Stabbing Knee Pain

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by luna723
Went for a ride the other day and I had the worst stabbing pain under my kneecap (upper left corner of left knee). The pain was so intense that I had to turn around and spin very easily home. Once home I iced it, took some Aspirin and applied some Arnica. Went out for a fast group ride tonight (don't say it) and the knee felt fine except for a few instances when I was pedalling out of the saddle (the pain only occured on the upstroke, right before coming over the top). Has anyone else experienced this and, if so, what should I do about it?

SEE A SPORTS MEDICINE PROFESSIONAL IMMEDIATELY

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by luna723
Went for a ride the other day and I had the worst stabbing pain under my kneecap (upper left corner of left knee). The pain was so intense that I had to turn around and spin very easily home. Once home I iced it, took some Aspirin and applied some Arnica. Went out for a fast group ride tonight (don't say it) and the knee felt fine except for a few instances when I was pedalling out of the saddle (the pain only occured on the upstroke, right before coming over the top). Has anyone else experienced this and, if so, what should I do about it?

I'd second the advice to get it checked out, but often it's very hard to find someone that can do it with knowledge of cycling and how it affects the joints too.

If you use clipless, have your cleats moved at all, has the saddle moved, is it still the right height.

I get this sort of pain occasionally, and it's down to the saddle height in my case, and sometimes foot position on the pedal (I don't yet use clipless). Tends to only be on leg, but I know from the dents in my saddle that I don't sit on the saddle exactly square, I'm slightly over to the side that I tend to get occasional knee pain in.

However, if it's any more than an occasional twinge on a ride (ie, I can feel it most revolutions intead of just once or twice every 10 miles or so) then I abandon the ride if it's not subsided after a mile of being careful to not power through that knee too much.

I know I have dodgy knees (car accident some years ago) so have to live with it (though cycling's improving them, strengthening the muscles around the knees) - if I hadn't had that damage and suddenly got knee pain as you've described I'd get it checked out and be VERY careful about cycling with it till I'd had that done. They take a lot of time to heal once knackered, and sometimes never recover properly :-(

Principally I wouldn't cycle in any way that might cause you pain. If you can ride in a lower gear and feel pain-free then you'll be on safe ground. If your climbing a hill, however, and you feel some pain it's best to stop the activity.
I had the same problem a few weeks ago with a hamstring attached to my knee that got injured. I stopped riding for a couple of days, did some auxiliary therapy work and resumed riding in lower gears and on the flat. With any injury, it's fine to continue activity so long as it doesn't cause pain.
Your knees are probably telling you to ease up. You may have been going too hard too often and not taking enough rest days or easy rides.
Usually an injury will clear up fairly soon so long as you ease off a little.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by luna723
Went for a ride the other day and I had the worst stabbing pain under my kneecap (upper left corner of left knee). The pain was so intense that I had to turn around and spin very easily home. Once home I iced it, took some Aspirin and applied some Arnica. Went out for a fast group ride tonight (don't say it) and the knee felt fine except for a few instances when I was pedalling out of the saddle (the pain only occured on the upstroke, right before coming over the top). Has anyone else experienced this and, if so, what should I do about it?

Your knee is not tracking properly due to an imbalance. Sounds like you need to get your vastus intermedius (quads) released and your low back adjusted by a chiropractor

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by drwood
Your knee is not tracking properly due to an imbalance. Sounds like you need to get your vastus intermedius (quads) released and your low back adjusted by a chiropractor

Wasn't Kirk Douglas Vastus Intermedius in Quo Vadis? 😄 😄