Knee Problems??
 

Somewhere on this board a person was complaining of Knee Pain. Everyone was very helpfull but i noticed that no one mentioned ITBS (ileo-tibial-band-syndrome) this very painful condtion is common in runners but cyclists too. Pain to the upper outer (lateral knee). I had this problem 2 years ago on a ride and mistakenly thought I could ride through it which was a very very dumb thing to do. I cost me an entire month of cycling. If anyone has this pain THAT REALLY shows up walking DOWN (not up) stairs then may I suggest a very helpful website. Just type Ilieo tibial band syndrome int he google search it is an awesome website dedicated to this condition alone. i NEVER ride now without doing the ITB stretch. It has totally cured my problem. And this problem nearly ended my cycling life.

http://www.itbs.info/
Try this link!!

Yes, by all means be kind to your knees. Replacements (such
as I have) don't work nearly as well.

right now i am getting pain behind my knee, it hurts when i bend my leg all the way in. anyone know what this is?

I think it was my problem. I'm taking glucosamine, and stopping to stretch throughout my rides. It seems to have helped. I'm still trying to figure out the best single stretch for this - which one is the one that helps you the most?

lay on your back and pull your knee to your chest towards the opposite shoulder to stretch and pull you Glutes. Glucosamine will not work for Ileo Tibial Band syndrome. Glucosamine (controversial at best to even work) only works on cartilages and synovials surfaces. The ileotibial band is a muscle and ligament that attaches to your lateral knee and goes all the way to the posterior illeum. Go to the ilioetibial band syndrome website. Streching is the hallmark to end this discomfort.

I have this pain and once injured, takes many weeks to heal on its own. However. The pain is always there and you can aggravate it by standing on the peddals. Stretching may help but from now on, you'll always have to take it easy or you'll be on pain killers the rest of your life!

Good message... Earlier this year I bought a new pair of shoes and promptly went on a mountainous 84-mile ride (about 7,000' of climbing)... When I realized I was hurting at the back of my knee (meaning I was sitting too high, as my new sole was thinner than the old shoe - it doesn't take much) it was too late. I limped around for a few days before I completely separated a muscle from the back of my knee (a small, uneccessary thing -- as my Dr. informed me, his cadaver didn't even have one... TMI!). I hobbled for two weeks, then got back onto my properly adjusted seat, and have been riding for two months with only a bit of discomfort.

The long and short of it is... Knee hurts in front: raise the saddle... Knee hurts in the back: lower the saddle. Before getting on the bike, make sure the saddle is adjusted within the proper vicinity of where it should be... Get a good riding guide - I've got one written by Lance & Chris, and another good one written by Greg LeMond. IMPORTANT - once you have adjusted via a legitimate formula, only change the height a couple mm at a time - up, or down... Your legs will need time to adjust. Also make sure your fore-and-aft saddle position is set properly, and I keep mine perfectly level (using a carpenter's level).

Finally, move around on your saddle - change positions... back to climb, forward to sprint. Stand on the sprinter hills and power over the top. Sit on the long climbs, but stand and stretch every once in a while. I like to stretch my calf muscles when coasting. Also... keep those legs turning, even while coasting down-hill... you'll have something to do on the long descents, and it will clear lactic acid from your muscles, preparing you for the next climb.

Fun, ain't it?

i just started have some knee discomfort on the inside of my knee any ides to what this could be ??

i've learned to do these stretches, especially in the winter time!!!

i'll stop by 9 melrose. will be there on nov 20th for the wisky-IA game. ON IOWA!