hurting knees

[proszach]

okay here's the deal: I can handle the uphill struggle of tackling a mountain, but everytime I go downhill I get sharp pains in my knees that require me to stop frequently. Now I know that my chicken-legs probably don't help the situation, but does anyone have any helpful tips on how to lessen the pressure on my knees during the downhill?? Thanks!

 

[BirchBB]

Hiking poles have helped relieve some of the stress on my knees on downhills for me.

 

[DougPaul]

okay here's the deal: I can handle the uphill struggle of tackling a mountain, but everytime I go downhill I get sharp pains in my knees that require me to stop frequently. Now I know that my chicken-legs probably don't help the situation, but does anyone have any helpful tips on how to lessen the pressure on my knees during the downhill?? Thanks!

There are many possible causes of downhill knee pain. Get checked out to make sure you don't have an injury, structural, or medical problem.

Hiking poles can help.

Strengthening the quads can also help. Downhill (absorbing energy) uses the muscles differently than uphill (producing energy) and specific training for the downhill may be useful. A simple way of doing this is just to walk up and down s small hill. Once the legs are strong enough, add pack weight. Do every other day (the muscles need a day of rest to recover and build--every day can overtrain and weaken them). A 200ft hill works for me.

Backing down easy sections of trail can also help. Uses more hip (glutes) and less knee (quads).

You may have foot or knee problems. (Foot problems can show up as knee pain.) Get them checked out. Some foot problems can be delt with by proper shoes or insoles.

Doug

 

[Dugan]

My knee problems are due to rheumatoid and a little osteo arthritis, along with slight damage to the miniscus in the worse knee.

I swear by Cosamin (glucosamine-chondroitin sulfate nutritional supplement). After years of hiking despite the discomfort, it allows me to hike without poles or braces. I also wake up pain-free.

Prior to that it was use of trekking poles when going down hill, along with neoprene kneebraces with patella support and hinged side stays.

I also walk/run, exercise & stretch regularly

 

[bobmak]

Definately get your knees checked out! I dealt with knee pain for years, although my pain occured when going uphill; also during cycling and CC skiing. I kept ignoring it & dealt with it by taking Ibuprphen and icing it after long bike rides. Finally this year I went in for an MRI and found out that I have worn a hole in the menisci and am looking at surgery in the next year. I now wear a brace for anything that is more athletic than walking the dogs. My advice... if the knee pain is chronic, don't wait! I only made things much worse but not going in earlier.

On another interesting note... about 10 years ago when skiing Killington I had a rather nasty fall down Outer Limits. My knee swelled up for a few days, I iced it, limped around for a couple of weeks, it got better and I thought all was well. What the MRI also revealed was that I had torn my ACL way back then and it had reattached itself in a different spot about 1/2" away which, in turn, has increased the strain on my left knee. Had I only seen an ortho when I first injured that knee....

 

[Rugger]

I had a similar trip to the Dr. I play Rugby and this past spring, I got my lower leg stepped on. I went to the Dr. about the swelling and found out that I had broken my leg sometime within the previous 12 months (the small bone only). Luckily it had healed fine.

 

[Sherpa John]

ya

Sarah has knee pains herself. She uses a knee brace that just wraps around her leg just under the knee. Hiking poles DEFINATELY help take the stress off your knees as well.

But most importantly.. SEE A DOCTOR!

 

[JohnL]

Wearing crampons can put more stress on your knees, particularly when going downhill. Not sure if this would contribute to your knee pain or not. As others have stated, strengthening up your major and minor muscles around the knees will help as will external aids such as braces or poles.

JohnL

 

[arghman]

I was going to respond but agree w/ everyone here, esp. DougPaul.

Only additional comment is if you can't find a doctor who addresses the problem, consider a physical therapist, they have a different approach which is sometimes more effective.

And get in the habit of stretching!!!

 

[proszach]

Thanks everyone. All helpful information, unfortunately I think it is chronic enough to visit a doctor, so that is in my plans for the near future. I also plan on exercising my leg muscles more often, because I never do unless I am hiking.

 

[DougPaul]

Thanks everyone. All helpful information, unfortunately I think it is chronic enough to visit a doctor, so that is in my plans for the near future. I also plan on exercising my leg muscles more often, because I never do unless I am hiking.

Worth the visit--it will help you to focus on the underlying problem.

Keeping the fitness up off season and getting in some exercise during the week has been a significant help to my hiking, particularly as the years have accumulated... Also managed to beat a 10yr knee problem in part by slowly building my quads. (The cause was in the foot, but strong quads protect the knee.)

You may also find that the docs recommend strenthening the quads as part of the rehab from any knee problem...

Doug

 

[molto-mango]

A good PT is priceless ...

After 2 knee surgeries and chronic shoulder impingement problems, I've learned that outside of diagnosis, most sports docs are superfluous -- unless the condition absolutely requires surgery. Providing guidance on alternate therapies is not an orthopod's forte. Podiatrists and allied health professionals (PTs, massage therapists) can be very helpful, however.

Quad and accessory muscle strength, gait abnormalities, corrective orthotics, hiking pole benefits, chondroitin -- all good info that I had collected piecemeal from various sources, but one good PT (preferably one who performs the same or similar sports that you do) can explain all this at once, from the beginning. And can then prescribe a stretching and workout regimen to deal with the problem now as well as avoid future recurrences (with many variations to alleviate boredom and overuse injuries).

Ok I'm off the soapbox now ... Good luck.

 

[forestgnome]

I believe I have some minisci damage, started to hurt in both knees, mostly in left knee. For me the pain would happen from any twisting action, such as kicking a stone off the trail with the side of my foot, where pressure was applied to the inside of the knee.
I found that doing leg extensions and hamstring contractions on the machines at the gym was excaserbating the problem! I would feel the same pain if I used too much weight. So I quit them all together and now I seldom feel the pain. Now I do sqats and lunges with light free-weights without pain.

 

[SherpaKroto]

DEFINITELY see a doctor. I did, found I have degenerative osteoarthritis, and was not optomistic about my hiking future. I was prescribed an "OA Unloader brace" and got a custom brace from Generation II. To say that it changed my life is an understatement. Before the brace I could barely walk 2-3 days after a hike. I first tried it on Moosilauke, and immediately felt little pain during, and after the hike. I have since been able to do 2 multiday hikes (5 days each) and am not looking back. It does take a bit of getting used to it, but it is worth it to be able to hike without pain again.

 

[Dalraida]

Knee Pain too

I have the same outside knee pain as SKIMOM described. However, I started having these pains at least 30 years ago on long hikes after not hiking for long periods of time. They only occur down hill, and seem related to lifting the leg to step. Mine have always gone away once I start getting out on the hills several times a week. It feels like something is in the joint that gets worked out after days of hiking and dosn't return until the next hiking season begins.

Once my last dog passes away I am going to try a thru-hike on the AT. Wonder what will happen then.

 

[DougPaul]

For those asking about various kinds of knee pain:
See a doctor--get it professionally diagnosed. There are lots of possible problems with knees, some serious. Once it is diagnosed you can get info from medical professionals or other sources. (A search engine and the internet can be very informative, once you know what to search on. Of course there is a lot of dubious info on the net too...)

In my case my knee problem was diagnosed correctly (a wear and tear problem), but the exercises given to me made the problem worse. I had to devise my own exercises. Took a while and I do maintenance exercises to prevent a reoccurrance, but it works now.

Doug

 

[David Metsky]

For those asking about various kinds of knee pain:
See a doctor--get it professionally diagnosed. There are lots of possible problems with knees, some serious.

Amen.

Message boards, while useful, are no place to get real medical advice. Knees are too complicated and have too many things that can go wrong in tricky ways to rely VftT. Some recomendations can actually cause further damage, so don't try exercises, stretches, or braces until getting a real workup from an MD.

It also pays to find an MD who knows about sports injuries as not all docs understand that "stop hiking" simply isn't a realistic approach.

-dave-

 

[jkohanski]

SkiMom, I had the same problems with the outsides of both kness. I found this odd being only 24. I could go uphill all day long, but when it came to pounding down on the trail it was downright brutal...there were points where it would almost drop me to the ground while hiking and it got bad enough where I had a hard time walking down stairs for about 4 days after a long hike...one step at a time like a little kid...haha...I didn't see a Dr., I assumed it was because my knees weren't use to the abuse I was giving them...I ended up with the Neoprene leg brace poles and some ibuprofen...(this is NOT advice on what to do)...after the whole summer of hiking 3-4 days a week I ditched the brace and have given up the ibuprofen...I WON'T give up the poles though. I had tried resting it for a few weeks at times, but it never really helped, as soon as I got out again, I'd have the same problem. I can only tell you what worked for me, I would suggest a Dr. as well like everyone else...The reason I didn't see him was because I knew what he would say "take it easy on the knee and don't hike so much"...that option wasn't appealing to me...although I got lucky and most likely could have done some serious damage...so don't do what I did!!!

 

[LittleBear]

I agree - you should get this checked out by a doc. However, this sounds just like what I had - iliotibial band friction syndrome. You only feel pain going downhill or down stairs - not going up. It is brutal. When I had it, it felt like someone was plunging a hot knife into the side of my knee and then twisting it. It is treatable; however, if you ignore it, it will likely become chronic and very difficult to overcome. Rest - no hiking for at least 2 to 3 weeks. Ibuprofin for the inflamation and ice the knee several times each day. Then, begin a stretching program (you should continue this before each hike once you resume hiking). The iliotibial band stretches from the outer rim of the pelvis down the outside of your leg and attaches below the knee on the top of the outside of the large shinbone. To stretch it sit on the floor and extend left leg in front of you. Place the right foot on the outside of the left knee. Place left elbow on outside of right knee and push knee to left. Hold 60 seconds. Repeat on other side.

I followed this course of treatment and was back hiking in 4 weeks. I have had no problems since (this occurred in 1999), but I still do this stretch regularly.

 

[proszach]

Thanks Littlebear. Your description is exactly what I feel and go through. I will try your stretch and icing regimen, as well as attempting to work out my quads and other muscles in order to take some of the strain away from my knees.