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Katiepecbvda
02-05-2013, 17:06
I need advice from anyone who knows about knee pain...

About 3 miles in on any hike I've done in the last yr, the outside of my knee starts hurting really bad. Is it from walking too much on the outside or inside part of ur foot? I think I've kinda started walking bowlegged because of hiking terrain. Should I start trying to walk on the outside of my foot when I hike?

Does anyone know how to prevent it or keep it from hurting since I kinda need to be able to hike 16 miles a day for 5 months to do the AT this year. 6 miles in today and I'm limping, but if it wasn't for my knee, I could do 10 more miles fairly easilyOh, and today i used a cep knee support brace thing, and my knee hurt just as bad as my last hike and i did about half the length of that one. I don't know if i used the brace right tho because it was a little big so for it to not slide off i had to pull it higher up my thigh, so the bottom of it only went down like 2 inches down my knee on my calf. Does it need to cover more of ur calf to work properly?

I bought hiking poles and might use them on my next hike to see if they help, but i only see that being helpful if the middle of ur knee hurt and not the outer edge, but maybe im wrong

Someone please help. I reeeeally want to hike the AT!

Rasty
02-05-2013, 17:13
That sounds like my right knee. It may be your IT band which runs alond the outside of your knee from the thigh to the calf. Get a IT Band brace and it should go away. A classic IT Band symptom is feeling like you can't pick your foot up over small rocks on the trail so you swing your leg around instead.

The knee cap braces are for miniscus problems which is my left knee. The miniscus usually hurts going down hill.

Oak88
02-05-2013, 17:24
When in doubt see your orthopedic doc, however I agree sounds like the IT band. Stretching with a compression roller helps. I use this one http://www.rumbleroller.com/. Some hikers hike with them. It works for me.

Mobius
02-05-2013, 17:33
Searching the web for IT band will return a zillion results. It's very common among runners.

Things that helped me:
1) foam roller
2) stretching quads, hamstring, and glutes (multiple times a day)
3) muscle strengthening. My IT band flares up when my quads are weak. (Hence the frequent recommendation for cycling.)
4) self-massage, keeping in mind that the pain isn't always where you need to massage. In my case using a tennis ball to work the glutes often reveals a hot spot/trigger point which really helps (after I stop crying -- it REALLY hurts if you find the tight spot)

It can take days/weeks for the pain and inflammation to go away. When it does go away, don't stop the stretching/strengthening!

jbwood5
02-05-2013, 17:42
I need advice from anyone who knows about knee pain...

About 3 miles in on any hike I've done in the last yr, the outside of my knee starts hurting really bad. Is it from walking too much on the outside or inside part of ur foot? I think I've kinda started walking bowlegged because of hiking terrain. Should I start trying to walk on the outside of my foot when I hike?

Does anyone know how to prevent it or keep it from hurting since I kinda need to be able to hike 16 miles a day for 5 months to do the AT this year. 6 miles in today and I'm limping, but if it wasn't for my knee, I could do 10 more miles fairly easily

Oh, and today i used a cep knee support brace thing, and my knee hurt just as bad as my last hike and i did about half the length of that one. I don't know if i used the brace right tho because it was a little big so for it to not slide off i had to pull it higher up my thigh, so the bottom of it only went down like 2 inches down my knee on my calf. Does it need to cover more of ur calf to work properly?

I bought hiking poles and might use them on my next hike to see if they help, but i only see that being helpful if the middle of ur knee hurt and not the outer edge, but maybe im wrong

Someone please help. I reeeeally want to hike the AT!

From what I have determined from years of experience as a runner (I'm no doctor), pain on one side or the other is caused by an imbalance in muscle groups. The muscles, abductors and adductors work together to help keep the knee cap centered to avoid knee pain on one side or the other. Here is a short description and some recommendations: http://www.livestrong.com/article/337588-tight-hip-muscles-walking-difficulties/

A regular stretching routine may help and some people even get sports massage to help stretch out tight muscles (usually some older people go that route but it can often help anybody). That includes the ITB band that runs from the outer hip to the knee (as mentioned in the previous post). The other thing that you might have is an improper foot strike causing stress on one side (or an imbalance). That can often be corrected with arch supports (proper insoles). If you are unable to get analyzed by a foot doctor (i.e. costs or no insurance), you could try experimenting with an arch support insole to see if it helps. I'd be very cautious about starting out on a long hike with a nagging knee. You could cause permanent injury or cause an arthritis condition that will show up in later years (if not sooner).
Hopefully the solution will be just a regular stretching routine and perhaps the right insoles. One thing I would not do is to mask the pain with pain killers or even regular consumption of ibuprofin (Advil, Motrin, etc.). You are asking for trouble if you go that route. Use those drugs only for an emergency to get off the trail, not to continue hiking.

Remember these things take time. When you can walk pain free, keep the mileage short and build up gradually.

scurley
02-05-2013, 17:47
I had this issue last year in April on fairly easy AT section hike in CT. It was only my right knee and only going down hill, but seriously debilitating. I managed the pain through the hike with ibprofen and a cold water bottle, and wrap while moving. When I returned home I consulted with my sister, an athletic trainer. She agreed it was a classic IT band issue that could be caused by overloading or simply wearing the wrong boot/trail shoe for my stride. She looked at the soles of my shoes, which were heavily warn on the outside heal. She explained that this was a clear indication that my leg rolls out during my natural stride putting increased pressure on the IT band. I believe with this stride are referred to as SUPERNATORS. I bought a new pair of low cut boots with a curved last/stay (not sure of the proper term), Merrill Chameleon 4s with Vibram soles. My recommendation, absent seeing a doctor, research this issue you will probably find you are like me. There are some simple test you can do by stepping into water and then walking on a paper bag and the looking at the print. you could probably find how to interpret these online or on backpacker.com. If this is your issue hopefully good footwear or an insole can correct it. Worked for me. I have not had an issue since and hiked 200+ miles in the whites last summer with those boots with no problems. Good luck.

Pedaling Fool
02-05-2013, 18:02
Weightlifting and think about postponing your thru-hike until later, after you build up your knees. Knee braces are very bad to use in the long term, such as during an entire thru-hike.

Katiepecbvda
02-05-2013, 18:42
Awesome. Thank u all so much. I stretch regularly and do fairly frequent exercise and stretching between yoga and strength training.
I will try insoles, a foam roller to stretch it better, and an IT band brace. Hopefully that all fixes the problem. Thank u all for ur help :)

Carl Calson
02-05-2013, 19:05
gotta figure out the proper stretches specifically for the IT Band. incredibly painful when there's inflammation. i walked like a peg-legged pirate for 3 days while suffering from it until it finally healed up.

fredmugs
02-05-2013, 19:16
Lots of experience, lots of injuries, and lots of lessons learned on this site. Here's one more: DO NOT take medical advice from this site without seeing a professional. Sounds like you have an injury waiting to happen.

hikernutcasey
02-06-2013, 17:32
I agree with an earlier poster that weight training can really help with IT band issues. I had the classic IT band symptoms myself and after consulting trainers/doctors etc. I found that the only way to take the load off your knees more is to have stronger leg muscles that can do more of the work for you.

Since I have begun my weight training I am yet to have any more pain. I am a section hiker which leads to these kinds of issues since I can't get out and hike very much in between trips. When you put so much strain on your body without the proper training things tend to break down. FYI you don't have to be a power lifter either. Just some moderate training (squats, leg extensions etc) doing high rep, low weight has worked great for me.

vhawkvet
02-06-2013, 17:49
I also have IT band syndrome and it flared up pretty badly while training for my first marathon this past summer/fall. With two days left before the race in desperation I purchased Pro Tec IT band wraps from REI (http://m.rei.com/mt/www.rei.com/product/704435/pro-tec-athletics-iliotibial-band-wrap )and wore them all 26.2 miles. I had to readjust them a few times to keep circulation going but I had no knee pain the whole time and I was getting severe pain just a few miles into training runs at that point. I am nervous about knee pain being a stumbling block to my AT thru-hike this year too but I will definitely be bringing the bands with me...

futureatwalker
02-07-2013, 16:55
Awesome. Thank u all so much. I stretch regularly and do fairly frequent exercise and stretching between yoga and strength training.
I will try insoles, a foam roller to stretch it better, and an IT band brace. Hopefully that all fixes the problem. Thank u all for ur help :)

Sounds like an ITband problem. This is an overuse injury. In my personal experience (and I've had it a couple of times), it comes from carrying too much weight, or doing too much elevation/miles for my conditioning.

My advice would be to get in shape, and to do so by building your mileage very, very slowly. You are doing more than your body can handle at the moment. When your knee starts to hurt, you must stop, otherwise you will make it worse. It can also take a bit - like weeks - to recover.

Good luck!

leaftye
02-07-2013, 17:19
Katie, you've said you get plenty of exercise, but the key point is to get varied exercise.

As someone else said, imbalanced legs are weak. Maybe they're strong in the way you exercise, but they're weak in the way that's important for hiking. Being overweight and having a heavy pack exacerbates that.

So if stretching and rolling your IT band provides relief, then you should look at imbalances that cause that to be aggravated, and then do the appropriate exercises to correct it. If you aren't up to figuring this out on your own, then you need to see someone that will give you the right solutions.


Lots of experience, lots of injuries, and lots of lessons learned on this site. Here's one more: DO NOT take medical advice from this site without seeing a professional. Sounds like you have an injury waiting to happen.

I wouldn't bother seeing a "professional" unless that person specialized in sports therapy with plenty of recommendations from people deeply involved in athletics. I'm not sure what the best way to find that person locally, but asking the team doctors for local college and professional sports teams might work.