Knee pain (never experienced before)

[Rumble83]

Im 28 and an enthusiastic rider, I've been fitted for the bike i ride and nothing has changed in 6000+km

last month i noticed a niggling pain in about the 8 oclock position of the right inner knee (if you measured from the middle of the knee) i didn't think much of it at the time. i had a few days off and the pain passed, i got back on the bike and midway through the ride it came up again (sigh). I had a further week off riding and the pain passed within a couple of days. but i decided to lengthen the rest. 20 odd kilometers into a 40 kilometers ride the pain returned and has me now concerned.

its very noticeable when bending the knee and straightening the leg. i can pin point the pain with pressure from the finger to the area of concern. i assume the pain will subside again within a few days but it seems it'll be hanging around until somethings done about it?

I haven't worn specalised warmth gear while riding before but i've read elsewhere knee warmers can assist? i don't see why i would need these as i have just braven the weather for the last few years with a jersey, knits, gloves nothing else. All my rides are high intensity and i warm up quickly.

its really affecting my training now and ive sought the forum for possible solutions/answers. I'm hoping someone who's experienced the same problem has a resolution for my dilemma.

Thanks

Andy.

[foo on patrol]

How long ago was the bike fit done and what if anything are you doing differently with your riding?

You may need to lower or lift or move your seat forward or back a bit!

[Rumble83]

The bike was fitted when i purchased the bike about 2 years ago, ive changed nothing with the style i ride and have kept the seat as is when fitted because of knowing how important posture is when riding. Its been two days since my ride and
I can almost gaurentee i wont feel pain tomorrow as its very minimal now.

[greyhoundtom]

Pain = injury

In the first instance self treatment with a liniment such as Zheng Gu Shui sports liniment may stimulate sufficient healing to overcome a minor problem, but if that does not solve the issue, have it checked out by a health professional before it becomes a major long term problem.

[RonK]

Ok, so you have not changed your bike setup. But how about your shoes, pedals, cleats? If you changed cleats recently, did you alter the position? Do they have enough float? Has anything changed at this interface?

[ColinOldnCranky]

Are you using cleats. While they are not as deadly as they used to be, I imagine that they can still contribute to knee problems if not adjusted correctly. It certainly used to he case and it could happen very quickly too.

[mazabuta]

I would consult a Dr a.s.a.p. if you haven't already, I had this same issue when I was around your age, sometimes it would vanish for weeks then re-surface with a vengeance, after about a year it got to the point where I couldn't bend and then extend my knee very fast at all even though there may have been no pain associated with the action at the time. It turned out I had torn the medial meniscus (the cartilage on the inside of the knee) which had in turn torn out a nice divet in the fat pad of the femur surface. Ended up with grade 3 chrodall damage and had to have the entire meniscus removed via arthroscopic surgery and the femur surface cleaned up. I'm not saying this is the same problem as you're having, just that sometimes seemingly minor ailments turn out to be major and permanent injuries and should be addressed accordingly.

[juggled_balls]

I would consult a Dr a.s.a.p. if you haven't already, I had this same issue when I was around your age, sometimes it would vanish for weeks then re-surface with a vengeance, after about a year it got to the point where I couldn't bend and then extend my knee very fast at all even though there may have been no pain associated with the action at the time. It turned out I had torn the medial meniscus (the cartilage on the inside of the knee) which had in turn torn out a nice divet in the fat pad of the femur surface. Ended up with grade 3 chrodall damage and had to have the entire meniscus removed via arthroscopic surgery and the femur surface cleaned up. I'm not saying this is the same problem as you're having, just that sometimes seemingly minor ailments turn out to be major and permanent injuries and should be addressed accordingly.

how have things been post treatment? i did the 210km around the bay in a day and at 150km my right knee started giving me issues. 1 month later and i can't even ride 5km on my bike. pretty sure that i've put my bike back together properly after shipping it. and fairly sure it's the lateral meniscus that's the issue. physio just says lots of rest. surgery is something i really wouldn't want to do.

[Ken Ho]

I would consult a Dr a.s.a.p. if you haven't already, I had this same issue when I was around your age, sometimes it would vanish for weeks then re-surface with a vengeance, after about a year it got to the point where I couldn't bend and then extend my knee very fast at all even though there may have been no pain associated with the action at the time. It turned out I had torn the medial meniscus (the cartilage on the inside of the knee) which had in turn torn out a nice divet in the fat pad of the femur surface. Ended up with grade 3 chrodall damage and had to have the entire meniscus removed via arthroscopic surgery and the femur surface cleaned up. I'm not saying this is the same problem as you're having, just that sometimes seemingly minor ailments turn out to be major and permanent injuries and should be addressed accordingly.

how have things been post treatment? i did the 210km around the bay in a day and at 150km my right knee started giving me issues. 1 month later and i can't even ride 5km on my bike. pretty sure that i've put my bike back together properly after shipping it. and fairly sure it's the lateral meniscus that's the issue. physio just says lots of rest. surgery is something i really wouldn't want to do.

Get an MRI.

[AndyTheMan]

surgery is something i really wouldn't want to do.

I used to have this thought about surgery, but have had two issues resolved through surgery over the past 5 years and wondered why I was so worried.

Both were fairly minor day surgery under general anaesthetic issues.

One was my wisdom teeth - I had pain/infections for YEARS - I mean 5-7 years! but for some reason I avoided surgery. Eventually had it done, got worried when the 'tooth extraction specialist' dentist I was referred to wouldn't do it and referred me to a maxio-facial surgeon

Anyway, had it done, was sore for a week, problem solved, best thing I ever did and wondered why I never did it before!

My other surgery was a similar (relatively minor) issue in the upper part of my nasal passage

The point is, surgery might lay you up for a week - but its better than going through the pain for years on end! And in a case like knees or hips or backs, potentially leading to much more painful and complicated issues....

Surgery = not fun but also = problems solved (hopefully)

[gcouyant]

last month i noticed a niggling pain in about the 8 oclock position of the right inner knee (if you measured from the middle of the knee)

Andy I went through exactly what you describe. As an engineer it annoyed me that with no physical change to the bike, shoe and pedal components, riding style etc, knee pain appeared out of the blue. I went through a series of changes to the bike and cleat position and whilst there were combinations that delayed the onset of knee pain it didn't cure the problem (or the cause).

In the end I changed from Shimano SPD (mountain biker) to Time ATAC which has a bit more float and instantly the pain disappeared. Hasn't come back in a couple of years now so all I can put it down to is that the knee joint and supporting tendons were just getting old(er).

[scirocco]

When I start getting little niggles in my knees I check my saddle height and every time, sure enough, the post's slipped down a bit or I didn't set it up right when it was last removed or something.

Even if the OP thinks nothing's changed and he was fitted to the bike it's worth getting that seat up. Keep raising it 1mm at a time until you feel you are starting to rock or stretch to reach the pedals, then back it off 1mm.

[juggled_balls]

I would consult a Dr a.s.a.p. if you haven't already, I had this same issue when I was around your age, sometimes it would vanish for weeks then re-surface with a vengeance, after about a year it got to the point where I couldn't bend and then extend my knee very fast at all even though there may have been no pain associated with the action at the time. It turned out I had torn the medial meniscus (the cartilage on the inside of the knee) which had in turn torn out a nice divet in the fat pad of the femur surface. Ended up with grade 3 chrodall damage and had to have the entire meniscus removed via arthroscopic surgery and the femur surface cleaned up. I'm not saying this is the same problem as you're having, just that sometimes seemingly minor ailments turn out to be major and permanent injuries and should be addressed accordingly.

how have things been post treatment? i did the 210km around the bay in a day and at 150km my right knee started giving me issues. 1 month later and i can't even ride 5km on my bike. pretty sure that i've put my bike back together properly after shipping it. and fairly sure it's the lateral meniscus that's the issue. physio just says lots of rest. surgery is something i really wouldn't want to do.

Get an MRI.

went to the gp and all he could give me was an ultrasound. got the report back and pretty much says that there's fluid and inflammation in my knee so now i just have to play the waiting game. no cycling/running for a while so will have to just hit the pool

[sumgy]

Just because you had no pain 6000km ago does not mean that your bike fit was right.
I was the same and then suddenly was crippled to the point where I could barely stand up.

Here is a good post on knee pain by Steve Hogg.