Knee Problem and Knee Braces

[Tree Nerd]

So after a weekend hike that was suppose to be a week long hike I found that I have some major knee problems. This is new to me and I never thought it was going to be this bad. I have always been really athletic and played many sports all through grade school and college (well the first two years of college). About 3 years ago I was doing yard work and ended up getting a one inch long cut above my knee, going going into my vastus mecialis muscle and my rectus femoris tendon. Ever since than I have had random problems with my leg giving out, sometimes to the point of falling down, but never had any pain. Anyway, I planned to hike roughly 70 miles of the foothills trail in SC/NC and only made it about 40 because my knee was in so much pain. The first day I did 13 miles and my knee was a little flaired up but nothing major. The second day it was fine in the morning and gradually got worse, only hurting when going downhill. I ended up doing 18 miles and my knee was in some major pain and it bugged me all night. On the third day it was fine in the morning and I made it about two miles before it was throbbing. I ended up dealing with it and made it 8 miles to a road. The pain in my knee was so unbearablebad that it hurt walking downhill, flat, or uphill; I was averaging less than a mile an hour for the last two miles (one of the miles was the steepest uphill climbs on the entire trail; coming out of whitewater river corridor to RT480). Once I got off the trail and sat down for awhile It didnt bother me much and I could walk fine on pavement with a minor limp. After hitching a ride back to camp I could walk around fine on flat ground but any time I had to walk down any slope at all my knee would flair up. Looking at my knee, you could definately tell it was swollen and red. The next day after taking it "easy" for almost 24 hours I tried to hike back to a waterfall that I missed because I had to end early. It was only a mile hike in and a mile hike out. I made it about 100 yds down the trail before my knee flaired up; no major pain, but I could tell it wasnt happy that I was trying to hike. BTW I alway use trekking poles (two of them) and they couldn't even help me keep some of the pain out of my knee.

Anyway, I was planning to attempt a thru hike of the AT and as of right now, that is not going to happen unless I can do something about my knee. I plan to see a sports therapist at the UK hospital when i return to Lexington after spring break is over and hopefully they can help me out, but I am assuming they are going to put me in a knee brace.

So to my question.....what knee braces are recommended and used by hikers. I am looking for something that is lite, comfortable, and sturdy (not some cloth bandage; unless thats all I need) and will keep my leg/knee stait.

[Rasty]

Sounds like you need a miniscus brace. Its a stretchy band that wraps around the lower part of the knee.

[Don H]

How much weight are you carrying?
Are you using hiking poles?
Do you know the proper way to hike downhills? (slightly bent knees)
Are you overweight?

[Tree Nerd]

How much weight are you carrying?
Are you using hiking poles?
Do you know the proper way to hike downhills? (slightly bent knees)
Are you overweight?

-winter/early spring Pack weight before food or water is roughly 25lbs and will be dropping a little after that shakedown hike.
-yes, using hiking poles.
-yes, I know how to hike downhill.
-No, not overweight.....well according to the doctor I am on the borderline of overweight, but thats a hunk of ****. I am 5'10" and 165lbs.

[Rasty]

-winter/early spring Pack weight before food or water is roughly 25lbs and will be dropping a little after that shakedown hike.
-yes, using hiking poles.
-yes, I know how to hike downhill.
-No, not overweight.....well according to the doctor I am on the borderline of overweight, but thats a hunk of ****. I am 5'10" and 165lbs.

Your doctors an idiot. I'm 5'10" and 150 pounds and have about 2% body fat.

[Pingus]

Sounds like your gear weight is just fine. And if your doctor even suggests 5' 10" 165lbs is overweight, I'd find a new doctor. :)

[Tree Nerd]

One thing I did notice with my right leg (leg with hurt knee) was that when i put pressure on the knee and bend it to step down I tended to turn my foot a little. I am assuming that the turning of my foot most likely resutled in a constant twisting of my knee. The only reason I noticed this was because I formed an awesome blister in the center of my right foot from my foot turning as stepping down from things.

[Tree Nerd]

Sounds like your gear weight is just fine. And if your doctor even suggests 5' 10" 165lbs is overweight, I'd find a new doctor. :)

Its not him, its the chart thing they have. It suggests that I am overweight by one pound haha. Also, I dont think its the pack weight. Yesterday when I hiked back to the waterfall, a two miles hike round trip, I was using my trekking poles, only had my camera, rain jacket, and camelpak on, and my knee flaired up almost immediately. Although, that could be due to it being so aggitated from the day before.

[Tree Nerd]

Sounds like you need a miniscus brace. Its a stretchy band that wraps around the lower part of the knee.

Are these was I always see runners and other running athelets with? I thought that was for tendonitis?....Im having a twisting problem...I think.

[Pingus]

One thing I did notice with my right leg (leg with hurt knee) was that when i put pressure on the knee and bend it to step down I tended to turn my foot a little. I am assuming that the turning of my foot most likely resutled in a constant twisting of my knee. The only reason I noticed this was because I formed an awesome blister in the center of my right foot from my foot turning as stepping down from things.

Kind of standard when you have an injury or pain to compensate by switching the workload to other parts of the body. They have fairly lightweight velcro full knee braces that should work just fine for you. I've actually bought mine at wmart and they've stood the test of time, worked perfectly. grab a knee brace. Enjoy your hike. :)

[Rasty]

One thing I did notice with my right leg (leg with hurt knee) was that when i put pressure on the knee and bend it to step down I tended to turn my foot a little. I am assuming that the turning of my foot most likely resutled in a constant twisting of my knee. The only reason I noticed this was because I formed an awesome blister in the center of my right foot from my foot turning as stepping down from things.

Kind of standard when you have an injury or pain to compensate by switching the workload to other parts of the body. They have fairly lightweight velcro full knee braces that should work just fine for you. I've actually bought mine at wmart and they've stood the test of time, worked perfectly. grab a knee brace. Enjoy your hike. :)

I do the same. Left miniscus hurts so I compensate and then my right IT band starts hurting. I now wear two different braces and the knee pain is mostly gone.

[Kerosene]

-No, not overweight.....well according to the doctor I am on the borderline of overweight, but thats a hunk of ****. I am 5'10" and 165lbs.Your doctor (or nurse) is probably just quoting your BMI, which is terribly inaccurate if you're in any sort of decent physical shape. I'm 5'9" and 170 lbs. with 11% bodyfat but my BMI is above 26. Just ignore it, keep active, and eat a balanced diet.

[jbwood5]

I think the therapy is eventually going to help. Many knee problems are caused by the knee cap not tracking properly (offset) and that begins to cause rubbing and wear inside the joint. The nerves and corresponding pain may be a result of poor tracking. I suspect there is an imbalance caused by the previous injury. Once you get this diagnosed, you'll know more. The brace may or may not help and you really need to determine the cause and see if it can be corrected by therapy, stretching or exercise. If the brace works, by all means wear it for now.
....and your weight sounds fine.

[Pingus]

I do the same. Left miniscus hurts so I compensate and then my right IT band starts hurting. I now wear two different braces and the knee pain is mostly gone.


Your doctor (or nurse) is probably just quoting your BMI, which is terribly inaccurate if you're in any sort of decent physical shape. I'm 5'9" and 170 lbs. with 11% bodyfat but my BMI is above 26. Just ignore it, keep active, and eat a balanced diet.

agreed... :)

[Ewok11]

I would wait until after seeing a therapist to worry about a brace. You could end up doing more harm than good by bracing it. If you need one post or during therapy, they will be able to prescribe the best for your specific issue. That's my two cents as a Neuromusclar Therapist and sufferer of multiple knee injuries.

[Tree Nerd]

I would wait until after seeing a therapist to worry about a brace. You could end up doing more harm than good by bracing it. If you need one post or during therapy, they will be able to prescribe the best for your specific issue. That's my two cents as a Neuromusclar Therapist and sufferer of multiple knee injuries.

Yeah I am going to wait till I see a doc., I just wanted to get an idea of what people are using and for what specific reasons. Just trying to guage what I may have to buy if worse comes to worse.

[Tree Nerd]

While walking my dog during lunch I definately noticed that my tend to twist my right foot as I walk where the heal turns towards my left leg. Looking at the tred wear on my shoes confirms that I am doing something different with my right foot and that I have been doing this for quite sometime.

[Tree Nerd]

If i have self diagnosed this correctly, the pain in my knee is due to overpronation. I probably never had sever pain before because I dont normally wear a 35lbs on my back or walk that far. This could be as simple of a fix as buying different insoles for my shoes.

[Tree Nerd]

Or it could be a million other things.....im going stop looking on the internet and wait till I see a doctor haha.

[Tree Nerd]

Been told by a cousin who is in the medical field that it sounds like ITBS (Iliotibial Band Syndrome). What caused it? No idea, but overpronation is a possibility. Ugh, I wish I was back in lex so I could figure this out.

[Rasty]

Been told by a cousin who is in the medical field that it sounds like ITBS (Iliotibial Band Syndrome). What caused it? No idea, but overpronation is a possibility. Ugh, I wish I was back in lex so I could figure this out.

IT band issues feel like you have a peg leg and you swing your foot around small rocks that you normally step over.

[Tree Nerd]

IT band issues feel like you have a peg leg and you swing your foot around small rocks that you normally step over.

Oh I was definately doing some foot swinging, any trying everything else under the sun to lessen the pain haha

[Ewok11]

Tree Nerd - have you ever injured your other leg? Any kind of injury at all that maybe seemed insignificant at the time? Sometimes your body will overcompensate and then end up causing more pain on the previously non-hurting side. One last random question: if you sit down and stretch your legs out straight in front of you like you're going to touch your toes, are your legs even? As in, are your feet side by side or is one higher up than the other?

[Tree Nerd]

Tree Nerd - have you ever injured your other leg? Any kind of injury at all that maybe seemed insignificant at the time? Sometimes your body will overcompensate and then end up causing more pain on the previously non-hurting side. One last random question: if you sit down and stretch your legs out straight in front of you like you're going to touch your toes, are your legs even? As in, are your feet side by side or is one higher up than the other?

I have had plenty of injuries over the years from sports but nothing sticks out to me that was any different. When I was younger, probably 10-15, I remember having a great deal of heel pain during/after sporting events. The only major injury to my knee area is that cut above the affected knee. And I just tried the sticking my feet straight out thing; my right foot is about a half inch lower than my left. What is up with that test?

[Ewok11]

It means you have something out of place pulling your left leg up. You are putting uneven force on your knee because your legs aren't even. A tight muscle or IT Band can do that, a knee sitting incorrectly causing a torque can do that or an "up-slip" of the hip could do that. There are more severe things that could cause the same issue but likely aren't your problem since you haven't indicated pain or stiffness anywhere else. My quick-over-the-internet-without-ever-having-seen-your-legs suggestion would be to invest in a foam roller or tennis ball until you get in to see a therapist. You can roll the tennis ball up and down your IT or you can lay down on it to work out really tight spots. Try rolling it under your foot also. Worst case, it doesn't help you and your out the cost of a tennis ball.

Again, I'm not a doctor, just a Neuromuscular Therapist, so I could easily be wrong.

[Tree Nerd]

Thanks for the input, Ill see what I can do.

[sweeper]

get honest
see an orthopedic dr.
he should prescribe an MRI, the only real way to see what is going on there
I know hiking in pain will eventually cause you to quit
do whatever it takes to fix this now, you will be great full in your later years

[poncho]

most braces are unconfortable try the petella tendon strap from rei or less expensive model at wall mart the straps work great

[FatMan]

I have struggled with knee issues for many years. Some simple suggestions that have worked for me over the years:

Go slower
Take shorter steps, especially on downhills
Use hiking poles
Buy yourself some Cho Pat braces

But you first need to find out if you did any serious damage to your knees on your hike.

[takethisbread]

I was just told I need a knee replacement . I am in pain. Is this the end of long distance hiking for me?

[illabelle]

I was just told I need a knee replacement . I am in pain. Is this the end of long distance hiking for me?

If you haven't already, get a second opinion, preferably from an orthopedist with an interest in sports medicine, or at least someone who will encourage you to be active. I went to an orthopedist recently because of hip pain that slows me down and interferes with me getting sleep at night while on the trail. On our last weekend trip, I had 4 or 5 sharp twinges in my hip while hiking. Had the pain become prolonged, I might have been unable to walk. I was concerned, wondered if I was damaging my joints, and whether I would eventually need a joint replacement. Orthopedist said it was just ordinary bursitis of the hip, and prescribed an anti-inflammatory and therapy. I'm hoping you'll get better news with a second opinion.

[takethisbread]

Anti inflammatory have not helped. I can't walk at all. I have a second opinion scheduled on may 8, but the treatment to date has been non effective.
If I do have to get knee replacement, does that put an end to hiking long distance ? Has anyone ever thru hiked on a knee replacement ?

[Swordpen]

This guy thru hiked in 2010 Richard and Carol Robinson

http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=264210

Trailname The Canadian Geese they say.

He had a hip AND knee replacement.

[keepinitsimple]

MRI is really the best thing to get. But anyhow, I have had chronic knee problems. They come and go. I too have been caught out there like you were. I carry 2 different braces by a company called Muller. They sell them at most pharmacies. They make the band one which is about 1.5 inched wide, but they also make a big one that goes above and below the knee. I don't leave home without them, and I have used them together before. Actually, I also keep duck tape in my kit at all times. One time I had to duck tape my knee to get home! I also keep a few heavy duty pain killers for emergencies in my med kit-just 2- enough to make it back out if you know what I mean. But seriously man, see the best Dr you can, get the mri, get other Dr opinions. Don't just load it up with shots of steroids, they will do that if you ask, but its just a band aid- does not solve the problem