I'm an occasional section hiker (in other words,
I do 20mi hikes 1-2x/year and train minimally in between).
Last month we did 20 miles in GA with some significant downhill (wearing 40lb packs), and I could tell we pushed ourselves a little too hard (again, minimal training beforehand).
By the end, my knee felt like I was smacking bone against bone and was in just the most severe pain. Walking was difficult for a few days.
By the end of the week, I felt minimal or no pain, but across the next month some movements brought back pain periodically.
1 month later we hit the trail again. I cruised up the hills no problem, but as soon as we did even a slight downhill, the stabbing pain returned. It only got worse as we hiked.
The
pain seems to be deep in my knee (i.e., behind the knee cap) and possibly also slightly to the side (i.e., lateral).
Has anyone else suffered this kind of injury or anything similar?
What was the diagnosis? (I'm trying to figure out what this is).
- My initial thoughts were maybe either tendonitis or IT band syndrome
Any treatment suggestions?
Due to lousy insurance and employment, I can't see a doctor about this for another 3 months.