Left knee pain on top of knee cap

[Ballmead]

Hi all,
I'm getting knee pain on the front of my left knee, on top of the knee cap.
It usually happens when I'm climbing or putting plenty of power through the pedals.
It's only on my left knee, so I'm struggling to sort it out.
I ride at least 5 days a week but usually only around 30-50klms a session.
I'm 52 so I'm not as lithe or flexible as I used to be. Does anyone have any tips for me?

[foo on patrol]

Can be a few things but have you tried stretching your quads?

Foo

[Ballmead]

Can be a few things but have you tried stretching your quads?

Foo

No, not really, are we talking before or after cycling?

[foo on patrol]

Stretching as a normal part of exercise. Ideally if you have this pain during rides, you would stretch after rides but also do some as part of a daily thing to help with the problem. Pushing big gears can aggravate these problems along with incorrect position on the bike.

Hope that helps a bit.

Foo

[Ballmead]

Stretching as a normal part of exercise. Ideally if you have this pain during rides, you would stretch after rides but also do some as part of a daily thing to help with the problem. Pushing big gears can aggravate these problems along with incorrect position on the bike.

Hope that helps a bit.

Foo

Sounds like a plan, thanks for the advise.

[foo on patrol]

All good.

Foo

[Andy01]

I was getting some knee pain last year - possibly a little to the underside of my knee cap rather than exactly on top, and did some Dr Google" and found that this is probably due to an IT band tightness and can be treated with a foam roller - by rolling the IT band along the outer length (ie. lie of your side and roll from just above the knee to just under the hip). Hurts a bit at first but eases up and I still do it every morning and I haven't had a problem since.

Something like this - around 1:55;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXW5i7lg-40

Your pain might be different but maybe worth a try. Foam rollers can be had at KMart, BigW or eBay for a few dollars.

[Ballmead]

I was getting some knee pain last year - possibly a little to the underside of my knee cap rather than exactly on top, and did some Dr Google" and found that this is probably due to an IT band tightness and can be treated with a foam roller - by rolling the IT band along the outer length (ie. lie of your side and roll from just above the knee to just under the hip). Hurts a bit at first but eases up and I still do it every morning and I haven't had a problem since.

Something like this - around 1:55;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXW5i7lg-40

Your pain might be different but maybe worth a try. Foam rollers can be had at KMart, BigW or eBay for a few dollars.

Thanks mate, I'll grab a foam roller and give it a try.

[Tim]

I occasionally get pain in the kneecap area. At my age (59) it's usually just a result of overdoing it. I normally ride 4 -6 days a week, fairly easy 30 -50km's, with one, maybe two really hard intense rides each week.
When things start to ache I just back off for a few days, ride gently, spinning easy gears for the next week or so until everything comes good again.
Check your saddle position and cleat angle.

[Ballmead]

I occasionally get pain in the kneecap area. At my age (59) it's usually just a result of overdoing it. I normally ride 4 -6 days a week, fairly easy 30 -50km's, with one, maybe two really hard intense rides each week.
When things start to ache I just back off for a few days, ride gently, spinning easy gears for the next week or so until everything comes good again.
Check your saddle position and cleat angle.

Yeah I think it may be due to overuse too. I'll check my saddle height and position tonight too. My cleats are ok.

[trailgumby]

What do yo do for a job? A common risk for desk jockeys is that sitting all day atrophies the glutes, leading to over-recruiting the quads. ITB irritation and kneecap connective tissue strain and not tracking correctly follow as an inevitable result.

I have found the three best preventve measures for me are:
* warming up slowly - not mashing the pedals straight away
* stretching immediately after riding - quads, glutes and hamstrings. Hold each for at least a minute if you can, x2.
* resistance training with weights, focusing on glute recruitment during the leg extensions (you should be doing other exercises as well)
* focusing on stable hips and glute recruitment during your pedaling action, both in and out of the saddle

(yes, there's four - you got a bonus )

I can share my routine if there is interest.

[Ballmead]

What do yo do for a job? A common risk for desk jockeys is that sitting all day atrophies the glutes, leading to over-recruiting the quads. ITB irritation and kneecap connective tissue strain and not tracking correctly follow as an inevitable result.

I have found the three best preventve measures for me are:
* warming up slowly - not mashing the pedals straight away
* stretching immediately after riding - quads, glutes and hamstrings. Hold each for at least a minute if you can, x2.
* resistance training with weights, focusing on glute recruitment during the leg extensions (you should be doing other exercises as well)
* focusing on stable hips and glute recruitment during your pedaling action, both in and out of the saddle

(yes, there's four - you got a bonus )

I can share my routine if there is interest.

I'm a tradesman but the job entails office work as well. Stretching is a common theme that I'm reading here and online. Looks like a bit of maintenance is in order

[LateStarter]

Not specifically about this problem but inspires me to keep "training", You might have to get Dr Google to translate

https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr ... 47610.html

[Thoglette]

Similar problem. Weak glutes and weak calves, amongst other things.

See a physio before you ***** your knee properly.

And check that your saddle is not too low.

[Ballmead]

Bit of an update. I raised my seat using the inseam x 1.09 method and also moved my seat back 5mm and my left knee pain was no more. Not only that but my average speed was the highest it's been for years.
Im also stretching my quads before and after a ride too.
Thank you everyone for your advice and tips.