A New Case of Knee Pain Right Before a Long Trip!

[mwparenteau]

I've been planning a mutli-month trip for this summer and I leave in one week. In the last 2 or 3 weeks I've developed some knee pain in my left knee. I can ride my bike many miles and have no problems, but after several hours it starts to hurt a bit. It doesn't hurt so bad that I have to stop biking, but it makes it uncomfortable.

Now, I certainly don't plan on canceling my trip, nor do I plan on pushing myself and creating a serious problem. I just want to know if this is normal and what steps I can take to insure that I have a nice time.

As of right now, I just plan on not pushing myself, taking lots of breaks, and popping some ibuprofin, but what else can I do? Is there any braces I should wear or stretches I should do before and after?

If my knee is hurting in the middle of a long day, how far should I push? At what point must I cancel the trip?

Before I leave I want to have a clear understanding of the boundry between normal pushing forward through the pain and pushing too far into creating long-term problems!

 

[mwparenteau]

I should mention that when the knee is sore, and I press on the sore spot, which is in the very center of the knee, it kind of reminds me of the pain sensation one gets from a tooth cavity. ...except that it's in my knee.

Maybe that'll help someone diagnose me.

 

[2zanzibar]

Don't know about whats causing your knee to become sore but with regards to how much you should push it, well you'll certainly know when you've pushed it too much. It sounds like you haven't got to that point and hopefully you won't because you know it when you do and you'll also know that to go any further (push through the pain) will render cycling very difficult, and impossible when it becomes chronic.
Go easy, low gears, stretch (www.cptips.com) and get someone to look at your position on the bike before you go. Good Luck!

 

[mwparenteau]

I just recently talked to a woman working at a bikeshop and she said that she uses ibuprofen to keep the swelling down. She made the stuff sound pretty good (I never use pain relievers, so I'm going to take her word on it.)

 

[coolworx]

I just recently talked to a woman working at a bikeshop and she said that she uses ibuprofen to keep the swelling down. She made the stuff sound pretty good (I never use pain relievers, so I'm going to take her word on it.)

Rather than popping pills (ibuprophen isn't exactly SAFE, long term - and especially if you drink moderately) why not use a product like Aspercreme?

Studies have shown that transdermal salicylates are very effective for controlling inflammation and reducing pain. Worth a shot, before you start dumping chemicals into your G.I. tract.

 

[drserena]

Have you considered that maybe your arch has dropped or your ankle is pronating more? As a visual, try this. When standing, force your arch to drop and watch your knee...it causes it to torque down and in. This could create a problem over an extended period of doing any weightbearing exercise. This goes for anyone with knee problems. Most ACL tears occur to the weakeness created by this kinetic chain mechanism. Also to consider are pelvic changes altering leg length and muscle imbalance. Schedule to see a chiropractor that specializes in kinesiology (muscle testing) as they look at the whole picture usually, starting with the feet and evaluate the low back to make sure that nerves are "firing" appropriately the muscles surrounding the knee.

If you need help finding someone in your area, I may be able to help.

Dr. Serena
Denver