow[/url] wrote:

Haven't been on the bike for about 2 weeks but have kept up with the regular stretches. Got to about 25 miles in (hardest part done) and my left knee was very sore. It's the side of the knee (outside). Pain would go away briefly when I fully stretched my leg out, and also wasn't too bad when out of the saddle. It just seemed to have given up with the monotonous 70-90 cadence and needed a change.

Iced it a lot yesterday and walking feels better now, but can still feel it.

Searches suggest cleat and saddle position - but I haven't made any changes to my setup for a few months.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

That's your ITB (or iliotibial band)... "a thick band of fascia on the lateral aspect of the knee, extending from the outside of the pelvis, over the hip and knee, and inserting just below the knee. The band is crucial to stabilizing the knee during running, as it moves from behind the femur to the front of the femur during activity" as Wiki explains.

Despite the stretches, it looks like time off the bike has given rise to some tightness in your hip or calf.

This assumes that - as you point out - your setup remains unchanged and that you haven't suddenly started pushing higher gears.

A saddle that is too low will cause pain at the front of the knee.

Bobbinogs

I would start by getting some professional medical advice before fussing about seat height or cleats. It is possible for a knee to become injured just "because"...specially when one thinks of the forces applied/repetition during cycling, etc.

It could be something like ITB Syndrome or some minor ligament/tendon damage and you need to get that diagnosed and sorted. A sports physio is a good first step as most GPs are a little vague when it comes to sporting issues and don't have the time to diagnose/complete a decent recovery plan.

chatlow

thanks for the replies. Forgot to mention that I did a pretty hefty leg workout 2 days before cycle and also started using the cross-trainer in the gym. Going to check my saddle after work and start some ITB stretches.

Bobbinogs

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19707517#p19707517]chatlow[/url] wrote:

thanks for the replies. Forgot to mention that I did a pretty hefty leg workout 2 days before cycle and also started using the cross-trainer in the gym. Going to check my saddle after work and start some ITB stretches.

Ermm, perhaps it was the leg workout then that caused some strain the cycle has just exacerbated? Hence, the saddle thing could be a complete red herring. ITB pain can be really debilitating, foam rollers work very well, better than ITB stretches as it is very difficult to stretch an ITB correctly (most folks end up just putting far too much strain on the knee which does nothing but cause more problems).

86inch

I would also agree that it's likely to be ITB, as I had the very same scenario. However it was confirmed by a physio so you should really visit a physio before indulging in exercises that may exacerbate another problem.

Assuming it is ITB then I can recommended foam rollering, 3 x 10 rolls per day and also Bulgarian split squats https://youtu.be/2C-uNgKwPLE. 3 sets of 15 of these on each leg every morning sorted me out in a fortnight!

The rollering and squats came recommended by Phil Burt (the Team Sky physio) in his book.

Joeblack

As above sounds like ITB, Google mobility wod, or search it on you tube, Kelly starret has some great it band stretches, unfortunately it's not as easy as just 'rolling' on a foam roller, and I'll tell you from experience it will be a very painful time whilst you're rolling it properly as per starrets instructions.

Out of interest did this leg workout include squats and leg curls? In fact what exactly did it consist of?

chatlow

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19708567#p19708567]Joeblack[/url] wrote:

As above sounds like ITB, Google mobility wod, or search it on you tube, Kelly starret has some great it band stretches, unfortunately it's not as easy as just 'rolling' on a foam roller, and I'll tell you from experience it will be a very painful time whilst you're rolling it properly as per starrets instructions.

Out of interest did this leg workout include squats and leg curls? In fact what exactly did it consist of?

thanks all, and yup - sit down squats, leg curls, hams. still sore when i walk and have tried using foam roller, which wasn't too nice. Bit of stretching too as well as bulgarian split squats - which didn't hurt it at all.

Had to walk a mile yesterday and also have a bit of pain at front of my knee as well now :-/

Joeblack

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19708831#p19708831]chatlow[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19708567#p19708567]Joeblack[/url] wrote:

As above sounds like ITB, Google mobility wod, or search it on you tube, Kelly starret has some great it band stretches, unfortunately it's not as easy as just 'rolling' on a foam roller, and I'll tell you from experience it will be a very painful time whilst you're rolling it properly as per starrets instructions.

Out of interest did this leg workout include squats and leg curls? In fact what exactly did it consist of?

thanks all, and yup - sit down squats, leg curls, hams. still sore when i walk and have tried using foam roller, which wasn't too nice. Bit of stretching too as well as bulgarian split squats - which didn't hurt it at all.

Had to walk a mile yesterday and also have a bit of pain at front of my knee as well now :-/

Ok, firstly like I said look at Kelly starrets page to learn how to use a roller properly, 10£ says you're not atm

Secondly also use starret as a reference for your squats, look at the foot position and depth you are achieving (video yourself) if you're not getting enough depth this can put pressure on your knees and itb, as can going to deep.

Thirdly stop doing leg extensions on the machine. It is by far the most damaging exercise you can do for you knees.

chatlow

Noted. thanks. No more leg extensions for me, just squats/press etc. Changed cleat position so feet are facing out a bit more, then went on a slow ride yesterday and had no pain at all really. Didn't feel perfect but no worries. Only getting pain now when walking, especially down hills/steps.

Thanks for the info :-)

the_cyclist_of_catan

I was in increasing amounts of knee pain for most of last year. I put it down to degeneration in my arthritic knee, until I happened to notice that the saddle looked a little low. It had slipped almost an inch! Put it back, no more knee problems.

Until I broke my leg three months ago. Now I have all sorts of knee problems, and am banned from going anywhere near the bike for several more months. Oh well.