View Full Version : Knee pain!!
hikingshoes
03-05-2011, 19:33
I dont know what's going on with my knee, never had this before. GF and I were hiking from Roaring Fork Shelter to Hot Springs (18+miles) on the 2nd day of 1st section hike. I was doing fine until we hit the last 3.2 miles into Hot Springs. It only hurts going downhill and we look like two 90yr olds coming off the mountain. That was last week, so we hiked from Max Patch Road to Groundhog Creek Shelter and did ok, got up the next AM and headed up Snowbird Mtn. Did ok, but coming down my knee started acting up again (so did my GF's knees) which is all downhill. Please, give a little input on this, because GF and I enjoy hiking. Thanks for your time. HS
royalusa
03-05-2011, 19:49
I'm not a MD, but it sounds like a tight IT band, if the pain is on the outside of your knee. Tendonitis from doing too much, too soon.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliotibial_band_syndrome
Bags4266
03-05-2011, 21:49
Happened to me also on my last section. I would be fine for the first 10 miles then I would need the advil from there. I too never had this problem. I think the above is right to much to soon.
Leanthree
03-05-2011, 21:59
Are you using trekking poles? The ones with springs are especially helpful for those with knee problems.
hikingshoes
03-05-2011, 22:09
As you can tell by now i didnt spell knee right,and i dont know how to chg./edit my post.lol,i did finish high school!!!anyway,we do use hiking poles,but there not antishock poles.HS
Kerosene
03-05-2011, 22:10
Sounds like an overuse injury to me...too many miles too soon, starting without a sufficient level of fitness. I'd probably treat it as tendonitis, ice, rest, ibuprofen/Advil. Once you feel a bit better, start working on your quads for about a month before your next hike, and limit your daily mileage to 10 miles for the first 3 days.
Freedom Walker
03-05-2011, 22:29
Use the rice method, which means rest, ice, compression, and elevation. My left knee began hurting when I came down blood mountain last September. After a couple weeks I went to see an orthopedic doctor who gave me a cortisone shot. This did not help and after I returned to see him he ordered an MRI. The MRI showed a torn meniscus. So after a few weeks I decided to have surgery which happened three weeks ago. I am doing very well so far and hope to be back hiking soon. Hope you get better without surgery.
hikingshoes
03-05-2011, 22:33
Sounds like an overuse injury to me...too many miles too soon, starting without a sufficient level of fitness. I'd probably treat it as tendonitis, ice, rest, ibuprofen/Advil. Once you feel a bit better, start working on your quads for about a month before your next hike, and limit your daily mileage to 10 miles for the first 3 days.
Yeah,that is for sure!!!18miles on day 2 isnt a good idea at all,but we had some safety issuses with wet clothing.sleeping pad gone bad!!!so we talked it over and pushed on.We payed for it the next two days.
On this hike from max patch to I40(standing bear)we just hiked in to groundhog creek shelter thats 5.6miles and we did great,even going up snowbird mnt.was good.After we started going down snowbird mnt.about halfway down is when the knee started hurting again.HS
Blissful
03-06-2011, 00:04
Were you using poles?
And you did do WAY too much. Ice, rest, Vit I and consider a cho pat duo knee brace
hikingshoes
03-06-2011, 00:12
Were you using poles?
And you did do WAY too much. Ice, rest, Vit I and consider a cho pat duo knee brace
We both had poles;
Pedaling Fool
03-06-2011, 09:45
As we age our bodies get weaker, despite being active. The only way to slow down our body from getting weaker is to throw different things at it -- force it to adapt, thus strengthen. Weight training is how I keep my body strong. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkK9-mnDAy4&feature=related
WILLIAM HAYES
03-06-2011, 14:19
trry using knee braces
Bags4266
03-06-2011, 14:32
John G, When I was looking at that vidio I had one eye closed. I was expecting to see that guy's knee blow out sidways or something graphic. whew
hikingshoes
03-09-2011, 14:47
trry using knee braces
Thats what we are going to do next time we hike.HS
futureatwalker
03-09-2011, 16:53
Was your pain a stabbing pain at the side of your knee, particularly when walking downhill? If so, based on my experience, it could be iliotibial (IT) band syndrome, as RoyalUSA suggested.
Basically, it's an overuse injury. Basically, it means your legs aren't strong enough for what you are asking of them.
I've struggled with it in the past (both backpacking and running), and whenever it crops up I know that my body is telling me I'm pushing it beyond its fitness level.
It does get better with rest. You can avoid it altogether by building up your strength before going out; when I slowly build up my miles in marathon training, I'm fine.
Leapfrog^
03-09-2011, 18:11
Middle-aged knees & backpacking are a lethal combination. Loss of cartilage and meniscus tears seem to go hand in hand with hiking, especially if you've been at it for years. Even with a custom PCL brace on, I blew my left knee out on the descent of Moosilauke 2 years ago & had to abandon. Had a better custom brace last year & lots of preconditioning so didn't have the same issue. We'll see what happens come June - this year it's the other knee. Anti-inflammatorys like Naproxen seem to help a litte.
hikingshoes
03-09-2011, 19:24
Was your pain a stabbing pain at the side of your knee, particularly when walking downhill? If so, based on my experience, it could be iliotibial (IT) band syndrome, as RoyalUSA suggested.
Basically, it's an overuse injury. Basically, it means your legs aren't strong enough for what you are asking of them.
I've struggled with it in the past (both backpacking and running), and whenever it crops up I know that my body is telling me I'm pushing it beyond its fitness level.
It does get better with rest. You can avoid it altogether by building up your strength before going out; when I slowly build up my miles in marathon training, I'm fine.
This is what we are doing!!This was our 1st section and we had plans to hike to the next shelter which had the roof off it,so we hiked on to the next shelter(Deer Park Shelter).Once we got there it was just 3.2miles to Hot Springs so we talked it over and she wanted to head on out.I have to say that was the longest 3.2 miles.This is where both of our knees was hurting going down hill,by this time we had put in 18miles on the 2nd day.Which is NUTS on the second day of our 1st section hike.We just got back this weekend hiking 14miles from Max Patch Rd.(Where the AT crosses the rd.)We did great until the next morning once we made it over Snowbird Mnt.and going down hill,then it started again(knee Pain).lol,it wasnt as bad as the first time but it slowed use down.We didnt look like to old married couple this time,like we did the 1st section.Thanks for all your input and help.HS
Have you tried Glucosamine? I had horrible knee pain in '09 which caused me to quit the AZT. My dad gave me a bottle of Glucosamine and after a few weeks everything was ok. I even went on then to hike PCT in 09 two months later. It doesn't work for everyone and the Mayo Clinic says its just an alternate medicine, but it worked awesome for my dilapidated and abused penguin knees.
hikingshoes
03-09-2011, 19:59
[QUOTE=Penguin;1126289]Have you tried Glucosamine? I had horrible knee pain in '09 which caused me to quit the AZT. My dad gave me a bottle of Glucosamine and after a few weeks everything was ok. I even went on then to hike PCT in 09 two months later. It doesn't work for everyone and the Mayo Clinic says its just an alternate medicine, but it worked awesome for my dilapidated and abused penguin knees.
Just started drinking Glucosamine 1500/Chondroitin 15000 in the powder packet this week.Its pretty good,hoping it will get in the sys.better than the pill.Thanks,HS:D
I'd be willing to bet a steak dinner that you suffered Illotibial Band Syndrome. Do a google search, you will find recommended therapy and stretching, the best therapy for this is rest and proper stretching. You have to stretch that IT band to prevent recurrence.
I had the same problem on the downhill side of Blood Mtn a couple years ago, my entire knee locked up on me with pain. Have a physical therapist friend here that fixed me up. I still do the IT streches on the trail while I'm out hiking.
good luck
Is the pain still bothering you? where is it? if it's along the lateral side, I agree ITBS is a reasonable bet, and stretches or devices (do a google search) are likely to help. But if its in the front of the knee, or under the patella (knee cap) that's different. To test for chondromalacia patella, lie down on your back with knees straight and Ask your GF to push down lightly on the patella and move it from side to side - if that's very painful then it's suggestive of CP, and quad strengthening exercises may be helpful.
If you have swelling in the knee joint or locking, I'd suggest to see an orthopedic doc or sports medicine specialist.
good luck!
hikingshoes
03-22-2011, 09:21
blitz1,
It 100%better.It only hurts 8-9miles in.Thanks,for asking.HS
Okay, I'm somewhat (alright, quite a bit past) middle-aged. Certainly wasn't doing "big" miles (under fifteeen/day) at the start of my 2009 thru. The knee pain started and by Fontana Dam I was doing less and less miles each day. I stated megadoses of Gluchosamine in Hiawasee seeing where my kness were going, but didn't notice any significant advantage over time. During the hike the pain was manageable except for, as the OP notes, going downhill. I couldn't walk down "stairstep" erosion control naturally; I'd have to lead with the "good" knee and bring the other leg to the same step. In the evening after stopping though, everything would "lock-up" and I'd hobble around camp like a nursing-home cripple. The thoughts of having to quit were there every evening. I struggled on and at the outfitters in Hot Springs I bought one of those strap braces (Chotin is, I beleive, the brand name) that fit just under the knee-cap. OMG! Immediate relief during the hiking day. I went ahead and purchased another in Gatlinburg and never looked back. I spent way too much money on that hike, but the $10 purchase of that knee brace was the single-best purchase made. I still take the Glucosamine and always where the braces when hiking - now standard gear. BTW, my "big" day after the braces was 26 miles going into Damascus; I sincerely beleive it wouldn't have been possible to finish without those braces.
I hurt my knee last time out (Winter Warmer). It's much better now with much rest, but sometimes when I lift my foot (as in when I wash my feet in the shower) my knee hurts on the outside under the kneecap - I haven't got a clue as to what this might be, I just hope it continues to heal.
hikingshoes
03-22-2011, 10:44
Okay, I'm somewhat (alright, quite a bit past) middle-aged. Certainly wasn't doing "big" miles (under fifteeen/day) at the start of my 2009 thru. The knee pain started and by Fontana Dam I was doing less and less miles each day. I stated megadoses of Gluchosamine in Hiawasee seeing where my kness were going, but didn't notice any significant advantage over time. During the hike the pain was manageable except for, as the OP notes, going downhill. I couldn't walk down "stairstep" erosion control naturally; I'd have to lead with the "good" knee and bring the other leg to the same step. In the evening after stopping though, everything would "lock-up" and I'd hobble around camp like a nursing-home cripple. The thoughts of having to quit were there every evening. I struggled on and at the outfitters in Hot Springs I bought one of those strap braces (Chotin is, I beleive, the brand name) that fit just under the knee-cap. OMG! Immediate relief during the hiking day. I went ahead and purchased another in Gatlinburg and never looked back. I spent way too much money on that hike, but the $10 purchase of that knee brace was the single-best purchase made. I still take the Glucosamine and always where the braces when hiking - now standard gear. BTW, my "big" day after the braces was 26 miles going into Damascus; I sincerely beleive it wouldn't have been possible to finish without those braces.
Duff,
You sound just like use coming into Hot Springs at 900pm.lol,dont know about the nursing-home at this point and time,but we for sure was getting around VERY slow/and look like to old cripples heading into the hotel after the hike for a NICE warm shower!!!We was planning our thru-hike,but after this knee's acting up,we are rethinking it now.Id love to do a thru-hike but id hate to get out there and get off the trail after starting.anyway,ive got my plans up to HF,WV as of now.Thanks for the info on knee pain.HS
Duff - Was it Cho-Pat?
http://www.cho-pat.com/ I've heard of them but never used them. I think I'll try them out if I get knee pain again.
I just got a new brace that helps the patella track properly. It's solved my pain under the kneecap problem. I love it.
hikingshoes
03-22-2011, 19:06
WooHoo!!!Just did 8.5miles and no knee pain and no brace.Wish i lived close to the smokies and not 5hrs away so i could hike the Mnts.more.HS
mark schofield
03-23-2011, 06:20
A few years ago my arthritis in the knees was really painful when going down hill or down stairs. I tried a shot of Synvic 1 in each knee. After a month, the stuff kicked in and I was good to go. Just got the shots again last week and hopefully I'll be good to go for another year. The Dr said that sooner aor later the shots will not work any more. For some people this works. I tried the ChoPat braces wit trecking poles with ibuprofin but the knees kept getting worse.
A few years ago my arthritis in the knees was really painful when going down hill or down stairs. I tried a shot of Synvic 1 in each knee. After a month, the stuff kicked in and I was good to go. Just got the shots again last week and hopefully I'll be good to go for another year. The Dr said that sooner aor later the shots will not work any more. For some people this works. I tried the ChoPat braces wit trecking poles with ibuprofin but the knees kept getting worse.
Glad the synvisc seemed to work for you. At the risk of offering unwanted medical advice, please be careful with the ibuprofen, unless you're just using it occasionally at low doses. Chronic use at the full prescription strength (600 mg 4 times daily) carries a significant risk of GI damage, including ulcer and bleeding requiring hospitalization. the recommended OTC dose is much safer, but chronic use still may have side effects. Ibuprofen and the other NSAIDs don't treat the underlying problem, they simply reduce the pain, which is done just as effectively by tylenol (1 gram, 4 times daily) without the increased risk of bleeding. tylenol isn't anti-inflammatory, so if you have inflammation the ibuprofen still may work better for you. But most people with DJD have little to no chronic inflammation, so for chronic use tylenol is preferred over ibuprofen or other NSAIDs.
keep on trekking...
Mitey Mo
04-04-2011, 17:05
All I know is that my knees hurt TERRIBLY on the downhills. I am older and don't hike all that much. I just used a Cho-Pat dual action knee brace for the first time this weekend on a 10 mile hike and my knee with the brace didn't hurt AT ALL!!! My other one hurt a little. I am ordering another one for that knee.