Eat jello. Continue to use poles on every hike. If it persists then maybe you better check with a good Orthopedic that does the arthroscopic thing.
At age 53 I just went through my first ever knee issue. While hiking around Bear Mountain in Harriman State Park, in snow, I did about 12 miles on day 1, and after 5 on day 2, I had to give it up. Turns out I aggrevated the IT Bank in my left knee. After about 2 weeks of anti inflammatory pills, it's starting to feel normal. I fully believe this was a combination of heavier winter pack, challenging trail, and the snow. If we had gone 7 miles vs. 12 on our first day, this may not have happened. I'm greatful it was not a torn miniscus or worse. No surgery, no rehab. Now I'm just a little nervious about my next hike. I plan to continue to work out for strenghth, but I'm also considering a knee brace. I see there are quite a few choices for the IT Band Syndrome. Anyone have a similar experience, and how did you treat it. Thanks.
"How can something this hard be so much fun".
Hey. Sorry I did not realize this thread was dedicated to Thru Hikers, I was just too excited seeing the "Knee Problems" heading. After a little more checking, I found another thread, with some very specific postings about my little problem......
"How can something this hard be so much fun".
Thanks for the suggestions. I haven't found that the strap type of brace, like the Cho-pat, does anything to help, but I may try it again. As to the orthopedic surgeon, been there, done that. Got my steroid shot in the knee (sounds much worse than it was, but I didn't watch) and found that something "radical" was all he could do for me. I'm not really ready for "radical" just yet. I guess I'll go look for that strap-type brace and see about that creme stuff. Thanks for the ideas.
Beth
Get one of the fabric knee braces made of the same material as tha Ace wrap bandage. Put it on, then put the neaprene on over that. Not strong enough by itself but it might stop the discomfort the neoprene causes. For 5 bucks or so it's worth trying.Originally Posted by Beth
Remember this - - Even the best of friends cannot attend each other's funerals.
Gee, Fiddler, I've never seen a brace made of anything but the neoprene. I live in a small town and we are rather sheltered. Considering what I see on the news, I usually consider that a good thing. I guess I'll have to start browsing the brace section of drug stores whenever I travel. Again, thanks for the advice.
Beth
Knee Problems
During my first attempt to do a thru in 2000 I had to leave the trail with very sore knees. I started to take glucosomine & chondrotin. The following year at age 66 wearing heavy boots and carrying a pack that weighed about 35 lbs. I had a great thru-hike with no knee problems. I am a strong beleiver that glucosomine works.
Grampie-N->2001
I recommend climbing stairs with a full pack. I did it every other day for 3 months before my 2005 thruhike and it really strengthened my legs. I still had many days of knee pain on the hike, but Vitamin I really helped.
Can I get Glucosmine and/or Chondrotin over the counter or do I need a prescription?
============================
It's totally OTC (over the counter). Be aware that the Glucosamine is also sold as a separate compound (Glucosamine Sulfate). The studies I have seen regarding the efficacy (effectiveness) of Chondroitin are still inconclusive however the efficacy of Glucosamine is pretty well established. Also ...the price of the combined suppliments (Glucosamine and Chondroitin) is significantly higher than the Glucosamine Sulfate formulation.
'Slogger
The more I learn ...the more I realize I don't know.
Knee braces such as the cho-pat are for specific knee problems--they will not help everyone. There is a third kind of knee brace that contains solid pieces with hinges. These are for people with more serious knee problems and are expensive--you'll probably need a perscription to get one correctly fitted and paid for by your medical insurance.
http://www.kneeshop.com/professional2.htm
Diagnosis?
Beth, did your ortho doc give you a diagnosis? Have you seen a physical therapist?
I was reading this thread the other day thinking (in a smart alec sort of way, "Knee pain, I've had knee pain and it never slowed me down. Must be an old person thing." Well, yesterday, karma smacked me in the as. Tore my meniscus. Haven't had such excruciating pain since childbirth. I'll probably have to have surgery, and my week long hike over spring break is probably out of the question now. I'm sheepishly coming to you, hat in hand, to ask if any of you have ever done the same thing. What was your prognosis?
bbanker, The cartilage is pretty much gone in the one knee. I had played on the dorm football team as a college sophomore and was running along and felt something pop and within a week and a half I had surgery… the old fashioned kind where they actually used a knife and made an incision about 2-3 inches long. At that time the surgeon said I’d have arthritis when I turned forty. Being 19, who cared? Then I turned 40--43, actually. I was hiking on the NJ/NY border and my knee threw a fit about the rocks, and I ended up at an orthopedic surgeon’s office. The x-ray of the good knee shows a space between the bones. The x-ray of the bad knee just has a fuzzy white section. I didn’t see the MRI results. The surgeon said, “Tsk, tsk, tsk... and so young." I liked him at that point. He said that if we did something, it would have to be more radical, and at that point I figured I’d think about it for a while. Later that summer I did the Teton Crest Trail and have done plenty of weekend backpacking since. With Ibuprofen it’s mostly ok, though my knee certainly tells me its opinion about the terrain. It feels stronger and more solid when I wear a neoprene brace, but the heat, or something, from the brace makes me rip it off after an hour or two. I didn’t realize you could get knee braces of the old ace-bandage stuff, so I’ve got one ordered, and I’ll give that a shot. I had considered using an ace bandage, but let’s just say that I’m not so good at fussing with things, and that in my experience an ace bandage needs some fussing with to make it work well.
Ridge, what is jello supposed to do? I’m rather fond of jello—when it’s served with its friends, fruit cocktail and whipped cream.
I have been taking fish oil, which is supposed to lubricate the joints, and that seems to help. The glucosimine didn’t seem to do anything, so I stopped taking it.
In the meantime, Ibuprofen is my friend. Maybe my *best* friend.
Beth
Beth......Try a medical supply store. I have one but I am not sure exactly what it is made of. I have worn it for 10 hours at one time before while playing and walking 2 rounds of golf. In Texas heat. It is very lightweight.....same size as a neoprene brace.....yet it gives more support due to thin metal braces on the sides.
I have little problem with my knee, it hurts and sometimes gives out when to much strain it on it, or when I try fast movements like jumping, etc..
I was able to eliminate this by hard work in the gym. Specifically working movements that effect that area, squats ( with real weight), lunges, leg presses. The pain went away, and I was fine, ...until I stopped lifting. In about 5 months or so it came back. Before a Thru-hike I would work it hard, the exercize on the trail should be enough to keep it limber
Throwing pearls to swine.
Jello is boiled from collogen, the stuff cartilage and other parts of joints are made of. So it provides raw material for the body to make repairs.
Yep, hurts like the dickens. Don't know how it happened, but whenever I'd torque my foot counter clockwise on a root or rock, I'd about jump out of my skin. Also, found sleeping on my side caused it to ache. Find an ortho that's an artist with arthroscopy. I had right medial meniscus tear and had it fixed in outpatient surgery. Got up and walked away from recovery with a little bit of my weight on crutches. Was riding my bicycle within 3 weeks. The pain is gone.
Wow, thanks for all the advice. I've looked a little more closely at some of the knee braces that are available, and have bought a couple of types that I had never seen before. We'll see how they work out.
The Jello will be easy! I remember a section hike starting at Dick's Creek Gap. My friend's husband had packed us a lunch to eat before we started our hike. One of the things Ed had packed was one of those Jello cups for each of us. Mine was orange. We sat in the parking lot and ate our sandwiches and Jello. Mmmm. Isn't it amazing the foods we remember from our hikes?
The orthopedic surgeon said that there wasn't anything that arthoscopic surgery would do for me. The last surgery and 20 years of walking up and down stairs as an exercise plan seems to have taken care of the cartilage. It's not torn, it's mostly gone. Now I ride my (stupid, boring) recumbant bicycle and x-country ski, instead of doing the steps. Based on the fact that it's bone against bone (at least that's my understanding) I had thought that a brace wouldn't help, but it does seem to make things feel more stable. Ultimately, my knee slows me down, but it doesn't keep me from going outside to play. When it *does* keep me from doing things that I really want to do, then I'll go back and see exactly what he meant by a "more radical" treatment. Until then, I'll eat Jello!
Thanks again for all the advice!
Beth
Runner's Knee (Patellofemoral Pain)
I've been getting pain around the knee cap (patella), esp hiking downhill. In fact it went out just yesterday when I turned quickly in my home! The cartilage in the knee tends to wear down as we get older and the patella slips, causing pain. I have a runner's sports guide that talks about doing hamstring stretches and exercises to strengthen the thigh muscles (and they all connect at the knee). You really need to stretch as hiking is exercise - and stretch during the course of hiking, esp for us forty and older. I do calf stretches also for my ankle that I injured a few years back. Look up Runner's knee on the Internet if this is your problem for exercises and stretches. I'd rather do that than rely on a knee splint for this condition if I can slowly strengthen my knees without weakening them.
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