Knee Problems?

[Acies]

Hey everyone!

So I'm planning on starting a SOBO hike in a few weeks. The problem I have is that I have a history of knee injuries. It started when I began running long distance track five years ago (~25 miles of running/jogging/walking per week). My knees didn't hurt, exactly, but something felt off. Sometimes when I'd bend/turn them a certain way I'd feel a twinge, but I continued to practice. The season finished, I stopped running as much, and the problem went away. Sort of.

The next fall I hadn't been running much (mostly jogging/walking a mile or two whenever I could fit it in), but ran a bit more than I probably should have. My knee started to hurt, and after two weeks it was still so bad that I was limping up and down stairs. Bending it was what caused the problem which is unfortunate since life requires much bending of the joints. After 2ish weeks I went to a doctor who said I probably had runner's knee. She gave me some stretches/exercises to do. Not sure if those helped or if it was the benefit of staying off of it most of the time, but it felt better.

For the next few years and up until this point I had been running intermittently with no pain. A few weeks ago I loaded my pack with 30 lbs of weight and went for a walk (I weigh ~110 lbs, for reference, though I thought it was a bit more at the time which is why I chose 30 lbs). Afterwards I noticed that my knees felt funny, which I think was exacerbated by the fact that I had to bend/tense my right one to drive fairly frequently. I also lived on the fourth floor of my building, which meant lots of going up and down stairs. It sometimes hurts to bend it if I've been walking too much. It's hard to say where the pain is-- sometimes it feels like something on the side of my knee is being pulled or stretched, but I'm not sure. Sometimes it feels like a more generalized ache. I've been trying to stay off of it and stretch my legs.

So I don't really understand this too well, regarding whether or not it is something I can work through or whether I'd wreck my knee trying. I plan to see a few doctors about it, but I figured that this community would probably have a lot more experience with these sorts of injuries and hiking than they would. So anything you could tell me about your own experiences, advice or ways to make things a little easier on myself would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[bigcranky]

See your docs, first. Then, assuming you are cleared to hike:

Get and properly use a set of hiking poles.

Take your time, especially on the downhills.

Keep your pack weight down.

If recommended or prescribed by your doc, use a knee brace, and/or anti-inflammatories.

Good luck. Knee problems suck.

[Blissful]

I went to a cho pat duo brace on my left knee and have been doing better. That and I take mega Glucosamine. Also make sure your shoes are correct - i.e. see if you pronate etc and make sure you have the right footwear and insoles. It also affects your hips and then your knees

[Wrangler88]

I have osgood-schlatter's disease in my right knee. It's always hurt and been sore after any sort of physical activity since I was in the 7th grade. I talked to my doctor about it before I hiked part of the AT last summer. He told me I could take ibuprofen and that there was some sort of cream I could rub on my knee but that it probably wouldn't be practical while backpacking for so long.

I didn't take any pills or use the cream. I did however get a knee strap (not a brace) that applies pressure right under the knee cap and it worked great. You can get them at Walmart or a pharmacy I'm sure. I never had any pain in my knees all the way through about 150 miles in Maine.

But I would suggest talking to your doctor just in case.