Knee pain!!

[hikingshoes]

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]

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]

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]

Are you using trekking poles? The ones with springs are especially helpful for those with knee problems.

[hikingshoes]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Were you using poles?
And you did do WAY too much. Ice, rest, Vit I and consider a cho pat duo knee brace

[hikingshoes]

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]

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-...eature=related

[WILLIAM HAYES]

trry using knee braces

[Bags4266]

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]

trry using knee braces

Thats what we are going to do next time we hike.HS

[futureatwalker]

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^]

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]

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

[Penguin]

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]

[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

[Praha4]

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