merider1

So, last Saturday, while riding the Lighthouse, I noticed this:

My right kneecap was burning and hurting while riding (I had on knee warmers and was riding into wind and it was burning) and if I touched the skin (like an abrasion or recent bad bruise or burn). No pain behind or inside the knee - it was on the top, just under the skin that was hurting. I didn't bump my knee in any way and it didn't start hurting until halfway through the ride. Then, Sunday it completely disappeared and felt fine...until this morning. Now, it's killing me again, especially if I touch it. And I noticed it when I was putting lotion on my legs out of the shower this morning. It isn't swollen and there is not bug bite, abrasion or bruising.

What is it?? Anyone ever had this or know what it can be?

alicestrong

I have no idea what it is but I've had the same really weird pain like that on one of my elbows...so maybe it's joint related?

merider1

Thanks, Alice. You know, you may be right, which is what I fear.

big john

I get that on the knee that I injured once. The injury did a little damage to the top of the kneecap, and I think on long rides the tissue sliding across it gets irritated.
Oh, yeah, it also hurts if I bump it.

merider1

Well, I never injured mine! I'm hoping it goes away, but I may go in to see a doctor if it doesn't. It really hurts and I have a high pain threshold.

big john

Have you tried putting ice on it?

merider1

No, because it's not that kind of pain, John. It's like a burn. I swear, it is the weirdest thing. I've had this once before too on another part of my body (disclaimer: not being perverted!) - my right breast. I discovered it in the shower and I literally couldn't rub the towel over my chest it hurt so bad. Then it just went away. Maybe it's nerve endings?? Do I even have those in my kneecap though?

herbm

ok...that is exactly what I pm'd you I have had....
I always thought it could be nerve thingie....

Happytime

I think she hurt herself doing The Cockroach Dance.

herbm

Useless without video!!!

Happytime

Don't worry. After she gets a few margaritas into her at the South Bay post-ride eats, I'm sure she'll be happy to stand up on the tables and give an encore performance.

big john

Yeah, I think a burning pain generally means some nerve problem. Of course you have nerves everywhere.

merider1

OKay. This is why I should never, ever, ever go symptom seraching on my own. I'm now convinced that I have every single condition below:

Causes of Kneecap pain:
The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Kneecap pain. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.

Diabetes
Patellofemoral syndrome
Patellar Subluxation dislocation
Articular cartilage injury
Meniscal disorders
Arthritis
Ligament tears
Tendon rupture
Bursitis and tendonitis
Osgood-Schlatter disease
Peripheral artery disease (see Artery symptoms)
Peripheral neuropathy
Peripheral nerve trauma (see Nerve symptoms)
Peripheral nerve compression (see Nerve symptoms)
Sciatica
Fracture
Cold
Cerebrovascular accident
Trauma
Kneecap injury
Knee injury

GP

Go to the road forum and ask DrPete for a consultation thread..

bitingduck

Knee pain from riding is commonly one of two things:
1) pushing big gears at high force/low RPM, or
2) saddle too low (even by just a little)

It could also be a sort of "referred pain" where the injury is somewhere else slightly, but there's few nerves where the injury is, so you feel it somewhere nearby that's affected a little less. When I tore my ACL and meniscus I had some pain where I wasn't supposed to (the doctor's words were "but there shouldn't be anything there" or something like that), and it was probably due to the meniscus tear.

I'm not suggesting that you have either one of those injuries-- they're pretty unlikely on a bike, and an ACL tear commonly comes with a loud noise that can be heard quite far away. Just that you might be mashing a little hard on one leg and it's causing some knee pain that's showing up in a strange way. Most likely it was strain on the internal bits of your knee from pushing hard while pedaling into the wind, and a little rest and light spinning will help.

Then again, you might just need to have the leg amputated...

merider1

Is he a knee doctor?

merider1

Thanks, Chris. I now feel oh, so, so, so much better.

roadfix

He's a web MD...

merider1

Ah. Even better.

DScott

+1

IMO, sounds like a mild form of nerve pain related to a temporary over-sensitization. I'm also pretty sure it's not fatal.

Certain things can cause the nerves to become hypersensitive, and hurt when they normally wouldn't. Your knees might be strong enough to take the stress on them from all that riding you do, but for some reason, the pain sensing nerves in that area got sensitized/activated.

While it's not a typical over-use injury like many other kinds of knee pain, it may very well be a consequence of over-use. There just might have been some kind of irritation of the sensory and/or pain nerves in that area.

For example, note the highlighted section in this quote from the second article linked below:


AFAIK, there are no good medical treatments for this, though if it continues and/or gets worse, you should certainly see your doctor about it. They can sometimes use drugs, injections, or maybe therapy to help.

Time will probably be the best fix for you. I'd certainly still consider using anti-inflammatories (Motrin, Aleve), ice and/or heat to the knee, anesthetic patches, over-the-counter capsaicin topical cream, or an herbal pain relieving topical cream (like "Traumeel cream". They all might help de-sensitize the nerves involved and speed along the recovery.

If none of that works, just use lots of pain-killers. It won't fix the problem, but you won't care that it's there, and you'd finally be able to do a critical mass ride.



CPTips article on bike related knee pain: https://www.cptips.com/knee.htm

Great (but fairly technical) knee pain article: https://www.cptips.com/knee2.htm

GP

He stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

merider1

Um...so are you saying I ride too much?
Thanks, DScott....and as for critical mass - if it involves a mountain road with little to no cars, I'm there!

DScott

Just to add: not an MD, but I do get to play with them on a fairly regular basis.


Yours in anarchy,

DScott

DScott

Oh, c'mon, don't you really want to take a couple of Vicodin, drink a few beers and ride around town holding up traffic? You could wear your tutu, too, and be the most ironic of all the hipsters!

merider1

I'm deathly allergic to Vicodin and I don't own a tu-tu and I'm not allowed to drink beer on my diet. It's not looking so hot for me, this CM thing...