Knee Trouble

Hello all
So a couple weeks ago, I did nothing out of the ordinary other than a walk around the mall. The next morning my right knee was really sore. I've had something similar happen with my ankle. Nothing strenuous, but sore. I think that cleared up in about week. So when my knee started acting up, I figured I would give it a couple days and it'd be alright. About a week goes by and it's not getting better. I actually look at it and noticed it's swollen. Above the knee and a little on the left of the knee. So I figure I should ice it. It's been almost a week and it's better definitely but surely not 100%. Do you guys wait until it's 100% to get back on your bike? There's no going to the doctor for me for a while btw . Thanks guys

 

I have an episode every 4-5 months with swelling and pain on my surgically repaired knee, and so far it goes away within 2 weeks. keeping it mobile helps for me; it is most stiff and painful as soon as I get up to walk after sitting for a while. If I were you, i'd take the bike fore a mellow spin (5 miles or so) on relatively flat surface and give the knee a day to see how it responds. Pedaling might help push the fluid out of the joint and make it feel better. If it feels no worse than before the ride, increase the length and intensity in increments and go from there. Dr. DirtyD is an orthopedic consultant every third Friday of the month.

 

I have random knee pain in my right knee. Same one I've had 2 ACL replacements in. Explanation I've received is that the muscles on each side of the knee are not balanced evenly strength-wise so the knee is being pulled slightly out of alignment and this causes irritation and swelling sometimes on rides since pedaling is a repetitive motion. It went away for the most part after surgery #2 with all the rehab I was doing, but has come back at times. I think sometimes I also tweak the knee a bit with a slight hyperextension and that can trigger swelling which also causes pain. I'm sure continued rehab exercises would help but I never seem to have the time.

If it is swollen give it some time for the swelling to go down. Ice and elevating the knee will help. Then do some flat-ish/ easy riding and see how it responds. If ok, ramp it up. I'd probably do some of the same knee exercises I've been prescribed as rehab to strengthen it. I'm sure you can find plenty of suggestions on line.

 

I'm in the ACL replacement club as well, and have had the same experience as Evan (seemingly random pain). I find that icing followed by heat (repeat as necessary) seems to calm things down, as does Arnica gel application.

 

Thank you @DangerDirtyD @evdog & @Walleye . Dr. Dirty D, this sounds familiar. Stiff and sore after sitting for a while. Evdog, thanks. I'm almost sure I'm in the same boat as you. I actually remember a slight hypertension during my walk the day before the pain..Walleye, thank you. I have not tried heat, ever. I am a little concerned everyone with familiar stories has already had surgery on their knee

 

There's something about the mall. My bad knee became my good knee after the good knee got hurt last year. The hurt knee is healed enough now that it has more or less earned good knee status again. The bad (non-recently injured) knee suffered a less traumatic injury a number of years ago. It's prone to the symptoms you mention, and is typically aggravated by pretty innocuous activities. Buckles easily when aggravated as well. Mountain biking - fine. Backpacking - fine. Weight training - fine. Moderate walks on hard flat surfaces - look out. I do seem less susceptible to the latter when riding regularly. Knock on wood, the surgerized knee isn't giving me any issues at all. I suppose this isn't all that helpful, but I can't help but subscribe to DDD's theory. Bike should help for strengthening. Try a small dose, and work your way back up.

 

Good morning. Yes, moderate walks on hard flat surfaces is what seems like gets me too. I have a tendency to walk at an accelerated pace, especially when alone. When I think I could have hyperextended my knee, I just thought of it as a misstep. I remember saying to myself, "you don't know how to walk?" lol. I have been in my garden a lot, on my knees. I thought that was more of a possibility of injury, but yeah, hyperextension is probably worse. So I'm going to ice it really good today, and take an easy ride. Maybe get in the garden also.

 

My left knee is weaker than my right... And has been since I injured it in March 2005 with a flying tackle of Emmanuel M. and a landing on concrete. It became a lot better when I shed the weight, but it still acts up every now and then. You guys will think I'm nuts, but it always acts up when I ride the Barcalounger. Sitting and spinning is hard on the knees. The single speed with all of the standing and slow mashing is like knee therapy, and never gives me any issues.

On a positive (?) note, I'm now riding some awesome trails, and Emmanuel is serving life for murder...

So... Get a single speed... And lay off the flying tackles.

 

Hoping you get it in check asap, Rocky. I've had issues but don't have much to add to the good advice here. Maybe just to get healthcare when you really need it, even if you have to go in the hole a bit. Cartilage sucks at healing and it's prone to only getting worse. Take care and do what you gotta do.

 

Steve, don't leave us hanging! I need Page 2, & The Rest Of The Story . . . about your take-down of a killer!

 

He wasn't a killer at that point... That happened 6 months later. At the time, he was just a gang banger from Miami...

He is one of about 20 murderers that I know personally. Unfortunately, I also know the victims in almost every case. People usually ask what type of law enforcement I was in. I say, "Nope... Teacher. Florida public schools."

I earned a hernia surgery there, too... From wrestling with a recently released convict from Attica. His grandmother wasn't a peach either... Neither was the .45 the cops found next to him after he ran at his grandmother's insistence.

 

Thanks Mike. I'm definitely going to be easy on it. I don't have insurance anymore, so I can't really screw it up. But I have noticed more popping from there. I hate getting old. I think I've aged 5 years in 2020 alone

 

Wow! Smh..

 

Holy shyt, Steve. I knew you were a badass, but... Glad you lived through that stage of your life. Assuming it's over!!! Thanks for fighting the good fight(s).

Okay, then, Rocky...no good samaritan heroics, tackling anyone, subduing murderers, okay??

 

Jeez, no wonder Florida is not worried about teachers dealing with covid

What's interesting for me is sitting down and putting my feet up for 1/2 hour usually makes the pain go away. I've never used ice or heat since I don't have obvious swelling. When I experienced bad pain the first time on the Arizona trail I was 20 miles from the start or the nearest road. Hobbled my way over to the road and hitch-hiked back to the truck. Sat down in the shade and had a beer. Knee pain was gone before I finished the beer. I think something gets irritated in the knee though which makes it recur on subsequent days. On that trip each day I'd ride I'd be able to do about 15mi before it would start hurting again. Take a break for 1/2 hour and I could sometimes continue for a while. I'd give it a rest for a week or two after the trip and then be able to start doing longer rides again. I was having this pain before my 2nd ACL replacement so it isn't directly related to that. I haven't had many problems with pain coming back the latter half of 2019 or in 2020.

 

Holy jeebus, Steve! You're one bad mutha -ucka! Definitely need to ride near you on the next WW night assault, so the mtn lion(s) will know their place.

 

Your school stories never cease to amaze me. I don't feel like we even work in the same profession. If I had experienced one of your hundreds of stories, I would have quit out of hopelessness. Fortunately, and knock on wood, I mostly encounter civilized students and parents who are by and large grateful for our efforts. And I have worked in schools with a lot of disenfranchised, transient, low SES, ESL students, including my current school. Some wanna-be gang activity, and the occasional neighborhood murder related to same - but NOTHING like the stories you tell.

Sorry for the derail. Bummed that your knee is a mess @-ROCKY- . I don't have any useful advice beyond what others have suggested. Ride when you can!

 

Lol @mike alright, the cape stays hidden.. For now...
@herzalot I think my knee is coming around already! I took the about advice and did a real easy neighborhood loop yesterday evening. I thought the first two or three pumps were telling me not now. I tried to make my good left leg do most of the work. At the end of the ride my knee felt much better! Like it's lighter, or lubricated. Still a little limp though. Then this evening I took the fat bike to the beach and put a few more miles on it. No pain, feels good. Still not a 100%, but I'm happy with the progress!! Thanks a million guys!!!