Fifty Plus (50+) - To see or not to see, the doctor that is!

Started my journey of getting off the couch and back in shape about 3 months ago. Bought a bike and I've been riding almost daily since. Over the last week my right knee has been hurting at both ends of it's movement, i.e. when I bend it all the way or straighten it all the way. It does NOT hurt when riding. The reading I've done suggest a possible medial meniscus injury, but of course without a doctors diagnosis I can't be sure. One more bit of information, I joined a gym last week and have been doing some resistance training and riding the stationary bike. I'll be 50 in a few weeks, plus I'm a 42 year type 1 diabetic. That adds up to slow healing. I'm feeling great and losing weight, but I'm afraid a doctor will tell me to lay off for a while. Gonna ice it tonight, any other suggestions?

Is the pain localized, can you point to a spot and say it hurts here?
Does it hurt to squat, kneel, bend, walk?

Either way your looking at RICE - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Knee PT is generally gentle cycling or water aerobics.

You may want to look into KT Tape. It has saved my bacon once or twice.

Any other suggestions? Yeah - go to the doctor. An internet biking forum is no place to get a medical diagnosis. :rolleyes:

It doesn't matter if you see the doctor or not, as long as s/he sees you. If it is interfering with your activities, and you can afford it (not to be taken for granted in this era of restricted access), then get it checked out.

If you can manage with a bit of ice, stretching and proper warm-up, cool-down, then just get on with it. If you choose to follow this advice, then you too will eventually be the proud owner of a half-broken down body, which is better than most by at least half.

Before going too far with your new regimen, you should be cleared for exercising by the dreaded doc. We don't want to lose you to a heart attack!

Riding at a relatively easy pace is great for weight loss. But so is walking. I like to recommend alternating them. When you're on the exercycle, go easy on the knees, meaning SPIN. Low pressure on the pedals, high rpm. 90 rpm, which is three pedal-downs per second, or more. You'll be generating wattage, but without stressing your knees, which are probably out of shape just like the rest of your legs. In fact, that's the most likely cause of your knee pain - all the support muscles are being overloaded and the joint is in distress. It's a clue to back off a bit before you *cause* an injury.

It's OK to breathe hard and feel tired, but your legs shouldn't hurt, and you should never feel like you're gasping. If either of those happen, it's TIME TO STOP.

Please see a doctor about the knee. If you are trying to push through the pain right now at some point you are going to say "I quit" because the pain wears you down so much. Get it looked at and get it healed up. Best of luck and do keep us appraised on how you are doing.

Bill

Thanks everyone! I will call for an appointment with an orthopedist. As a long term diabetic, I see my primary regularly and my heart doctor yearly, so I'm good to go in that respect. The KT tape looks interesting, I will try it. On a side not, I think the weight training is really paying off. My son and I rode 16 miles on Sunday averaging 13.8 mph. All my previous rides have been under 11.

Glad that you made the appointment with the doc about the knee problem. Not being able to walk without pain is no fun. Take care of it now before it gets worst. And congratulations on your 16 mile ride. Once you get the knee taken care of, the riding only gets better and so will you.

As the recipient of a new knee last year, I'll add that I put off seeing the doctor for a couple years. On the first visit and having Xrays, he walks in and asks when do I want to schedule that replacement, before he even introduces himself. I had the replacement 17 months later. I was bone on bone 9 months after that first visit. Things might have been different if I'd gone in sooner. Who knows. On the plus side, the new knee got me back on my bikes and riding again.

All the usual patter aside - here's the problem;

You should see a DR simply to get OKed for the new exercise. As for the knee, it could be simple over-use, on one end, or something major on the other end. The problem is that unless you're seen by an Ortho, even a regular GP may not be able to give you a *good* reply.

I am not a DR in any way. I have had knee issues for 30+ years, nine knee surgeries, left TKR, and have OA rather badly. If it were 'me', I would simply take 3 total rest days, with ice and elevation (not compression - compression can hide problems). If the issues disappears, there's my answer. If my knee had taken any damage at all, three rest days will not heal it. NOTE: some issues *can* be made worse with use~!

Wrapping a knee, or compression, can make it more comfortable, but the downside is it can also hide problems, never wrap unless under a Doctor's orders.

I think it is a good idea to go now. It might not be necessary but it can help your piece of mind.

I broke the proximal end of my ulna 10 years ago in two places in a bike fall. Recently, I had been lifting a bit more and the elbow swelled up and got hot. Ice and anti inflammatories helped. But I saw a physician. They sent me to an orthopedic surgeon. He looked at the X-Rays. He said the previous operation was good work. He also said that he had the same problem in his elbow. I just need to back off and not abuse the poor joint so much. But it was good to know and not wonder.

The other day, my wife complained of a speck in her field of vision. The next day, she saw some flashes and a patch in that side. I thought it might be a detached retina. She saw an opthomologist the other day. It was merely a "floater" which I think is a bit of matter floating around in the virtuous humor of the eye causing interesting visual effects. Apparently, "it comes with age".


Your situation might be something that is no big deal. It could be something that could get serious that you can nip in the bud. Or it could be serious and you will need to let it crash and get a major repair. But I think knowing just what is wrong is a good idea. It beats worrying.

I have a 10:30 appt. tomorrow. It's probably just some arthritis or something minor, but as several of you said, I'm better off knowing what I'm dealing with.

With that many specialists, please make sure that your primary care physician is actually communicating with the others. Just because each knows that the other is also providing care, does not mean that they are coordinating treatments.

Saw the Dr. today. He took x-rays and examined my knee. First the bad news: 1. Probably have a small cartilage tear. 2. I need an MRI to be sure. 3. I probably can't afford the MRI. Now the good news. 1. I can use the elliptical or stationary bike, I cannot use the treadmill or leg extension machine. 2. Lastly and best of all, I can ride my bike all I want.

Have you ever looked into having a bike fitting session? It may be helpful in alleviating pain issues and avoiding a recurrence of the injury, not knowing much about medicine and orthopedics, but having had a lot of experience with leg pain, it helped me.

Any other suggestions? Yeah - go to the doctor. An internet biking forum is no place to get a medical diagnosis. :rolleyes:

The knee may take care of itself with conservative home treatment (RICE is good), but your age and the diabetes are worth remembering. Not doing something you think a doctor might tell you to do isn't necessarily a genius approach to a medical problem.