how are your ankles and knees?



If for some reason I do have any pains and aches in my ankle
or knee I do put magnet wrappers on over the night. 9 out of
10 the next morning there is not symptoms. This is not
exactly 'magic', although everything
is. I assume it slowes blood stream and permits more time
for 'the goodies' to go into that part of the affected
area where they are needed.;) It may or may not work- in
any age.It may replace, in some
cases.....antyinflamatory drugs.:D

--
Uniwitold

Veni !Vidi !Mount ! ' Public does not perceive it reacts'. Greg
Harper.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Uniwitold's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/2181
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/32394
 
  • Like
Reactions: ladyay
johnfoss wrote:
> *If you can, get shorter cranks, a bigger wheel, or both.
> *

I fully intend to, but I have to get some money first, which
might be slightly more tricky. The obvious answer would be
to sell my bike, as I haven't used it for months, but the
state its in I think I'd end up paying someone to take it
away for me!

--
theamazingmolio - A Unicylist, a juggler, and a prat

Luke Duller ([email protected])
Never trust anything you read on the internet
------------------------------------------------------------------------
theamazingmolio's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/5931
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/32394
 
unigeee wrote:
> *I'm not talkong about pain i'm talking about aches that i
> ride through and may inhibit how high i can jump. the
> technique is comming along. the one tech change that i
> have adapted is to not just land on my ankles during drops
> (feet on pedals), but to engage them (flex to prepare for
> the impact). any other helpful longevity provoking tips
> from you century club seekers? *

If it's just aches rather than pains, yeah, I get aches and
soreness too after long rides. Mostly it's the muni weekends
and the Moab Muni Fest that do me in. That's two or three
days of long muni rides in a row. My leg muscles are always
sore after that. More conditioning would help along with
hiring a private masseur. That's what we need for the next
muni weekend -- a masseur.

I also don't like the ankle pains caused by landing a drop
when the ankles are flexed too much. It's an initial sharp
"ouch" and then a dull ache for a while afterwards. I try
to avoid that, and it hasn't happened to me recently so
maybe I'm getting better at preventing it. I'm not big on
drops so that is one reason it doesn't happen to me much.
But sometimes it happens while just riding a trail that has
small little step drops and you just hit one of them in the
wrong pedal position or bad foot posture and Bam! you get
the sting. It sucks when that happens on just a little
drop. I don't know how to really avoid that ankle sting.
I'm not going to wear a restricting brace because I need to
be able to flex my ankles for proper riding. Maybe it
happens to the young kids to and it's only the old guys
that complain about it.

--
john_childs - Guinness Mojo

john_childs (at) hotmail (dot) com
Gallery: '' (http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/john_childs)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
john_childs's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/449
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/32394
 
I almost don't want to answer here because my answer may
jinx me somehow. I've been cycling lots since I was 24
years old (21 years ago). Unicycling in the last 6+ years
only. I have never ever had knee or ankle problems other
than injuries from crashes. Make sure your knees are warm
enough, don't overdo it, stretching may help. Those sound
like good ideas, but I don't do ANY of them - I just ride.
Someday I expect to start having problems somewhere and
will then start being more careful I guess. Sorry this is
no help at all...

---Nathan

--
nathan - BIG rides: Muni & Coker
------------------------------------------------------------------------
nathan's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/251
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/32394
 
theamazingmolio wrote:
> *I'm only 15 so you probably don't even want me viewing
> your thread. but anyway: knees: I get a bit of an ache in
> my right knee when I do my (almost) daily 4mile round trip
> into town on my 20". *

Since you are 15 you might have Osgood-Schlaters disease.
This is an overuse injury that results in
inflamation/irritation of the shin bone just below your
knee. I'd see a doctor.

To explain what might be going on I have to describe how
bones grow. When babies are born their bones are mostly
cartilage. They aren't really bones as we know them because
there is very little calcium in them. The long bones quickly
begin to deposit calcium in the middle and end caps, but the
two regions of cartilage between the middle and the end caps
stay soft. It's these zones that grow as the kid gets older.
In a 10 year old the cartilage zones are just thin plates
that separate the bony shaft from the hard end caps. When
you go through adolescence

cartilage to grow rapidly, but the calcification process
increases even more rapidly. This is the famous "growth
spurt." It's over when the calcification process consumes
the cartilage growth plate and your long bones become one
piece of calcium.

So what is Osgood-Schlater's disease? There is a major
growth plate in your shin bone about an inch below your
knee joint. This is also where the patelar tendon attaches.
The patelar tendon holds your kneecap over your knee when
the quads pull on it. When you bend the knee under load
(pedaling, for instance) the growth plate is under
tremendous stress. With all the growing and calcification
that goes on in adolescence this stress may be too much and
it can start growing funny. You don't want that because
then it might misalign your knee joint for life. Like I
said, I'd see a doctor and get a professional opinion. I
think they need to take an x-ray or something to do a
proper diagnosis. My little brother had this when he was 15
and had to spend 6 months in a cast to let his bones rest.
(I think the Doc just wanted to make sure he didn't cheat
and play soccer again.)

The other possiblity is that you've got the same muscular
imbalance that I had when I was racing. The teardrop muscle
above your knee on the inside front of your thigh isn't as
strong as the muscles on outer front of your thigh so the
patella is pulled to the outside and tracks poorly. This
one is simple to fix if you've got the discipline: sit in a
chair, put a sandbag or other weight on your foot, and
straighten your leg. Hold it out as long as you can, then
let it down. Rest a little bit and repeat 5 times every
morning and evening. Again, don't just take my word for it.
Go see a Doc first. Don't neglect your knees! They're
really useful.

Good luck,

Tim

--
cyberbellum - Level 1.0 rider!

Optimists think the glass is half full. Pesimists think the glass is
half empty. Engineers think the glass is too big.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
cyberbellum's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/4550
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/32394
 
> I also don't like the ankle pains caused by landing a drop
> when the ankles are flexed too much. It's an initial sharp
> "ouch" and then a dull ache for a while afterwards. I try
> to avoid that, and it hasn't happened to me recently so
> maybe I'm getting better at preventing it.

the sting, that's a good thing to call it. I'm not big on
drops meaning i don't seek them out on purpose but with
trials riding i find myself regularly dropping three feet+.
you probably have gotten good at it having discovered that
you don't like the sting. i'm getting much better at it by
pointing the balls of my feet downwards and absorbing to
flat. with that i get no sting. i expect that eventualy i
won't even think about it.

i also find that Muni produces less joint ache, just
ordinary tired muscles.

> Those sound like good ideas, but I don't do ANY of them -
> I just ride. Someday I expect to start having problems
> somewhere and will then start being more careful I guess.
> Sorry this is no help at all...

lucky you. i generaly have just ridden as well and now find
myself having to admit that i need to just think about it a
little bit. keep it up though, you're doing soething right.

john

--
unigeee - Hmmmmm!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
unigeee's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/5397
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/32394
 
> This one is simple to fix if you've got the discipline:
> sit in a chair, put a sandbag or other weight on your
> foot, and straighten your leg. Hold it out as long as you
> can, then let it down.

I sat here reading this and then began doing exactly that
while reading this thread. Just a suggestion, combines the
enjoyment of reading the board and exercising all at once. I
gotta remember to do it more often.

I have been doing drops @ 2' and I have been landing flat
footed on the pedals. I did this thinking I would minimize
the ankle sting, that John mentioned. Turned out, I injured
the area that is the arch of my foot. Damned if you do,
damned if you don't. I could barely walk this morning. I
stretched it a bit and took some Mobic and that seems to
have helped. I can't take Ibuprofin, it makes me light
headed. NOt fun.

I will have to go back and work on the drops at lower
heights and work on technique. I also may have to raise the
Psi, because I was bottoming out everytime.

I found that lowering the seat for obstacles has
reallyhelped, and raising it for on the open trail has
helped as well. It might be inconvenient to switch the
height, but if it keeps me riding, what the Heck.

I find that the rides on Muni weekends are good for the
knees because you end up stopping so much to play on parts
of the trail. It allows a break on the knees. Stretch,
before moving on and I can ride farther, than if it was just
continuous mileage - thats when the knee pain sets
in.

I have learned to stop and rest, stretch and play, then move
on. No heavy duty mileage for this "Cat".

--
teachndad - The Munieer

Rod Wylie

------------------------------------------------------------------------
teachndad's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/56
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/32394
 
teachndad wrote:
> * I have been doing drops @ 2' and I have been landing
> flat footed on the pedals. I did this thinking I would
> minimize the ankle sting, that John mentioned. Turned
> out, I injured the area that is the arch of my foot.
> Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I could barely
> walk this morning. I stretched it a bit and took some
> Mobic and that seems to have helped. I can't take
> Ibuprofin, it makes me light headed. NOt fun. *

How soft are the soles of your riding shoes? If the shoes
are too soft then drops can indeed hurt the bottom of
your feet.

I had to add 'Dr. Scholl's Advantage Sport insoles'
(http://www.drscholls.com/product.aspx?prodid=56) to my
AXO/661 Dually shoes because the shoe sole was too soft. The
Dr. Scholl's inserts have a plastic piece to support the
arch. That plastic piece just happens to be in the right
spot to keep the pedals from hurting the bottom of your feet
when doing drops. With the new insoles, drops do not hurt
the bottom of my feet at all.

--
john_childs - Guinness Mojo

john_childs (at) hotmail (dot) com
Gallery: '' (http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/john_childs)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
john_childs's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/449
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/32394
 
Rod-

Shoes make a BIG difference in foot comfort after drops. If
I wear the flat soled Airwalks that I commute by Coker with
for drops it hurts my feet like crazy. High arched, stiff
running shoes make a HUGE difference. Now I use those in
combination with ankle support that has a stiff arch plate
which does it all.

I have been doing the leglift excercises as well but I use
either a piano or a Volkswagen instead of a sandbag.
Sandbags are for sissies.

--
harper - Statuesque

-Greg Harper

B L U E S H I F T

"Stoke your own thread as much as you see fit, no problem." - Klaas
Bil

"Ugh, the Harpers; The worst neighbours in the world" - Tony Micelli
------------------------------------------------------------------------
harper's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/426
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/32394
 
harper wrote:
> *
>
> I have been doing the leglift excercises as well but I use
> either a piano or a Volkswagen instead of a sandbag.
> Sandbags are for sissies. *

I hope you're using a concert grand, because my Mom uses a
compact, apartment size one.

--
spyder - Bubbles

There are no stupid questions,
Just stupid people.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
spyder's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/4190
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/32394
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom Back