Tell me I didn't destroy my knee

kpk

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I regularly do 3-5 miles a couple times a week. I did 8 the other day on a rough trail with quite a bit of elevation and at about the 5 mile mark started having some knee pain right on the outside of my knee. See a doctor - I know. Unfortunately, I'm between jobs. I'll have insurance again in a week and I'll have "job security" after 30 days.

There's no popping/cracking, locking, I can put full weight on it, doesn't hurt to twist it with weight on it. It really only hurts walking when my leg is bent about 30 degrees. Get a bit of pain at what feels like the bony outside part of my knee and maybe right behind it also...hard to tell. I'm kinda hoping its temporary IT band or simple overuse injury and that ice, vitamin I and plenty of rest are gonna get this feeling better in the next week otherwise I might be suffering for awhile.
 

P Carter

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Does it feel like someone's putting a screw right square into the outside of your knee? Mix of dull ache and then spikes of pain when bent? That's what it band syndrome felt like for me. Rest helped. Long term solution was foam rolling the upper thighs, quads, hips along with stretching and strengthening hips. Let me know other details and perhaps I can help. For now I'd take a while week off, stretch and foam roll, the very gradually start up again. Best of luck!
 

Fitzwho

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Having had 3 surgeries (2 ACL reconstructions sandwiched around an arthroscopy), you probably just strained your LCL (at worst). You'll be fine. It's not terribly easy to destroy your knee, only true professionals like me can do it multiple times doing totally different things each time.
 
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Can't say one way or the other. But, I have experienced what you describe. For me it has been inflammation from over use, twisting, or taking a fall or two. Last trip out, I fell numerous times on an over grown trail that in places was like walking on marbles. I simply take anti inflammatories to get the swelling down, and the healing going. I also try to stay active, as in a body in motion, stays in motion. Taking it to easy just makes it worse in my case.

Best wishes!
 

406

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Ice, on/off 20 min intervals. Ibu even if it doesn't hurt, will help inflammation (heal slower when tissue is pissed off). Hydration is also key for tissue recovery... Think wet sponge vas dry sponge and the difference in pliability if that visual helps you.

After a couple days do seated leg extensions, tighten up all the muscles and hold for a slow 5 count. Return to 90 degrees and relax for a 10 count.
Work your way up to a thousand of those a day.

I know the last part sounds crazy but that was exactly what Dr Verplug (US Ski team Ortho guy at the time) told me to do when I was in your situation and a ski bum and surgery wasn't an option. That was in 1997, never did get it fixed. It works.

Good luck

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steve s

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Pretty good advice from the prior guys... call or text me if you want to talk. I don't treat much anymore but ran A few PT clinics in Vail for about 15 years and saw a few knees along the way...
Steve 970-471-4582


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OP
kpk

kpk

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Does it feel like someone's putting a screw right square into the outside of your knee? Mix of dull ache and then spikes of pain when bent? That's what it band syndrome felt like for me. Rest helped. Long term solution was foam rolling the upper thighs, quads, hips along with stretching and strengthening hips. Let me know other details and perhaps I can help. For now I'd take a while week off, stretch and foam roll, the very gradually start up again. Best of luck!

Yeah, basically. It doesn't really hurt at all just sitting around whether my leg is straight or bent. At worst, it's a dull ache when the IB starts wearing off. I get the sharp pain walking - on pretty much every step when my leg bends. It's only been a little over 24 hours and there wasn't really anything to be done for first 12 based on where I was. My left thigh does feel considerably tighter than my right just squeezing them - must've been abusing that side more.

From what I've read it looks the IT band rubs on the outside of the knee?? Somewhat interesting is that the bony protrusion on my knee is VERY prominent at least compared to the wife - suppose that might be a contributing factor.
 

406

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Pretty good advice from the prior guys... call or text me if you want to talk. I don't treat much anymore but ran A few PT clinics in Vail for about 15 years and saw a few knees along the way...
Steve 970-471-4582


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I'm sure we've met, lol. I worked in the Vail ED late 90s-early 2000s

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hflier

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Internet search Navy Seals Budds Knee exercises. Do those they completely eliminated a similar knee problem that was plaguing me.


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UtahJimmy

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Sounds like an IT issue. Foam roller is your best friend (but will feel like your enemy!). You could also get a hard hand roller to really break it down. A compression brace will help too. Rest it up and ease back into your workouts. Stop when it starts to ache. Good luck!

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P Carter

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Could very well be it band syndrome. What I've done in the past is 10 day course of Aleve, ice baths (50ish degree water in bathtub), rest, stretching (focusing on hips), foam rolling, and ease back into it. Long term solution, as I noted, was strengthening the hips with theraband exercises. Plus just plenty of miles on rough terrain over several years. Does it ever hurt though! I had to hobble, one legged, the last ten miles of a mountain race a few years ago when the it band flared up. Excruciating.

My understanding is that the band can run against the bony "outcropping" on the side of the knee. But the band can also just get inflamed from taking too much impact/bearing too much load when the hip/glutes aren't strong enough and the upper leg collapses inwards at the knee. Can happen on rough terrain due to mechanical forces but also when the stabilizer muscles get worn out and "give up.". Microtears in the band and resulting inflammation can perhaps also adhere to tissue outside the knee, further restricting mobility, but I think that's somewhat disputed.

Give the pt guy a call. A pt gave me the "cure" while I was in for post tibial tendon issues. Like most true "cures," for me it was a matter of consistently working with exercises and stretching to try and keep biomechanics straightened out. Good luck!
 

MattB

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If it is IT band, learn the pigeon stretch as well, helped me a ton. Probably best when you can do it w/o pain. Basically think of it like laying face down on the floor but bring the heel of the affected leg up to the offside of your sac/knee under your affected side chest. You will probably feel a hammy stretch first and then pulling in your glutes, but eventually it will relax.
 

PF_JM

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You can try rolling out your IT band on a foam roller or field expedient Nalgene bottle just above the knee. Look into Kelly Starret or some other mobility WOD type resources and probably just give it a rest for a bit.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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Yeah sounds like a strain, take it easy and should be able to keep trucking.


After my hunts I need to go get my knee looked at, I know there is something "off" in it, I hurt something in the front of it last year hauling way too much down hill and its still an issue for certain exercises so whatever it was didn't heal itself or healed too loose or something. Downhill pounding will flare it some. Doing straight up stepping when doing box steps will aggravate it but its fine if I step forward and up. When doing weighted get up exercises I need to be careful when I'm going to stand up on my good knee that I don't push my toe down into the ground with the bad knee leg to help stand up because that loads the front of my knee in a way that causes the pain. Long story short the front/undersize of my one knee is unstable when loaded in certain ways. However I can run on it and have been training doing lots of 40lb step ups, 75lb hikes, etc. so its hanging in there, I just need to be aware of it.
 

530Chukar

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I agree that it sounds like IT Band Syndrome. I used to get it a lot when running and it would always start at about the 3 mile mark. I started seeing an acupuncturist about two years ago and haven't had the pain in my knee since about 4 months after starting the acupuncture.
 

Vids

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Sounds similar to when I had IT band issues a few years ago. For me it hurt going downhill more than uphill. Foam roller really helped it in the short term. Since then I've made sure to add in more cross training like squats, lunges, etc to strengthen the other muscles. When it happened to me I was one dimensional with my training and was mostly running. Haven't had it come back since I added cross training.
 

jtw

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I’ve had both it band syndrome and torn my lcl. They feel very different. You definitely want to figure out which it is because some of the remedies for it band will make an lcl injury scream.
I would take up the pt offering help and ignore any other advise until you know for sure.
 
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Keep your vitamin C up everyday. It keeps cartilage healthy. I drank OJ twice a day while rehabbing a couple blown out discs in my back. All the doctors were impressed at my rate of recovery.
 
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