Pain in the top of knee, desperate to sort out!
bomster
Posts: 202
Hi guys,
Ridden my Giant Defy pretty solidly last year, and in years previous (clocked up 4000 miles on it).
At the start of doing the Festive 500 I started to develop a little pain in the top of my knee (left leg), the pain is not bad, but it's offputting generally unpleasant.
I carried on and completed the challenge, just took it easy and got the miles done as I didn't want to exacerbate the issue. It would be fine for 10 miles and then the pain would start and I would just take it easy.
After this happening for 4 or so rides, I decided to raise my seat post a bit as it seems a tad low, and I shifted the saddle forward, in an attempt to fix the problem.
The pain continued in the same manner.
Once I was off the bike the pain would be there, but the following morning the pain would be gone until I was back on the bike.
After the Festive 500 finished (NYE) I decided to take a rest off the bike in the hope the pain/minor injury would disappear.
After going out today unfortunately the issue is still there
.
Can someone please recommend a solution?
FYI - I haven't changed anything about the bike, pedals etc, other then the saddle height and position change mentioned above. I use mtb pedals and shoes (SPD's), but I do have SPD-SL on my summer bike, so my next step is to wait a few more days, order some SPD-SL pedals for the Giant and then try again.
Your help would be hugely appreciated! I'm just desperate to get it sorted so I can get back to riding/training how I was a few months ago.
Link to my Strava if it's of any use: https://www.strava.com/athletes/2674122
Ridden my Giant Defy pretty solidly last year, and in years previous (clocked up 4000 miles on it).
At the start of doing the Festive 500 I started to develop a little pain in the top of my knee (left leg), the pain is not bad, but it's offputting generally unpleasant.
I carried on and completed the challenge, just took it easy and got the miles done as I didn't want to exacerbate the issue. It would be fine for 10 miles and then the pain would start and I would just take it easy.
After this happening for 4 or so rides, I decided to raise my seat post a bit as it seems a tad low, and I shifted the saddle forward, in an attempt to fix the problem.
The pain continued in the same manner.
Once I was off the bike the pain would be there, but the following morning the pain would be gone until I was back on the bike.
After the Festive 500 finished (NYE) I decided to take a rest off the bike in the hope the pain/minor injury would disappear.
After going out today unfortunately the issue is still there
.Can someone please recommend a solution?
FYI - I haven't changed anything about the bike, pedals etc, other then the saddle height and position change mentioned above. I use mtb pedals and shoes (SPD's), but I do have SPD-SL on my summer bike, so my next step is to wait a few more days, order some SPD-SL pedals for the Giant and then try again.
Your help would be hugely appreciated! I'm just desperate to get it sorted so I can get back to riding/training how I was a few months ago.
Link to my Strava if it's of any use: https://www.strava.com/athletes/2674122
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Comments
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Knee not tracking properly would be my best guess. Finding out what is actually causing this is another issue entirely. I had a very similar problem last year. Went to physio who diagnosed it as being a problem with my left glute (I basically didn't have one!). For years I've been pedalling, running and walking using just my quad and hamstring on my left leg. The glute wasn't being activated at all (easily seen when doing a lie-down bridge - my body was at a slant because I had zero strength in my left arse cheek
)
Got a load of exercises - some frankly daft-looking, but others extremely painful (including quad rolls with a foam roller to loosen the IT band). After doing these religiously and staying off the bike as much as I possibly could, the pain first subsided, and now is at the point where I am almost back up to full strength and have next to no ill effects other than the odd day with a bit of a niggle after an effort the day before.
I know it might not be the cheapest option out there, but book yourself in for a consultation with a physio. Made a world of difference for me
One thing I will say - rest is the key to any recovery. I was dreadful at this - the problem first flared up when I rode London to Paris in 24 hours in September - time-trialled 80% of the France side on my own on one leg due to the pain (a mistake, in hindsight!) and then came back and carried on smashing out training rides and commutes at full speed like an idiot. Whne I finally did admit defeat, I got back on far too quickly twice before going to see the physio. Rest. Even though it's soul-destroying.Fat chopper. Some racing. Some testing. Some crashing.
Specialising in Git Daaahns and Cafs. Norvern Munkey/Transplanted Laaandoner.0 -
Yeah I thought it could well be a knee tracking issue too, so I've ordered some SPD-SL's for the Giant.
My mum used to be a massage therapist so will get her to give my knee a good massage, and see if that helps.
I think you're right about resting, as you say it's so soul-destroying... it makes me realise how much I take for granted when it comes to just going out and giving my best effort on the bike.
If things aren't any better in the next month I think I'll book in with the GP and try to get referred to a physio?
Many thanks for your help pal.
Update to the original post: My knee is still hurting after cycling on Wednesday afternoon :S, when I drove to work today I was trying my best not to change gear so I didn't have to operate the clutch. Nightmare!0 -
Tight Vastus Medialis at the insertion (knee end), small area, hurts like hell if its tight. Quadriceps tendon and muscles underneath are probably a little tight too. Use foam roller, massage etc to loosen off.0
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Tight Vastus Medialis at the insertion (knee end), small area, hurts like hell if its tight. Quadriceps tendon and muscles underneath are probably a little tight too. Use foam roller, massage etc to loosen off.
I have a foam roller ready to go, do you recommend any decent maneuvers/exercises?
I do have very tight legs (can't touch my toes) and I must say during the Festive 500 when I was feeling my lefs some of the tendons did feel extremely tight/solid so I think this could well be the cause.
Thankyou for your input pal.0 -
If it's a tight IT band, then lying on the roller 'sideways on' with the offending leg on the roller and your other leg stacked on top, then slowly rolling from hip down to knee and back is often recommended. However, this advice is WRONG. The IT band is just a tendon - there's no way to 'roll' it directly to 'release' it as it doesn't do any work other than channelling force from the Glutes and Hip Flexors. There are reasons to roll your IT band, but it being 'tight' isn't one of them.Tight Vastus Medialis at the insertion (knee end), small area, hurts like hell if its tight. Quadriceps tendon and muscles underneath are probably a little tight too. Use foam roller, massage etc to loosen off.
I have a foam roller ready to go, do you recommend any decent maneuvers/exercises?
I do have very tight legs (can't touch my toes) and I must say during the Festive 500 when I was feeling my lefs some of the tendons did feel extremely tight/solid so I think this could well be the cause.
Thankyou for your input pal.
If the problem is related to your IT band then the best roller exercises are those targetted at the glutes & hip flexors. Sounds counter-intuitive as they're at the top of your legs, but there are fundamentally sound reasons why this is the case - tightness at the top leads to muscles below being pulled out of place. Here's a good one for your hip flexors:
http://www.howcast.com/videos/513838-how-to-foam-roll-your-tfl-foam-rolling/
And here's one for your glutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ch8iu7Y4HQ
Before you do any of this, however, go to a physio. Seriously. Firstly you don't want to potentially exacerbate an existing issue by either not addressing the underlying problem correctly, or wasting time targetting the wrong musclesFat chopper. Some racing. Some testing. Some crashing.
Specialising in Git Daaahns and Cafs. Norvern Munkey/Transplanted Laaandoner.0 -
Before you do any of this, however, go to a physio. Seriously. Firstly you don't want to potentially exacerbate an existing issue by either not addressing the underlying problem correctly, or wasting time targetting the wrong muscles
Or making it worse by targeting the wrong muscles.0 -
I had/have similar issues - first happened 2 years ago. I saw a good (recommend by another club member) Physio, mine was an imbalance in quad muscles, I did foam rolling on my side to loosen the outside and specific exercises to strengthen the inside - but he also had me address much more deep-routed problems - lack of core strength. Also had a proper bike fit and sorted out cleats properly. My feet are not naturally straight so now I have my cleats set up to suit my feet and not force them into an unnatural position. Finally, I also had inserts in my shoes to support my arches.0
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Hi all.
Many thanks for your answers.
I just took 2ish weeks off the bike and did some ITB stretching. Went for a ride yesterday and knee felt fine.
Fingers crossed things stay good!
Thanks again everyone.0 -
These two articles are useful reading
http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/articl ... nce-17010/
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/t ... t-2-17445/0 -
After suffering knee ache which gradually got worse and worse and has now progressed to requiring surgery i would say don't mess about and get yourself to a physio. Its important to find out what the injury is/was so you don't suffer a recurrence or aggravate the issue, even if it is feeling better at the moment.
Would also suggest having a bike fit in case the riding position has caused the injury.0
