Thru attempt in less than 2 weeks, slight knee pain when walking downhill

[Earl Grey]

Went out for some training today and towards the end of it i could tell my left knee ached slightly when walking downhill. I am using poles but didnt take any medicine. I hope this doesnt become an issue on the trail.

[Marta]

I read a saying once "Pain in the knees is the taste of Zen." I'm rewriting it: "Pain in the knees is the taste of the Trail."

Good luck! NC Pride!

Marta/Five-Leaf

[Gray Blazer]

How far did you go? How much uphill, how much downhill?

[Appalachian Tater]

Consider an over-the-counter knee support and 2 ibuprophen every four hours.

[bigcranky]

Or one naprosen twice a day (talk to a doctor or trainer first).

Knee pain is part of hiking, at least for us old farts. The best I can do is manage it.

[ShakeyLeggs]

Something else you might want to do is have it evaluated by a doc. I just learned something else about my knees yesterday that I did not like. I knew I had cartilage degeneration and have been taking appropriate precautions but like my doc said it just does what it wants to do. But I was just diagnosed with arthritis in my knees as well so that is something else to deal with. I always have constant pain but keeping my knees strengthened and appropriate anti-inflammatory meds it is mostly controllable.

[Appalachian Tater]

Unfortunately, if he's starting his hike in two weeks he may be unable to get an appointment with an orthopedist and it is too late to strengthen the muscles around the knee.

I was able to hike just fine, taking ibuprophen, but when I finished the pain began. It was very difficult to go up steps or even the curb. I ended up having to taper off the ibuprophen.

[hopefulhiker]

Get used to it.. I had incredible pain going downhill, much easier uphill for me.. I took 800 mg of ibuprophen a day per doctors orders....

[Lilred]

go slow downhill and avoid putting full weight on that knee. It'll strengthen with time if you don't strain it first. Use those poles.

[Tumblerisk]

I get the knee pain pretty bad, sometimes even on very short hikes with a lighter than normal pack. I've found that using the poles and leaning down hill instead of leaning back against the hill helps tremendously. Allows the poles to do the work of slowing my decent instead of the legs and thus the knees. It's also just good form.

[hopefulhiker]

Also if you have a long down hill stretch Lengthen your poles so you can lean on them. Shorten them for long uphills...

[Blissful]

My knees ache like crazy now going on steep downhills. I have to take it slow and eventually I make it. I also take glucosomine twice a day and it helps but that's another thread you might want to look up.

[Kerosene]

There are lots of reasons for knee pain. Blackmath's picture in his on-line journal makes it look like he's well under 30, so it probably isn't being caused by long-term wear-and-tear. He notes that it started up after a day of training, and he's been hiking awhile according to his journal. My guess is that it's either overuse, a little tendonitis, or a minor ligament pull (I stayed at a Holiday Inn last night). If the pain is just south of the kneecap then it's probably one of the former reasons. Anything else is likely to be a pull.

At this point, I'd start popping a few naprosen with breakfast and dinner, ice the sore area for a few days, wrap in an Ace bandage or neoprene sleeve, and discontinue the training hikes. If things start to feel better after a week then consider starting up again, but keep the miles and weight low and take a lot longer on the downhills. When you do start your thru-hike, keep your daily mileage low (10-12 mpd) for a few weeks. The last thing you want is an injury that will nag you for another 5-6 months. Let those ligaments and muscles get used to the daily pounding.

[Frosty]

Pain in the front of the knee is fairly common among hikers who go too fast downhill. Google: chondromalacia

It is pain on the outside of the knee that is more serious. Google: ITBS - iliotibial band syndrome.

[Gaiter]

never take a step larger than your body can do painlessly, so if that means taking babysteps then do that, your body will get stronger and you'll be able to handle it better

[humunuku]

And i'd say, stop "training", no need to make it worse before your thru. Usually if ya keep hiking thru your knee pain, it will get worse (from my experiences)

[humunuku]

Do I remember correctly, that you did the foothills trail last fall and experienced some Knee pain? was it the same pain?

[Earl Grey]

Sorry I am back I had a busy weekend.

Reading these posts it is clear to me that I go too fast while walking downhill because "it doesnt look steep ill just speed down it". I MUST learn to not do this on the trail if I want to complete it or until at least I get used to the terrain and elevation changes.

It was real pronounced walking downstairs which is similar to walking downhill. Mechanically it seems when walking downhill that for an instant you put all your weight on the front of one leg. Humunuku is correct in that I had the same pain when I did the Foothills Trail last fall and that was overuse also.

There is plenty of aleve in my vitamin bag that I may get intimate with which is fine. The Maryland and Penn sections where I'll be starting arent TOO rough so it should give me a chance to toughen up.

[Blissful]

Sorry I am back I had a busy weekend.

It was real pronounced walking downstairs which is similar to walking downhill. Mechanically it seems when walking downhill that for an instant you put all your weight on the front of one leg. Humunuku is correct in that I had the same pain when I did the Foothills Trail last fall and that was overuse also.



I find even the built in stair-like logs on the trail to be really hard on my knees. I try to aovid them when I can or take it doubly slow. Make sure though you give yourself time to warm up. I found I really needed to pace myself for about two hours when I start to give the ligaments warm up time. And do some stretching of your quads and hamstrings as well.

And you are never too young to have knee situations. 20 yr olds can still get arthritis conditions. Esp with injuries suffered in the teen years.