Knee soft tissue damage

[Xplora]

What did I damage if I am struggling to walk down stairs, but everything else seems to be OK?

More importantly, will this dramatically mess up my ability to ride/unclip (unclipping is surely more important )

Don't t bone cars at 40kph. It HURTS.

[sogood]

Where does it hurt?

[Xplora]

Bottom and behind the patella?

[sogood]

Sounded like a local issue. Patella, patella tendon and surrounding most likely. Direct physical examination and investigation are obviously needed to further determine whether there's anything actively treatable. It's been 4 weeks hasn't it? You should get it reviewed.

[Xplora]

I'm doing MILES better. Just trying to figure out if trying to do a decent ride (40-60km) can be reasonably expected to destroy my knee or not. I sprinted 300m to the train yesterday, so it could be worse LOL

[sogood]

Well, if you are experiencing pain and have trouble going down the stairs, then it clearly indicates there's still something "wrong". Excessive or inappropriate use will only continue to irritate it and potentially developing it into a chronic condition. It's a matter that should be viewed with some caution.

[Xplora]

If it's improving, should I just relax? I'm starting to get the bug back

[sogood]

Can't blame your itch! We all have an addiction.

What I would recommend is that you should get it checked out so that you know exactly what the problem is. If there's a partially torn tendon/ligament or damage to the cartilage/bone or persistent bruising, then you'll want to know more about it before you make further plans. As I said, four weeks down the track and you should be almost over it. With that weakness going down stairs, it suggests there's something real. And at our age, the last thing we need is another chronic problem, one that can be induced by poor management of an acute problem.

Should you ride? Well, if you can walk then you can ride. But take it gentle. If you feel discomfort or frank pain, then stop and do no more. Assuming there's nothing serious, a bit of cycling is a good exercise to move a joint through its range of movement.

Hope this helps.

[Lizzy]

Hope you're still on the mend Xplora - now, if I may - ::hijack::

Similar issue & possibly dumb question - who best to get checked out by, for something like this? Physio, GP, Other?

I wrecked both knees about 6 months ago by spending a weekend running up and down stairs in the wrong shoes. Have taken it easy & waited for it to improve on its own, and a couple of times it's recovered to the point I'm no longer conscious of it and then done something stupid like clamber over rocks or play soccer, and re-aggravated it. Throughout, cycling hasn't bothered me at all, but as of another setback last week, now it does, and it's officially time to stop being dumb and get some help with it.

I've self-referred to a physio to start with, because getting to GP is a PITA, does anyone in the know recommend anything radically different?

[Xplora]

A GP is MUCH cheaper if you bulk bill it. If you can afford to burn 60-100 bucks on an initial physio consultation, then you shouldn't be asking for advice from the Internet, because we aren't qualified enough to make the cost worth it.

[Reman]

All a GP will do is either tell you to take some anti-inflammatories and RICE it, or they will refer you for an MRI/ultrasound/x-ray etc and possibly an ortho surgeon for a consult.

[Carriage]

While that is true, you need a referral to see the orthopaedic surgeon. It's up to you. If you want to know what's going on and get it fixed the best way possible, go the GP/surgeon route. If you want to see how it goes healing on its own, got the physio route. The GP/surgeon may go that way anyway.

I believe I tore my lateral meniscus in my left knee playing hockey last year and went to the physio. Them taping it up helped relieve the pain a fair bit, and I basically stayed off running on it for 6 months. This season, it went ok, but I reinjured it. I've been letting it heal but it was hurting when I tried bike riding the other week and didnt seem like getting much better so I decided to go see the GP with plans to see the surgeon that did an earlier reconstruction on it. MRI results are Tuesday with the surgeon.

[Xplora]

All a GP will do is either tell you to take some anti-inflammatories and RICE it, or they will refer you for an MRI/ultrasound/x-ray etc and possibly an ortho surgeon for a consult.

All the physio will tell you to do is do some exercises that are highly unrealistic to maintain (because they never take into account your overall situation, it's not holistic at all) and a GP is just as qualified with the basics of anatomy as the physio. If you're lucky they will do massage or ultrasound or whatever which they keep changing their minds over whether there is any clinical benefit.
The GP doesn't charge anything. They can check some basics, and make a call on who to refer you to. Let's get real here - you CAN diagnose by doing some reading online. The doc can say "you need the big guns" aka surgery and specialists.

Physios in general have been a waste of time and money for me. I will not see one for my knee despite my discomfort.

[coffeeandwine]

Hi Lizzy,
the physio would be the best place to start. If it is anything serious they should refer you on to your GP for further investigation.

Good luck with the recovery, not a lot of fun when it keeps you off the bike.

[Lizzy]

Thanks for your thoughts everyone - well in typical fashion since making the physio appointment it's improved again But that's some good perspective.

[twizzle]

A doc specialising in sports medicine, go for the MRI at least as a record of what's going on.

I have had a similar problem.... for nearly 20 years. Originally an indoor soccer injury, it flared up again a few years ago in a crit when I didn't warm up sufficiently, and hasn't been right since, ie. I can't climb out of the saddle at low cadence without making sure I keep my knees in close to the top tube or I suffer pain for days/weeks afterwards. I've had two MRI's on the knee in the last five years which show irregularities in the cartilage but nothing new. I'm just very careful now about warm up, getting up from sitting, walking up and down stairs, climbing out of the saddle, sprints... It's generally O.K. on the bike, but hurts if I push it in a race or heavy training.

My mother has just had a partial knee replacement due to the cartilage in the kneecap being worn out, less than two years after having that knee cleaned up. Months of physio ahead, and lots of pain. Look after your knees - hard to ride without them.

[Javierh]

I had a similar problem from an outdoor soccer injury.

Couldnt walk properly and strength in the knee was severely limited.

I have pain just below my kneecap. Went to gp then orthopedic surgeon.

I had an MRI and was diagnosed with patella tendinitis. All I need is physio which I haven't gotten round to yet lol