Knee pain thing….

[BlackHatGuy]

You should go see a doctor! Okay, now that we have that out of the way…

So, all you medico types, when I bend down and put my left knee on the ground, it feels like someone is sticking pins and needles (as opposed to pins and nettles) in the exterior, lower part of my knee, especially if I roll back a bit while on the left knee only. Any ideas what it might be?

[John S.]

Did you change your workout recently (up mileage, add running or other pounding type exercise)? The pain is sharp and not burning? Does the pain radiate at all from the knee?

[BlackHatGuy]

Had upped workouts (running) to prepare for a half marathon in late Feb., but backed off quite a bit after the run. Have put in more hard miles on my bike trainer somewhat recently, both high cadence and low cadence/high power. The pain doesn’t radiate out from the knee at all, stays pretty much right in a fairly specific spot on the exterior side of the knee. I always have trouble with characterizing sharp vs. burning, burns a bit, yes, but really more like someone just jammed some needles in that spot. Pain dissipates pretty quickly when I get off the knee (more pain when I’m down on just that knee instead of kneeling with both knees), but feels stiff overall for a bit afterward.

[MJ H]

Maybe wait and see if it goes away?

[BlackHatGuy]

“Maybe wait and see if it goes away?”

I tried that with an old girlfriend … the pain lasted much longer than I would have liked…

[Paul S.]

Sounds like tendinitis. See a PT and they will get you on track to heal.

Avoid ibuprofen and similar drugs. They stop the inflammation process so you never heal.

[BlackHatGuy]

Thanks Paul, sounds like that could be it. I’ll let it rest for a bit and see what happens. I’m one of those people that doesn’t really like going to the doc for minor stuff if I can help it.

[John S.]

I guess I would try changing the biking intensity to see if that changes anything, specifically stopping the low cadence training for awhile.

[Jerry Adams]

I went to a PT who said to use exercise bike, not the treadmill or actual running.

[BlackHatGuy]

“I guess I would try changing the biking intensity to see if that changes anything, specifically stopping the low cadence training for awhile.”

Sound advice which I’m taking. Thanks John.

[jimmyjam]

RICE is what my Ortho doc tells me. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate until the pain subsides, then slowly build back up, icing after exercising.

[Katherine .]

Maybe the whole pins and needles thing is your knee saying “try acupuncture!”? (not a serious suggestion, but who knows, works for some stuff). Or maybe your ex took up voodoo.

My actual suggestion:

Jen. I do the exercises for knee pain that she has here: https://backpackerpt.com/2012/06/27/backpacking-with-knee-pain/

 

[Mike In Socal]

@Doug, does your left hip feel tight? I’m tempted to say tight IT band. If so, work on hip flexibility and see if that helps.

[BlackHatGuy]

@pdx – thanks for the link.

@rcmike – my whole body feels tight these days. getting old sucks! :-) I’ll check out some stretches, thanks.

[BC Bob]

Pain on the outside the knee does sound like Iliotial Band (IT) issue. For hikers, it often occurs when trekking down hill. I don’t know about your kneeling issues.

I would not do stretching exercises or foam rolling. I would focus on hip strengthening exercises (Jen’s and below).

IT Band Syndrome: We Have A Weak Link

Strengthening beats stretching when it comes to this common running injury

Injury Series: Biomechanical solutions for iliotibial band syndrome

Iliotibial Band Syndrome Blog 1

Iliotibial Band Syndrome Blog 2: Exercise Rehabilitation

[John S.]

I thought IT band syndrome was usually a pain with about a 30 degree knee bend and not necessarily with just putting the knee on the ground.

[BC Bob]

John S, I would agree with what you said.  If it’s only occurring with the knee on the ground, I would be skeptical that it’s an IT band problem.

[BlackHatGuy]

Yeah, it’s only occurring when I kneel. No real knee pain otherwise.

[Tom K]

It sounds very suspiciously like incipient IT band syndrome.  The problem manifests itself at two different points on either end of the IT band:  The greater trochanter at the hip end, and the lateral femoral condyle at the knee end.  I have had it at both ends, the first time being exactly where you describe your pain, and with exactly the same kind of pain your describe, at least initially.  I can tell you for sure that you do not want it to get worse, as it did with me.  It put me out of commission for a year, and spelled the end of my racing days.  I ended up having a surgical procedure to relieve the pressure on a bursa that was inflamed by the pressure of a tight IT band on the bursa where the IT band passed over it at the lateral femoral condyle.  I’m not for a minute suggesting surgery, but I would consider, yes, seeing an orthopedic physician to either confirm this possible diagnosis, or point you in some other direction.  I say this because IT band problems are something you definitely want to catch early, and doing so means ascertaining whether that is the problem.

Here is a link to a set of diagrams outlining the anatomy of the IT band.  Hopefully it will clarify what I am getting at.  IIRC, John Shannon is a physician. Perhaps he would be willing to elaborate on this?

https://search.aol.com/aol/image;_ylt=Awr9IkrhNMRaVjMAyQFpCWVH;_ylu=X3oDMTByZDNzZTI1BGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMyBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw–?q=it+band+condyle&v_t=webmail-searchbox#id=10&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Fdubinchiro.com%2Fwordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F10%2Fit2.gif&action=click

 

[Andy Stow]

Interesting. I developed the same thing in the last couple of weeks, and I was thinking bursa because it is the same intense sharp pain that I felt a few years ago when I got bursitis in my elbow.

Mine hurts on the left knee, just to the left of the kneecap, and only when I put my knee on the ground. The place the pain feels like it’s coming from is not on the ground.

 

I bicycle about 450-600 miles a month, every month. It doesn’t bother me when cycling, walking, running, only when I go down on my left knee.

[Jane Baack]

Many people feel like they have knee pain when it’s actually the IT Band which ends about at the knee. ( I have been having IT Band pain for the last week or so-overdid the exercising, did the “weekend warrior” thing but my pain is way above my knee.) The band is long and the pain can be anywhere along the band length. I’ve had it before so know some good exercises.

Another possibility that comes to mind: an injury to the Patella. I once was hiking when I slipped in some mud that looked dry on top but was quite wet underneath. It was the lateral movement of my knee when I slipped that caused a problem. My patella hurt enough that I had to go for P.T. and very specific exercises to strengthen that area.

Be careful that you don’t try to “wish” the pain away or wait too long to get help. I hate to go to the doctor but a couple of times I’ve taken it easy, reduced exercising, hoping it would relieve the pain but that hasn’t worked. Usually a good P. T. can tell you immediately what is wrong and start the healing process. Hope you get a correct diagnosis soon———or how will you be able to do any hiking this summer with Tom K??? or hike in the rain in the upcoming GGG in WA?? Get thee healed!!

[BlackHatGuy]

I will Jane! You still planning on the Sierra in July?

[John S.]

Hi Tom. I’m a pathologist and not a sports medicine doc..lol. I have had IT band syndrome a couple of times and only had pain on flexing my knee. I am not entirely sure what Doug has but just suggested backing off low cadence exercise that puts more pressure on the knee and see if that changes anything over time. Jennifer Mitol might have a better suggestion.

Heck, I have an odd something going on right now that is completely different…burning lateral patellar pain if I quickly flex my knee up most of the way (and not if I pull it up slowly). It feels like something is being stretched when the burn feeling comes on. I figure it may be bursal, but who knows. It is not a huge deal and has gone away on its on before (had it for awhile in 2016).

[Jane Baack]

Doug,
Yes, still planning a couple of trips in the Sierra. First our group of little old ladies, well, women for sure, ladies?? not so sure, will be going backpacking in the Ruby Mountains of eastern Nevada in July. My husband and I will then go in August to the Kearsarge Lakes, over Kearsarge Pass and mosey about and then at the end of August do a trip from Virginia Lakes to Twin Lakes in northern Yosemite. Will also take grandchildren 11 and 9, backpacking in Yosemite, going in to May Lake and Glen Aulin then out to Tuolumne end of July. Finally, I’ll be going on a short trip to Green Lake out of Bridgeport, off of Hwy. 395, in Sept.

I’m heading back to Henry Coe State Park in a couple of weeks to see great wildflowers.

[Jerry Adams]

someone recommended this

[Author]

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