Mountain Biking - Limited-Time: Ask CrashVector your bike-related medical questions

sorry, thread closed

I seem to have a problem keeping up with my fifteen year old son and his sixteen year old cousin going uphill. Worse my 40 y/o (A triathelete) brother in law whip my ass on the same hills. Do have cure for being closer to fifty than 40? No?

i have a rash. it would probably be best if i could just email you pictures instead of explaining myself.

I seem to have a problem keeping up with my fifteen year old son and his sixteen year old cousin going uphill. Worse my 40 y/o (A triathelete) brother in law whip my ass on the same hills. Do have cure for being closer to fifty than 40? No?

LOL!


Good one...lol


Just a reminder, I'm not offering cures or even a diagnosis..just advice.

Well, here's my query, I'll try and keep it as short as possible:

In February my kneecaps started brushing the femurs and getting caught on it and overall just crunching and moving like crap. I went to the doc's, had an MRI done, no visible problems, made me do fisiotherapy to strenghten quads, didn't work, went to doc's again and he told me to take cartilage regenerating tables for 2-3 months and if that doesn't work then I'll get Ibuprofen injections into my knees.
I do try and do some exercise but it's extremely difficult since my knees hurt after 5 minutes of jogging or 15 minutes of swimming. Do you think it's OK to keep going for another 5-15 minutes after my knees have started hurting?
Oh and do Ibuprofen injections really cause problems when you're older?

Sorry for the complicated questions, I won't be upset if you can't answer them since the doc himself seemed rather puzzled with my situation. ;)

:beer:

I've got a question. What is the doctor going to tell me if it does last more than four hours? Is he going to send a camera crew?

I can't stop twitching, and i keep hearing voices telling me to burn things. It's really distracting me from riding.

my legs hurt

Well, here's my query, I'll try and keep it as short as possible:

In February my kneecaps started brushing the femurs and getting caught on it and overall just crunching and moving like crap. I went to the doc's, had an MRI done, no visible problems, made me do fisiotherapy to strenghten quads, didn't work, went to doc's again and he told me to take cartilage regenerating tables for 2-3 months and if that doesn't work then I'll get Ibuprofen injections into my knees.
I do try and do some exercise but it's extremely difficult since my knees hurt after 5 minutes of jogging or 15 minutes of swimming. Do you think it's OK to keep going for another 5-15 minutes after my knees have started hurting?
Oh and do Ibuprofen injections really cause problems when you're older?

Sorry for the complicated questions, I won't be upset if you can't answer them since the doc himself seemed rather puzzled with my situation. ;)

:beer:


Okay....first of all, sorry to hear you're having repeated problems.

Second: you need to go see a specialist about your knees. Your primary care physician probably cannot figure out what is going on, and it taking stabs in the dark to try and resolve the issue.

Find a doctor in your area that specializes in orthopedics, and go see him instead.

I think the injections you are referring to are probably some kind of steroid, not ibuprofen. Most of the time, in cases like yours that the doctor cannot figure out, they start just injecting people with steroids hoping they can fix whatever is wrong. The steroids contain a small amount of an analgesic like lidocaine or benzocaine that stops the pain for a few hours.

I do not specialize in orthotics, so I cannot say for sure what is going on, other than it sounds like you are having an issuse possibly with your patellar tendon being too short, or your quads being too tight (not flexible enough). I would recommend rigorous stretching, ice, compression bandage to control abnormal movement of your patella (kneecap) and that you go see a specialist if it doesnt stop.

My shoulders hurt when I sit in front of a computer or spend a long time driving. It's kind of a numb feel with a slight tingle. When I get up and move around for a bit it goes away. It comes back pretty quickly when I get back to work though. Any suggestions or is this more of an ergonomic matter?

Thanks in advance Doc :)

My shoulders hurt when I sit in front of a computer or spend a long time driving. It's kind of a numb feel with a slight tingle. When I get up and move around for a bit it goes away. It comes back pretty quickly when I get back to work though. Any suggestions or is this more of an ergonomic matter?

Thanks in advance Doc :)




This is a little hard to figure out, and I cannot really give any advice, but it sounds like a displaced nerve or blood vessel that is getting pinched off when you slump your shoulders. Give it some time, and see a doctor if it doesnt get better.

I've got a question. What is the doctor going to tell me if it does last more than four hours? Is he going to send a camera crew?

No, he'll probably come over and see for himself
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/sealx/icons_smilies/face-aah.png

It hurts when I do this.

Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: United States Originally Posted by GreenLightGoWill Glucosamine work for Plantar Fasciatis too?




LOL!!! I need to start a "ask CrashVector your biking-related medical problems" thread..lol


To answer your question, plantar fasciitis (not making fun of you, but that is actually the proper spelling) is inflammation of the fascia (a layer of fibrous connective tissue) that connects the heel of your foot to the base of your toes. This band support the arch of your feet and allows it to flex to absorb shock while preventing dislocation of the metatarsal bones.

I cannot give a specific diagnosis without first knowing what caused your problem in the first place. What I mean is, the cause can range from having flat arches to inflexible gastrocnemius (calf) muscles to mechanical injury due to dropping something on the dorsal surface of your foot.

As a manner of course, prescription-strength NSAID pain relivers like ibuprofen, rest, and proper stretching of the achilles tendon are generic treatments....but again, without knowing the specific cause, I cannot make an accurate guess as to what the exact remedy would be.

If you are flat-footed, you need to see a specialist about possibly getting some orthotic inserts for your shoes.

Thanks. I've had PF (since I can't spell) for the last 16 years, but have, through the right shoes and agressive management, not really had a problem for 4-5 years.

I've got a high arch but roll out on my foot so the outer edge wears out first. Because of my foot type, I have to run super cushioned shoes, I've been pretty loyal to Adidas for the past 4-5 years and they have served me well. In June, it was time for new kicks so I ordered a set of Supernova cushioned - then started having problems. I recently went to a local store and was measured for another pair of shoes, come to find out that even though I wear a 10.5-11, the ball of my foot measures out at a 12 and all along, the width of my foot has been riding about .5 inches ahead of the maximum width of the shoe. I'm back in a new pair of Asics Gel Nimbus and am running 2-3 miles about 2-3 times a week. Pain isn't any worse, so that's a good sign. I'll just have to take it easy another 4-6 weeks and should be good. At it's worst, I was getting cortisone/steroid shots and could barely walk (1993).

I think my stretching is good, a few months ago, I had a bought with shin splints, but not the normal kind, this was the soleus muscle but that was driven by a sharp up turn in my running distance/intensity. I modified stretching techniques and cut back the distance to alleviate the strain.

I've put 120 miles on the bike this month just to keep up the cardio intensity but not being able to run like I want is hard for me. If I keep up this pace, I'll be killing a rear tire every 2 months. The Panaracers don't take well to the pavement (trip to and from the 4.8 mile riverwalk trail).

Who is in your avitar? It's killing me.

Who is in your avitar? It's killing me.


THAT....is a secret lol

Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: United States Originally Posted by GreenLightGoWill Glucosamine work for Plantar Fasciatis too?




Thanks. I've had PF (since I can't spell) for the last 16 years, but have, through the right shoes and agressive management, not really had a problem for 4-5 years.

I've got a high arch but roll out on my foot so the outer edge wears out first. Because of my foot type, I have to run super cushioned shoes, I've been pretty loyal to Adidas for the past 4-5 years and they have served me well. In June, it was time for new kicks so I ordered a set of Supernova cushioned - then started having problems. I recently went to a local store and was measured for another pair of shoes, come to find out that even though I wear a 10.5-11, the ball of my foot measures out at a 12 and all along, the width of my foot has been riding about .5 inches ahead of the maximum width of the shoe. I'm back in a new pair of Asics Gel Nimbus and am running 2-3 miles about 2-3 times a week. Pain isn't any worse, so that's a good sign. I'll just have to take it easy another 4-6 weeks and should be good. At it's worst, I was getting cortisone/steroid shots and could barely walk (1993).

I think my stretching is good, a few months ago, I had a bought with shin splints, but not the normal kind, this was the soleus muscle but that was driven by a sharp up turn in my running distance/intensity. I modified stretching techniques and cut back the distance to alleviate the strain.

I've put 120 miles on the bike this month just to keep up the cardio intensity but not being able to run like I want is hard for me. If I keep up this pace, I'll be killing a rear tire every 2 months. The Panaracers don't take well to the pavement (trip to and from the 4.8 mile riverwalk trail).


Have you considered having your PF released surgically? It's a relatively minor procedure where the facia is loosened a bit, which usually resolves the problem permanantly.

THAT....is a secret lol



^^^^^^^^^^------------- < flat line, cardiac arrest. ;)

ok. this is probably simple, but here goes.

I have knee pain when I ride for aout the first 5 miles or so. Regardless of how much I stretch or warm up it always takes about 5 miles for it to ease away. I ordered some stuff called "moto911" thats a spray that is supposed to help warm the muscles. Any help? or ridicule?

I think this thread is a violation of HIPAA.

I think this thread is a violation of HIPAA.

lol

if that were so, all the "ask dr (blank)" websites would be against hipaa as well, along with WebMD. None of them give a diagnosis, and neither am I. I AM allowed to give suggestions as towards what recommendation I would suggest for minor common problems like stretching properly to avoid aggravating an injury, or to even give anatomical descriptions of a proposed injury, but I cannot legally give a diagnosis without being able to actually SEE the person. I understand your concern, and I thought about that before I decided to make this thread. That is the reason why I asked that the question be kept light and made it absolutely clear that I could not diagnose a problem even if it WAS legal because I cannot physically SEE anything, and am relying on my knowledge of anatomy and physiology alone to give suggestions as to how a particular pain can be alleviated temporarily, or in the case of an obvious problem (like lowcell's knee bruise) how to avoid repeated problems with the same.

that is specifically the reason why I said I cannot give a diagnosis...only ADVICE because ive seen quite a bit of bad advice given recently.

ok. this is probably simple, but here goes.

I have knee pain when I ride for aout the first 5 miles or so. Regardless of how much I stretch or warm up it always takes about 5 miles for it to ease away. I ordered some stuff called "moto911" thats a spray that is supposed to help warm the muscles. Any help? or ridicule?


Just go easy on your warmup. A good rule of thumb is to warm up until you are sweating lightly.

Okay, thanks to mcoine, I am not going to answer any more questions.

Some jerk always has to ruin a good thing. Here I am trying to keep someone from possibly getting some bad advice, and mcoine comes and tries to ruin a good thread for everyone.

For the record...giving generalized, sound advice to someone is NOT against HIPAA regulations. But, since you wanna imply that you have a problem with it, and I do not need any problems, I am ending the thread. By your own definition, every time you tell someone "oh..just take a Tylenol for that headache" you are also violating HIPAA regulations because you are NOT a doctor and do not have medical training.

Since everyone knows the forum is public, the confidentiality part of void as well.

HIPAA prevents healthcare providers from giving a specific diagnosis to a patient without seeing said patient for a comprehensive diagnostic visit......not from providing general sound medical advice on common problems or minor things such as scrapes, sprains, or things of that nature that generally do not require a doctor's visit to repair or treat, or for which there are OTC medications designed for mitigation of symptoms. They also allow a medical professional to give their OPINION about what he would do himself in a certain situation as far as seeking further care.

Good job.

If I do "this" is it bad for me?

If I do "this" is it bad for me?

lol..probably...knowing you.

Dude.. I was just joking.. but now you're all paranoid aren't you. Hipaa is serious shlt, but I think youre fine doing this. Hipaa is mostly concerned with privacy of medical records.. as long as everyone on here knows that this forum is public, youre ok.

Speaking as someone who does medical liability defense for a living, I roll my eyes at the suggestion that providing anonymous clinical advice via the Internet is a violation of HIPAA. More to the point, however, is the fact that without an appropriate history, examination and necessary testing, any healthcare provider can provide only the most general advice in this sort of setting and cannot render a diagnosis or prescribe treatment. If you need a diagnosis, treatment or second opinion specific to your situation, make an appointment with the healthcare provider of your choice.

Dude.. I was just joking.. but now you're all paranoid aren't you. Hipaa is serious shlt, but I think youre fine doing this. Hipaa is mostly concerned with privacy of medical records.. as long as everyone on here knows that this forum is public, youre ok.


My appologies then, but HIPAA is serious sh1t. Nobody in the medical profession even jokes about stuff like this because I personally know ppl that have had their licenses revoked over petty bullcrap.

Speaking as someone who does medical liability defense for a living, I roll my eyes at the suggestion that providing anonymous clinical advice via the Internet is a violation of HIPAA. More to the point, however, is the fact that without an appropriate history, examination and necessary testing, any healthcare provider can provide only the most general advice in this sort of setting and cannot render a diagnosis or prescribe treatment. If you need a diagnosis, treatment or second opinion specific to your situation, make an appointment with the healthcare provider of your choice.


that is exactly what I repeated over and over again...if you see my replies.

I was just offering to provide generalized advice to prevent someone from getting potentially bad or harmful advice.....

Maybe I took mccoine's post a little too literally, but like I said, it is something that is ingrained into us from the time we start school.....do NOT joke around with HIPPA stuff...we don't even joke amongst ourselves about things because of it.

I've got a question. When i ride for a while, my ring and pinky finger start hurting very badly, i just put new grips on, and get the exact same problem. They start aching badly. If you could help me out that would be great.

I've got a question. When i ride for a while, my ring and pinky finger start hurting very badly, i just put new grips on, and get the exact same problem. They start aching badly. If you could help me out that would be great.


you are probably just putting unequal pressure on the outside edge of your hands. This isnt a medical issue as much as it is a technique thing I don't think.

I have warts all over my A$$ and genitalia and they hurt something aweful. ( in best jerky boys voice )

I have warts all over my A$$ and genitalia and they hurt something aweful. ( in best jerky boys voice )


oh MAN I used to LOVE that tape!!!!!!!

the way he kept moaning would always KILL me..LMAO!!!


"oooooooOOOOOOooooo!!! please, please HURRY...this really HUUUURTS OOOOOOHHHH!!!"

ROTFLMAO!

I've got a question. When i ride for a while, my ring and pinky finger start hurting very badly, i just put new grips on, and get the exact same problem. They start aching badly. If you could help me out that would be great.

Google the term 'ulnar neuropathy' or 'bicyclists palsy' and you will learn a great deal.

Google the term 'ulnar neuropathy' or 'bicyclists palsy' and you will learn a great deal.

yep, you've got some ulnar nerve impingement going on there.. I have that too.

If mine last more than 4 hours, I'm calling every hooker, stripper and easy chick in town and throwing one hell of a party.

yep, you've got some ulnar nerve impingement going on there.. I have that too.
what exactly do you do to cure it ?

what exactly do you do to cure it ?

Depends how bad it is. You describe it as an "ache" but usually its a tingling, numbness sensation. Acupuncture works for some people.. it did somewhat for myself. Talk to a physical therapist. For a really bad case, surgery is an option, but not fun from what I was told.

Mine, is very painful, usually its just a tingling, like when your hand goes numb, but yesterday it was terrible. After my last lap it was hurting so bad that any time i tried moving my hand i almost cried out.

Again, if you do the search as suggested, you will find a number of useful ideas, such as using padded gloves, checking your handlebar height to ensure that you aren't putting too much weight on your hands, and varying your hand position. If you customarily ride with a 'death grip' on the bars in one position, that could be a cause.

crashvector, i have one for you. Midsummer I took a hard fall when my wheel slid out through a turn...as a result I hit the ground with my hands out before I could even react. Ever since then I've had some symptoms in my right wrist: limited ability to rotate it, lifting any kind of weight over ~20lbs causes moderately intense pain, and when I first hop on the bike I feel some discomfort in it. No outward symptoms anymore, as it has been several months, but the day of it swelled up fairly badly but never bruised, and went down overnight. any ideas?

To the above poster, I would go to a physician immediately and get a wrist x-ray. This sounds like a classic presentation of a Colles fracture, and you may have a non-union or mis-aligned fracture site, among other things. I would have the films reviewed by a radiologist and an orthopedist.

Where did I leave my car keys?

If I do "this" is it bad for me?

Dunno, but there is a good chance you will go blind if you continue to do it as often as you have been. :p

Okay....first of all, sorry to hear you're having repeated problems.

Second: you need to go see a specialist about your knees. Your primary care physician probably cannot figure out what is going on, and it taking stabs in the dark to try and resolve the issue.

Find a doctor in your area that specializes in orthopedics, and go see him instead.

I think the injections you are referring to are probably some kind of steroid, not ibuprofen. Most of the time, in cases like yours that the doctor cannot figure out, they start just injecting people with steroids hoping they can fix whatever is wrong. The steroids contain a small amount of an analgesic like lidocaine or benzocaine that stops the pain for a few hours.

I do not specialize in orthotics, so I cannot say for sure what is going on, other than it sounds like you are having an issuse possibly with your patellar tendon being too short, or your quads being too tight (not flexible enough). I would recommend rigorous stretching, ice, compression bandage to control abnormal movement of your patella (kneecap) and that you go see a specialist if it doesnt stop.
First off thanks a bunch for the informative reply! I first went to the hospital's "urgency" section (not sure what the correct term is in English) where they treat everything ranging from some nasty illness to having sawed off your leg. Anyway, the guy diagnosed something which wasn't right since in 2 week's time I should have been OK and 5 weeks passed I still wasn't well.
Went to see a doc who specializes in orthopedics, he said it's probably due to weak quads although he sent me off to an MRI to be sure. MRI results = clean, I'm sent off to a physiotherapist to work out what exercises to do, etc. I've been stretching/exercising my quads each day for 40 minutes for the past 4 months and it didn't seem to help.
The doc said the injection is non steroid (as far as I can recall), and from the information I gathered from friends it's very likely Ibuprofen or some other time of antiimflammatory.
For now I'm taking the tendon & cartiladge strengthening and rebuilding pills and if by December I don't feel better then we'll start the injections.

Sorry to ramble on so long and thanks again for the help :D
-DC

No problem...glad I could shed a little light on your problem.

No problem...glad I could shed a little light on your problem.
:) :beer: I'll keep you posted.

Dear Dr. CV,

My friend keeps bragging about the times he rides so "blindingly fast." Is this medicaly possible? I keep watching him and his riding has not - even momentarily - blinded me. Maybe it's supposed to mean it momentarily blinds him? If so, I want to be there when it happens. Then I can see the crash.

I'd say you should catch it on film for all of us to see it....but if he's indeed going blindingly fast, that might break the lense on the camera no?

Better not chance it, use someone elses camcorder.

Dear Dr. CV,

My friend keeps bragging about the times he rides so "blindingly fast." Is this medicaly possible? I keep watching him and his riding has not - even momentarily - blinded me. Maybe it's supposed to mean it momentarily blinds him? If so, I want to be there when it happens. Then I can see the crash.


maybe he is spiderman. There is a kind of spider (forget what kind) that moves so quickly that its brain cannot keep up with the information, so it temporarily goes blind. It has to move in spurts.

It runs really fast...then stops for a second...then runs really fast, then stops, etc etc

The problem is that its movements are SO quick that it moves faster than its neurons can fire, resulting in a momentary blackout of its sense of sight.

Maybe this is what is happening to your friend?