View Full Version : Knees -- has this happened to you?
First, I accidentally posted this under another thread -- sorry for that.
But, being 69 years old, doing my first long backpacking adventure, out 18 days on the pct with a pack between 45 and 50+ lbs, depending on food/water, my knee started killing me one day. This was back in November.
Back home, I set up an appt. with the orthopoedic dr. They tell me to get xrays. The doc looks at the xray and doesn't order MRIs. Just says that before I go out on an adventure like that again, to maybe get some cortisone shots first, and take plenty of ibuprofen with me.
I'm not looking for medical advice (unless you're a doctor, in which case I definitely do appreciate free advice! :), but wondering if anyone's had similar experience.
I never really know what's going on with doctors. Sometimes I'm afraid there may be financial considerations steering them to tell patients one thing or another. I also wonder, if I were, say, a thirty million dollar football player, if they would do more than just tell me to get cortisone shots and take ibuprofen. Those guys -- young guys -- are getting their knees operated on all the time!
futureatwalker
01-13-2016, 04:41
I haven't had this happen to me. I've had knee pain on the outside of my knees from overdoing it (either backpacking or running), and this turned out to be illiotibial band syndrome. Basically, a strain on this band.
I've also had pain on the inside of my knee which turned out to be a swollen bursa.
In both instances, the situations resolved with time. In both instances the cause was the same: I was putting more load on my legs than my fitness allowed.
MuddyWaters
01-13-2016, 04:41
You are allowed to ask questions
MRIs cost $$$
Insurance companies dont want to pay for MRIs unnecessarilly. They pressure Drs not to do them.
Did your knee hurt, or did muscles or tendons around the knee hurt? Its an important distinction. Unless you severly tore something, or have a fracture in the knee, theres not much a Dr can do, or an MRI can see.
Traveler
01-13-2016, 07:19
There are a lot of things that could be at play. Given your stated age and the "first long trip" would lend to the idea conditioning is at the root of the problem, but it could be something more serious. You may have some minor arthritis (osteoarthritis) that is causing you problems, but your MD would have picked that up, since you didn't mention it I presume its not in play.
Is the pain inside the knee where the bones meet? Is it around the kneecap, is it on top of the knee itself, radiating around to the sides. Is the pain sharp/acute and you can point to it exactly, or is it more radiant and over a broad area? Is the pain constant or does it fade and is ok in the morning (beyond just being stiff)? Is there localize swelling at the area of pain? Is there generalized swelling around the entire knee? Is there any spontaneous swelling (knee swells up without being subjected to exercise, stairs, etc)? This is not uncommon for meniscus tears and other soft tissue injury. There are a number of maladies that can cause knee pain, though fortunately many of them are manageable.
There can be some serious issues if you feel bone to bone contact, or if there is a tear in the meniscus that only an MRI can detect. If the pain continues, note all the symptoms and pain area(s) over a week's time and see your doctor again. If the symptoms match those of soft tissue injury, the MD should opt for the MRI. You may have to see an orthopedic specialist for that diagnosis though. Typically, you'll know there is something wrong mechanically when you walk around. As disclosure, I did have a tear in my left knee meniscus that was repaired in 2007, however I still experienced generalized pain around both knees before and since.
Being of "that certain age" too, my knees are a constant source of discomfort though I have managed to lessen it over time. While it may not work for you specifically, it may put you on a path to the right combination. These are/were:
Knee braces: I tried several of these from the pull on type covering the entire knee (little hole over the knee cap) which worked ok for a while. Then I migrated to the Mueller knee brace that puts a support strip over the top and bottom of the knee. These worked pretty well, for a while. Braces slip around a bit, so I graduated to the Tommie Copper knee compression sleeve. I have to say I was skeptical about this, but it proved to work very well and I am on my second pair now.
Conditioning: I didn't get a gym membership but did do a lot of knee exercises. Some were done using ankle weights that are in expensive. After the workouts I would also ice them down with ice packs for about 20 mins or so. I also did short hikes up and down hills (3 miles every other day) for a while to build conditioning (iced as well). I am sure there are more robust exercise programs some will have, but this was my experience.
Over time the pain during hiking was lessened to the point it started and got to a level and did not get worse. That, unfortunately, may be the bargain made with your body. Fortunately, as we get older we get much better at managing pain. Stuff that would have sidelined me in my 20s I wake up with daily, so chronic pain is part of life. Over time you will notice the pain is where it "should be" and it becomes background noise in your body's conversation with you.
So, there is hope. The trick is to keep the pain inside the "manageability envelope".
I wish you luck in this pursuit!
Standing on one leg strengthens the supporting tendons and ligaments around the knee, too. Balance on one foot for ten or 15 minutes, then switch to the other foot.
It was Shackelton who said that an adventure, happens to someone who does not prepare and plan.
The doctor evidently thought you were over extending yourself, to suggest pre-trip cortisone shots.
You might want to use angie's list to find another doctor, second opinion. I have see 4 doctor's, one time, would not go back again. Anymore they work on the clock, and might not take the time to talk with you. (my last physical the doctor said was scheduled for 7 minutes of his time)
Being 64, I have found limitations. Anything over 15 miles, will produce lasting knee pain, with only 20 lbs. Then I don't need a rest day , I need a rest week.
Kaptainkriz
01-13-2016, 07:49
Did the Dr say what was wrong with your knee?
daddytwosticks
01-13-2016, 08:11
What about trekking poles? Totally unrelated to your current knee issues, but if you were not using poles, you may want to consider them for future hikes. They have really helped me with knee pain, especially on long down hill sections. Some posters will call them "crutches", but they keep me on the trail. :)
Traveler
01-13-2016, 08:17
What about trekking poles? Totally unrelated to your current knee issues, but if you were not using poles, you may want to consider them for future hikes. They have really helped me with knee pain, especially on long down hill sections. Some posters will call them "crutches", but they keep me on the trail. :)
Excellent pick up! I swear by trekking poles, which have added easily 10 years to my hiking.
Water Rat
01-13-2016, 08:34
Did you see your primary care physician, or was this a new doctor? If the doctor did not talk to you more about what is going on with your knee and simply wrote it off to "get a shot," then you need to talk to another doctor. Or, you need to ask more questions. Doctors are often under pressure to see x number of patients in x amount of time. From what you wrote the doctor did the bare minimum, but had already pre-diagnosed you because of your age. You are 69, you went backpacking, so your knee is going to hurt. Well, that might be true to some extent... or maybe there is an injury that occurred. Unless there is an obvious issue many doctors no longer worry about the individual needs of their patients. It is more about getting the patients seen and out the door in the fastest time possible.
There are many issues with that way of practicing medicine, but it is becoming the new normal. You need to be your own best advocate. You need to ask questions. The alternative is to live with the answer you have been given and it sounds like you are not happy with the diagnosis. Ask the questions - There has to be alternatives to just getting a cortisone shot, and other easy fixes (that do nothing to solve an issue). What about stretches? Ways to relieve the pain so you can keep backpacking? That was a lot of weight to be carrying on your back (at any age) and knees don't like it, but a shot is not necessarily the answer...
If the pain is still there and you are not getting answers it might be time to find another doctor, or be referred to a second doctor so you can get another opinion. The doctors in the sports medicine field would be the best for answering your questions. However, be prepared to have to fight for your knee - There are a lot of doctors who are going to simply write off your knee pain to "old age." Don't accept that answer if you feel like there is something going on with your knee.
Odd Man Out
01-13-2016, 08:39
Summer before last I went backpacking (age 55) and had knee problems. May pack was not as heavy, although that is probably not relevent. In my case my problem was only in my left knee (right one was fine). It was odd. The knee only hurt when I would lift my leg. I could stand on it, and even bend the knee when there was load on it. But when I had to pick up the leg to take a step it hurt a lot. It got better over night but would get worse over the course of the day. My leg was fine a day or two after getting home. I went to the doctor and asked him about it. He manipulated the knee but did no tests. He concluded it was just irritated from overuse. The fact that it got better on its own indicated there was no damage that needed fixing. The following summer I went hiking with no knee pain. I hiked fewer miles per day, lightened my pack, and did a trail that didn't involve big elevation gain/ loss. Not sure if this sounds similar to your situation.
AtWokman
01-13-2016, 09:01
I'm younger, but have had bad knees forever. Don't rush into wanting surgery, that takes a good time to recover. Not to mention pain.
They use a scalpel
Not a magic wand.
Pedaling Fool
01-13-2016, 09:27
First, I accidentally posted this under another thread -- sorry for that.
But, being 69 years old, doing my first long backpacking adventure, out 18 days on the pct with a pack between 45 and 50+ lbs, depending on food/water, my knee started killing me one day. This was back in November.
Back home, I set up an appt. with the orthopoedic dr. They tell me to get xrays. The doc looks at the xray and doesn't order MRIs. Just says that before I go out on an adventure like that again, to maybe get some cortisone shots first, and take plenty of ibuprofen with me.
I'm not looking for medical advice (unless you're a doctor, in which case I definitely do appreciate free advice! :), but wondering if anyone's had similar experience.
I never really know what's going on with doctors. Sometimes I'm afraid there may be financial considerations steering them to tell patients one thing or another. I also wonder, if I were, say, a thirty million dollar football player, if they would do more than just tell me to get cortisone shots and take ibuprofen. Those guys -- young guys -- are getting their knees operated on all the time!I find it interesting that you said knee and not knees in your second sentence. Is this a typo or is it that all (or most) of your pain was in one knee?
It caught my attention because most of my knee problems is in my right knee which stems from a childhood accident where I nearly ripped my knee cap off. As a result I have a constant problem with my patellar tendon/ligament. It's been a problem ever since I got heavy into cycling and always caused me sever pain. I did go see a doctor once and I was told I would have to get surgery -- I never did.
Long story short, I rehabilitated it (as best I could) thru weightlifting. That kept me good for years, but as I started hiking more the pain started coming back, but it wasn't that bad, then I got into running and it gave me problems, but it was manageable.
This is where my real problems started, I was getting so much into running that I stopped doing leg workouts and my knee pains (over years) started getting worse, slowly, so slowly that it was easy for me to ignore, I was too focused on getting my time down and my distance up and I just kept running thru the increasing pain until it hit me hard (February 2015). I had the worse pain I've ever had (prior to this instance my worse pain was when I was on a loaded cycling trip thru the mountains back in 1993).
It was so bad I was thinking that maybe I would have to stop running and then life happened and I my focus was shifted and I had to go back home to Maryland, blah, blah, blah...
Another long story short, I re-evaluated my activities and realized that I was not practicing what I was preaching, i.e. I stopped weightlifting in my lower body.
You want to be pain free you need to strengthen your body -- your whole body. Forget all the low-impact exercises, because life is NOT low impact, you gotta build up the body for impact. After getting back on track my knee is now just a funny feeling and I do believe I can get it to a point where I won't feel that.
P.S. I NEVER take OTC "medications", nor do I believe in cortisone shots.
Just working towards this will be so much better than what any doctor can do for you and any thing you get at the drug store: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWvIu7s-vIM
Try to lighten your pack, exercise more, avoid drugs, ensure that you are walking correctly. No, I'm not a Dr.
Harrison Bergeron
01-13-2016, 09:39
I would say that just about any 69 year-old-man who tried to carry 45-50 pounds for 18 days straight while walking up and down mountains on uneven ground would suffer knee pain. My left knee hurts right now just thinking about it. I had a hard time carrying that much weight when I was 17 and hitch-hiked Route-66 to the Promised Land.
I know you have to carry more water on the PCT, but the first thing you're going to have to do is find a way to cut 20 pounds from your total pack weight. It's not hard, just more expensive.
And since you're carrying that much, I'd ask if you were trying to do this wearing sneakers instead of real hiking boots, and if you were using hiking poles. Unless you're an athlete of some sort, they aren't optional for us old guys.
Uncle Joe
01-13-2016, 10:12
First thing I thought was that's a lot of weight. Someone else has mentioned trekking poles. Definitely get them if you don't have them. Something as simple as adding poles, adjusting your pack, and shaving weight might just do the trick. I know from cycling small things matter. When my drive side knee starts to hurt unexpectedly, I check my seat height on my bike. Invariably it has started to drop. A half inch can be enough to cause my knee to protest. The point is it could be something simple that is being exacerbated over the course of the day while you walk until the knee is just sore. Look for things you can adjust.
You are allowed to ask questions
MRIs cost $$$
Insurance companies dont want to pay for MRIs unnecessarilly. They pressure Drs not to do them.
That makes sense...I thought the insurance companies probably had something to do with it.
There are a lot of things that could be at play. Given your stated age and the "first long trip" would lend to the idea conditioning is at the root of the problem, but it could be something more serious. You may have some minor arthritis (osteoarthritis) that is causing you problems, but your MD would have picked that up, since you didn't mention it I presume its not in play.
Is the pain inside the knee where the bones meet? Is it around the kneecap, is it on top of the knee itself, radiating around to the sides. Is the pain sharp/acute and you can point to it exactly, or is it more radiant and over a broad area? Is the pain constant or does it fade and is ok in the morning (beyond just being stiff)? Is there localize swelling at the area of pain? Is there generalized swelling around the entire knee? Is there any spontaneous swelling (knee swells up without being subjected to exercise, stairs, etc)? This is not uncommon for meniscus tears and other soft tissue injury. There are a number of maladies that can cause knee pain, though fortunately many of them are manageable.
Great information and great questions. I didn't copy your whole post, but thanks for all of it. I should have tried and noticed where the pain was when this started, but all I could think was, "Wow, my knee's KILLING me!". It was funny -- I got up that morning, really excited because we had finished our last uphill (the day before had been all uphill), and now it was just going to be gradually coming down out of the mountain. My memory is that my knee might have been a little sore at the start, but just suddenly got dramatically worse maybe an hour or so into that day's hike.
But I'm feeling good today -- I think it's probably all healed now. Feels a lot better this morning than yesterday. I guess it just takes a longer recovery now that I'm a "geezer"!
Standing on one leg strengthens the supporting tendons and ligaments around the knee, too. Balance on one foot for ten or 15 minutes, then switch to the other foot.
I have a hard time doing that for 15 seconds; I mean, I've got the strength, but I get all wobbly and start falling. Takes practice!
Shutterbug
01-13-2016, 12:57
First, I accidentally posted this under another thread -- sorry for that.
But, being 69 years old, doing my first long backpacking adventure, out 18 days on the pct with a pack between 45 and 50+ lbs, depending on food/water, my knee started killing me one day. This was back in November.
Back home, I set up an appt. with the orthopoedic dr. They tell me to get xrays. The doc looks at the xray and doesn't order MRIs. Just says that before I go out on an adventure like that again, to maybe get some cortisone shots first, and take plenty of ibuprofen with me.
I'm not looking for medical advice (unless you're a doctor, in which case I definitely do appreciate free advice! :), but wondering if anyone's had similar experience.
I never really know what's going on with doctors. Sometimes I'm afraid there may be financial considerations steering them to tell patients one thing or another. I also wonder, if I were, say, a thirty million dollar football player, if they would do more than just tell me to get cortisone shots and take ibuprofen. Those guys -- young guys -- are getting their knees operated on all the time!
Yes, I have had knee pain too, but have worked through that problem. I hike the Grand Canyon three or four times each year. Hiking down the South Kaibab Trail is really hard on knees. What I have done to overcome the issue:
1)Walk a lot -- I use a FitBit to measure my steps and get 10,000 steps a day. When practical, I include some hills in my daily walking.
2)Use hiking poles when I hike
3)Reduce my pack weight. I try to keep my pack weight below 35.
4)Slow down. I tend to hike pretty fast when going down hill. I have found that slowing down helps prevent the knee pain.
5)I switched from boots to Vibram Fivefingers.
On one of my Grand Canyon hikes, I was wearing some really expensive hiking boots and my feet were killing me. I had a pair of Vibram Fivefingers in my pack intended for camp shoes. When the foot pain was causing me to limp, I decided to take the boots off and try the Vibram's on the trail. That was 5 years ago and I have never gone back to boots. I have never had knee pain since I started wearing the Vibrams.
Excellent pick up! I swear by trekking poles, which have added easily 10 years to my hiking.
Yes, I use the poles (love em). Someone else asked if I was wearing hiking boots vs sneakers, and yes, hiking boots..(love em, too!)
Yes, I have had knee pain too, but have worked through that problem. I hike the Grand Canyon three or four times each year. Hiking down the South Kaibab Trail
I think I spoke with you once before about those vibrams! The grand canyon is one of my favorite places, and hiking to the bottom is definitely on my list! I've gone down the bright angel trail, but just to the 1st stop. I think there are maybe 6 stops before you get to the bottom. I'm a little "antsy" about trails that go downhill first -- but, I'll get over it!
Puddlefish
01-13-2016, 14:23
I've had knee pain since my college crew team days. Most everyone else on the team had surgery or multiple surgeries early on and have really screwed up knees at this point. I've been delaying surgery since 1987, with the idea that surgical techniques would get better in the coming years. I've been putting it off forever, until I can't deal with the pain. I have some cartilage damage, and the tendons occasionally flop out of the little grooves they belong in.
That said, my knees do best when I have overall muscular legs that support the tendons in place. They do worse when I'm lazy, fat and out of shape. No real surprise there. It's become such a constant low grade pain, that I've learned to ignore it. Every day starts off with stabbing pains, and then it diminishes.
Doubt my situation is really pertinent to your knee troubles, but try easing back on the exercises a bit, and ramping it back up slowly in a few weeks. If it repeats then go see a doctor. Good luck.
I haven't had this happen to me. I've had knee pain on the outside of my knees from overdoing it (either backpacking or running), and this turned out to be illiotibial band syndrome. Basically, a strain on this band.
I've also had pain on the inside of my knee which turned out to be a swollen bursa.
In both instances, the situations resolved with time. In both instances the cause was the same: I was putting more load on my legs than my fitness allowed.
Same problem, just need to be more careful I guess. years of climbing stairs with fire gear on, carrying hose bundles and doing ems(carrying patients and loading them in ambulances has taken its toll.(getting blown out an 3 story apt building doesn't help either). good thing is I plan on going slow and have no time frame to finish, except be done by October, that gives me 8 months. shouldn't take that long though.(thinking Aug, Sept max). maybe we will run into each other out there. good luck, stay safe.
Shutterbug
01-13-2016, 15:29
I think I spoke with you once before about those vibrams! The grand canyon is one of my favorite places, and hiking to the bottom is definitely on my list! I've gone down the bright angel trail, but just to the 1st stop. I think there are maybe 6 stops before you get to the bottom. I'm a little "antsy" about trails that go downhill first -- but, I'll get over it!
When you are ready to hike the Grand Canyon, I will be pleased to answer any questions you may have.
One Half
01-13-2016, 19:22
Did the Dr say what was wrong with your knee?
This. Seems he is just taking a stab in the dark. And if the cortisone shots and ibuprofen doesn't help he will likely tell you next that you shouldn't be taking long distance hikes. I would suggest you talk to a sports medicine doctor or physical therapist.
The doctor told you to take steroids. Cortisone is no joke it's powerful stuff. I wouldn't be happy with a doctor telling me that. I'd run and find another doctor who is willing to explore what is going on with your knee
The doctor told you to take steroids. Cortisone is no joke it's powerful stuff. I wouldn't be happy with a doctor telling me that. I'd run and find another doctor who is willing to explore what is going on with your knee
Yes, I know, and I was miffed at first that they didn't order MRIs. My first thought was that if I had been, say Tom Brady and just got hurt on the field, I probably would have had an MRI within 5 minutes! But, as MuddyWaters pointed out, the insurance companies pressure the docs to try and hold off on those for us "common" folks!
This is the same doc I went to for a rotator cuff tear. I took a fall on a hike, and I landed, well, picture a turtle on his shell. Narrow trail, steep cliff, and my legs were on the downhill , my back still on the trail. My shoulder was already hurting from the fall, but the way I figured to get myself back up was to hook that arm around a tree that was about where my shoulder was, and pull. So, that probably injured it more.
But, for that, he did recommend surgery "down the road". But he did give me cortisone for that, which kept the pain away and kept me functional for a little over a year. The shoulder was also bothering me on the hike -- trying to hoist that pack up in the morning, and then a dull ache during the day... I'm finally about to have the surgery on the shoulder in February. Just hope I'm back in hiking shape by spring!
The knee is a lot better ...(I had started back exercising even while it was still hurting, and it looks like that was preventing it from healing. I then quit exercising, just resting, for a couple of weeks, and now seems better. (and fatter! :)
boudreaux76
01-13-2016, 20:45
39 years old. 3 knee surgeries. Currently dealing with Grade IV chondromalasia (no cartilage) in the left knee and a torn medial and lateral meniscus in the right. Planning my first section hike in June.
Here's what my doctor recommended last year. Strengthen my core, strengthen all of the muscles around the knee and lose weight. If you have bad knees there is no shame in looking like a T-Rex (big legs, small arms)....haha
So far, so good.
39 years old. 3 knee surgeries. Currently dealing with Grade IV chondromalasia (no cartilage) in the left knee and a torn medial and lateral meniscus in the right. Planning my first section hike in June.
Here's what my doctor recommended last year. Strengthen my core, strengthen all of the muscles around the knee and lose weight. If you have bad knees there is no shame in looking like a T-Rex (big legs, small arms)....haha
So far, so good.
Well good luck on that section hike. ..don't know how you do it, but my hat's off to ya!
Might be worthwhile asking where the Doctor was coming from. I had one mimimize my complaint to try to save me $ as well as time for him and me. Also have had one, Podiatrist, finally give me Cortisone shots for a "Heel Spur" but only after trying other therapies first.
You can guess which one I'll go back to!
Slo-go'en
01-14-2016, 12:34
69 years old and a 50+ pound pack on your first long backpacking trip. What are you nuts? Of course your knees are gonna hurt. Anyone trying to lug a 50 pound pack any distance is going to have knees that hurt. My knees hurt just thinking about it.
The good news is it sounds like you didn't do any real damage which won't heal on it's own. Now that's it's been a few months, how do they feel?
You just need to accept the fact your not 20 anymore, cut the weight of the pack in half and do exercises to strengthen the ligaments. You didn't say what kind of mileage your were doing. You need to start out with short days and build up to longer ones as your body adapts. That can take a long time for us old farts. A cortisone shot and lots of OTC pain killers (which is a standard hiker supplement anyway) is probably a good idea too.
boudreaux76
01-14-2016, 14:40
Well good luck on that section hike. ..don't know how you do it, but my hat's off to ya!
One step at a time.....one step at a time.....
69 years old and a 50+ pound pack on your first long backpacking trip. What are you nuts? Of course your knees are gonna hurt. Anyone trying to lug a 50 pound pack any distance is going to have knees that hurt. My knees hurt just thinking about it.
The good news is it sounds like you didn't do any real damage which won't heal on it's own. Now that's it's been a few months, how do they feel?
You just need to accept the fact your not 20 anymore, cut the weight of the pack in half and do exercises to strengthen the ligaments. You didn't say what kind of mileage your were doing. You need to start out with short days and build up to longer ones as your body adapts. That can take a long time for us old farts. A cortisone shot and lots of OTC pain killers (which is a standard hiker supplement anyway) is probably a good idea too.
:)
Well I was only doing 6 to 8 miles per day. We took it pretty easy, getting up when we felt the warmth of the sun, and taking a couple hours to pack up and get ready. We'd generally hike from maybe 9 or 10 until 2:30 or 3.
Hiking that small number of miles a day, I'm not really comfortable trying to cut much weight - which would mean cutting cutting food and water. Because sometimes out there, at 6 miles per day, you can be 3 days from water and maybe 5 or 6 days from food...
My tent and sleeping bag are very light weight. And I do have a lightweight pack, but it's just 40l -I think it would be great for the AT, but not out here, so I used a heavier one (REI 80) on that trip
.
The knee is much better now; of course, that's because I've been sitting around not doing anything except getting FAT! :)
Try to lighten your pack, exercise more, avoid drugs, ensure that you are walking correctly. No, I'm not a Dr.
What he said... but with the education to charge for it lol.
PAFranklin
01-15-2016, 10:56
I've got partially torn cartilage in one knee but can manage it with proper prep. First thing is to ask the doctor a lot of questions and also tell him what activities you want to do.
In my case keeping the legs fit is a start. Mainly on an exercise bike which is relatively low impact. Being proactive with ibuprofen before serious hikes helps. And either ice or compression right at the end of a hike helps. Also planning some rest time.
I've had cortisone but it shouldn't be used regularly as it degrades some joint tissues. I view it as a once and done effort to get things under control so rehabilitation can get started.
A good orthopedic surgeon can make many diagnosis without an MRI. At the same time I just had an MRI on an arm issue and the insurance didn't blink when the doc prescribed. (Didn't even need pre-approval.)
First, I accidentally posted this under another thread -- sorry for that.
But, being 69 years old, doing my first long backpacking adventure, out 18 days on the pct with a pack between 45 and 50+ lbs, depending on food/water, my knee started killing me one day. This was back in November.
Back home, I set up an appt. with the orthopoedic dr. They tell me to get xrays. The doc looks at the xray and doesn't order MRIs. Just says that before I go out on an adventure like that again, to maybe get some cortisone shots first, and take plenty of ibuprofen with me.
I'm not looking for medical advice (unless you're a doctor, in which case I definitely do appreciate free advice! :), but wondering if anyone's had similar experience.
I never really know what's going on with doctors. Sometimes I'm afraid there may be financial considerations steering them to tell patients one thing or another. I also wonder, if I were, say, a thirty million dollar football player, if they would do more than just tell me to get cortisone shots and take ibuprofen. Those guys -- young guys -- are getting their knees operated on all the time!
Before you go under the knife, I would try REALLY REALLY hard to lighten your packweight. You might be able to cut it by more than half, even with food and water for 4-5 days. A lighter pack is the great equalizer on trail. You might also try glucosamine sulfate, 750 mg twice a day. Give the glucosamine at least a month or two to work. And if you are not already doing so, use hiking poles on all the downhill sections to unweight your knees.
Before you go under the knife, I would try REALLY REALLY hard to lighten your packweight. You might be able to cut it by more than half, even with food and water for 4-5 days. A lighter pack is the great equalizer on trail. You might also try glucosamine sulfate, 750 mg twice a day. Give the glucosamine at least a month or two to work. And if you are not already doing so, use hiking poles on all the downhill sections to unweight your knees.
Thanks!
I'm going under the knife for a torn rotator cuff - not for the knees. Then, if I CAN'T get the pack weight down, at least I should be able to get the dang thang on my back a little easier!
Except for my pack, my base gear is light weight...2 lb 9 Oz tent, 2 lb 6 Oz sleeping bag..
The pack is an REI 80. It's a little heavy,. I do have a 40l ultralight pack, but it just doesn't have the capacity or structure to support the weight - mainly of the food and water I need to carry out here.
I do use poles, and I've been taking osteo biflex for years, and took it with me on my hike. So I should be good on glucosamine and condroitin. One thing I did not take, but will from now on is knee brace.
After watching Red Beard's PCT youthbe, I think I'll try a shakedown night hike. If I could hike the PCT at night I could cut down on water. On the other hand, that might be a little "scary" for me, and not much fun...
I had a similar issue...the doctor diagnosed my knee problem as patella femoral misalignment. Basically, the knee cap wasn't tracking properly. I've found that the patella knee brace helps, but is slightly annoying. Also, using shoe inserts seems to be helping.