Steph Peters <[email hidden]>typed
Quoted message said:Helen Deborah Vecht of said:Cycling is excellent for weak knees as there are pretty well no sideways
stresses though the knee makes a good range of movements. Knee trouble
from cycling tends to relate to patellofemoral tracking problems or
those of the iliotibial band, neither of which are inside the knee joint
proper.
I've got what has been tentatively diagnosed as a patella mistracking
problem - I say tentative because the recommended treatments aren't working
at the moment, so I'm not personally convinced the diagnosis is correct yet.
What is it about cycling that causes this type of injury? Is there anything
I should stop doing to avoid making it worse?
--
Steph Peters
Chorlton Wanderers Cycling Group
Monthly slow and easy rides from South Manchester
http://www.sandbenders.demon.co.uk/cycling/chwan.htm
The quadriceps muscle straightens the knee.
Vastus lateralis pulls the patella sideways (outwards) in much of its action.
Vastus medialis pulls it inwards, but is only really active when the
knee is just about straight. It's easy for imbalance to arise,
especially in a woman. Women tend to have knees
that are somewhat \ /
||
shaped due to their pelvic and other feminine body shapes.
The female patella is also smaller.
The best exercises for this problem invole NEVER straightening the knee
against resistance.
Straight leg raising with or without ankle weights is good. (A bag of
rice/lentils will do.)
Sitting in a chair holding your leg straight out in front of you is
good. (Hey, you could be doing this right now while you type!) Do this
for as long as you can, then repeat.
Don't push high gears on your bike.
Make sure your saddle is high enough.
If your knee hurts when going down stairs, take as much weight as
possible through your arms on a handrail.
--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.
