Who should I show my knee to?

msw
msw Posts: 313
edited December 2009 in Training, fitness and health
So I think I've buggered my knee. I started doing long weekend rides of 50-90 miles a few months ago on top of my short (10-mile total) daily commute and noticed some stiffness afterwards in both sides, which then went away. However on subsequent rides it became more pronounced in the left, to the point where I couldn't straighten the knee afterwards without pain, and started coming on sooner (after about 2 hours as opposed to about 3 hours at first). I've read the two good articles on Bikeradar about knee health and made some tweaks to my bike fit accordingly, but the fact that it seems to be worsening suggests to me that it's not just overuse and I may have actually damaged something which I don't want to exacerbate by trying to ride through it.

I'll probably go to my GP first but in case they just say "don't go on long bike rides then", does anyone have good/bad experiences of any sports medicine practices in London?

Thanks
Martin
"We're not holding up traffic. We are traffic."

Comments

  • FHKJ
    FHKJ Posts: 151
    I've got a fantastic physio who has helped me enormously as I have gone from 0 miles per week to 150 miles per week in 2 months. I saw GP who basically told me my body was getting used to it, but physio has really helped me deal with what was pretty bad knee pain for the first month. Happy to share his info if needed, I'm in SW London.

    If you are fully insured (!) and have a genuine injury (rather than a physio-able one) then I have found Mike Bundy at Pure Sports Medicine in Kensington (and the City I believe) to be really really good .

    I'd start with Physio, he'll tell you if there is something to worry about and you can go from there.

    Francis
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    go see a sports physio, someone with an understanding of the sport ideally. The added plus of these ones is that they won't just stay stop cycling.

    My housemate knackered a disc in her back, the sports physio said that she shouldn't row, but that she knew my housemate was going to continue. She told my housemate that if it got any worse her groin would go numb and she'd have about 2 hours for emergency surgery before becoming permanently paralyzed from the waist down. :shock:

    That's what you need to know.
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred
  • Bill D
    Bill D Posts: 62
    I'd suggest go to your GPs surgery and ask the receptionist for the name etc of a sports physio, then go and see him/her.
  • msw
    msw Posts: 313
    Quick update: got a professional bike fit and they moved the cleats so I had some play in both directions, whereas before I had none in the heel-in direction. Also moved my saddle back a fair bit. Result = instant fix even on long rides. Seems it's all about the contact points!
    "We're not holding up traffic. We are traffic."
  • GavH
    GavH Posts: 933
    Sounds very similar to the pain I had until recently after long rides. VERY stiff and sore to the touch after the ride. I too went to see a physio at work and she put me through my paces, only to declare it was all down to my flexibilty, or more to the point, distinct lack of.

    I didn't agree, as long rides on an exercise bike in a gym did not manifest the same pain. It had to be my cleats.

    I changed the position very slightly on my left cleat to angle my toes slightly (and I mean slightly!) outwards.

    No more pain or stiffness on the outside of my left knee. None at all. Not even a wee bit.


    My advice would be see the doc/physio by all means, but have a very good look at your setup first.

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