Having problems with one of my knees when cycling...what can I do?

Question

I've made the proper adjustments on my bike, toyed with seat position many times. I also have learned to use my gears in a more proper manner. Alas, I am still having pains on the upper left side of my left knee. After all of these changes I've made I was able to go longer without pain, but now it is back again. I try to ride about ten miles a day and every weekend we do between 20-40 mile ride. I make sure to take a day or so off after those lengthy rides. BUT now that the pain has kicked back in, I can't even go two miles without the pain. Should I lay off? Do knee strenghthening exercises? How can I alleviate the pain and stop it from coming back? I'm willing to do just about anything no matter how long it takes! -I have a pretty old mountain bike but works well and has been a good bike. someone told me i'm only hurting myself using it for distance. could this be part of the problem? It really is in good shape, nothing loose, nice ride...?

Answer 1

Stretch your iliotibial band religiously, and start seeing a sports massage therapist to help loosen up your knee ligaments (mmm, myofascial release!)

If you've adjusted your seat properly, you already know that pain in the front of the knee means raise your seat, while pain in back means lower it.

But something that's not common knowledge is side of the knee pain.  Generally speaking, if your knee hurts on the outside, rotate your cleat so your TOES point a little more outward, and if it hurts on the bike side, make your cleats point your toes in a bit more.

Try spinning a bit more instead of grinding away on a hard gear, and remember to have your recovery days.

Answer 2

Sounds like it could be an injury rather than just strain. How old are you? It may be time for an MRI to see if there's any debris that can be removed with the 'scope. Or it just could be plain old strain that will be cured with rest. You need to see a med to find out and a PT to guide your rehab. Knees are tricky business. I once heard it said that if God were a manufacturer, knees would have been recalled for faulty design.

Always remember the guy who went to the doctor and said, "Doc, it hurts when I do this." The doctor said: "Don't do that." You know when the pain starts and that's when you should back off. Trying to grin and bear it through a knee injury will only make things worse.

BTW, a better bike is always more fun but I doubt it could be the cause or that replacing it will cure things. That being said, a lighter bike is the only thing that will make a difference, especially on climbs (where knees really start to hurt). Mountain or road doesn't really matter to knees; to backs, necks and wrists, yes, but not to knees. A lighter you makes a huge difference: if you need to drop a few pounds, now is the time. Don't expect a new bike to make everything better: concentrating on rehab and strength like you are thinking, is the right way to go.

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Great answer by "the martay" below, but don't ignore a possible injury

Answer 3

I had the same problem and all of the answers give so far are VERY valid, and should be followed.

What cured the pain in my medial and lateral vastis? First I canted my cleats (Martin Rand at Sturdevants in Bellevue did it), this was a BIG help.

My next step was to widen the Q factor on my crank set. My LBS (Montlake Kirkland) pro, Nathanial, suggested a wider crank set and bottom bracket. This along with the canting of the cleat and a nice high seat position has solved ALL knee soreness for this 52 year old MTB'er. Good luck

Answer 4

After all the things you've done, it's time to see the doctor.

HTH

Answer 5

stretch! - itb's, quads, hams, calfs, and especially your back, (everyday).

- find a good physio who will check out whats pulling what and whats tight and imbalanced. They'll tell you want to build up. Everyone is different. Get it sorted and stick to a program or it will be harder later and other stuff will start to go wrong..

- also if you are riding, spin more, and get some glucosamine^chondrotine pills, and some cod liver oil caps..

Answer 6

check your adjustments again, for one. you may not have tightened everything. also, if you've had a knee injury, whilst low impact, cycling can still aggitate it. if you have had an actual injury, consult with your Dr. also, any major changes in positioning will cause some initial discomfort, which is why thedy should be made incrementally..

I agree with bikernoj, massage therapy works! find a good massuese and stick with him/her, they'll get to know your bodies trouble spots. they'll also scold you for not stretching!