Knee pain

Michael said:

My left knee hurts on the downstroke when I pedal. It hurt
the middle of the summer last year when I was training too
hard. I thought it would resolve itself over the winter, but when
I rode lightly this spring, I felt the pain again.

It's sharp and on the outer part of my knee, to the left of my
left knee cap.

Thoughts?

see your doctor or a physical therapist who is cyclist and who
can help you adjust your bike, pedals, and cleats. try pedals
with more float, like speedplay frogs. most important talk to
your doc if it persists.

Michael said:

My left knee hurts on the downstroke when I pedal. It hurt
the middle of the summer last year when I was training too
hard. I thought it would resolve itself over the winter, but when
I rode lightly this spring, I felt the pain again.

It's sharp and on the outer part of my knee, to the left of my
left knee cap.

Hard to tell from here, but the most common cause of pain there is
iliotibial band syndrome, aka ITBS. There is a big flat tendon which
runs from your hip bone down to the top of your tibia. On the way, it
passes over a little nubbin on the outside of the femur, just above
the knee. When you flex your knee, it rubs against this nubbin. When
it becomes inflamed there, it causes ITBS. If the problem is ITBS, you
want to minimize the rubbing. Ways to minimize the rubbing include
making sure your saddle is not too high, positioning cleats so your
feet do not turn in, and using pedals with float. A program of
stretching is also important.

If you have been having the pain for a while, it is a good idea to see
someone familiar with cycling injuries for advice and to make sure it
isn't something else.

Michael said:

My left knee hurts on the downstroke when I pedal. It hurt
the middle of the summer last year when I was training too
hard. I thought it would resolve itself over the winter, but when
I rode lightly this spring, I felt the pain again.

It's sharp and on the outer part of my knee, to the left of my
left knee cap.

Thoughts?

I would have thought that if the problem was tendinitis it would have
not come back so quickly. I'd see a sports med doc. One thing to try in
the meanwhile is to replace your pedals with platforms and sneakers.
Ride with those a little bit so you can try different foot angles, see
if that makes any difference. You may need float, you may just need a
different cleat angle, or it may be none of the above.

I too had pain like yours that started off as IT tendonitis. The problem
is that once one thing gets off in your knee, it can lead to other problems
as your body unconsciously adjust to the pain. The problem is that it can
lead to chronic pain. I have now been unable to bike for the last 1.5
years and have been working hard on rehabbing my knee.

Advise... do not take pain lightly as it is an indication that something is
wrong. First thing is to find someone who is a professional fitter and make
sure your bike is adjusted right. To find a good fitter, just post where
you live. The second thing is to get into the doctor right away and make
sure the knee is sound. Next, make an appointment with a Physical
Therapist to learn the correct exercises and stretches to alleviate your
problem.

Do it before it is too late.

Good luck!

"Michael" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My left knee hurts on the downstroke when I pedal. It hurt
the middle of the summer last year when I was training too
hard. I thought it would resolve itself over the winter, but when
I rode lightly this spring, I felt the pain again.

It's sharp and on the outer part of my knee, to the left of my
left knee cap.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Mike

I also had knee pain. After seeing some sports therapists and doctors, they
figured out it was due to not enough stretching (hams, quads, etc.)

"Michael" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My left knee hurts on the downstroke when I pedal. It hurt
the middle of the summer last year when I was training too
hard. I thought it would resolve itself over the winter, but when
I rode lightly this spring, I felt the pain again.

It's sharp and on the outer part of my knee, to the left of my
left knee cap.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Mike