Martian bikes & bikes… he has pain in his knee which the Guru believes is a Patellofemoral joint issue

April 21, 2015

Hello Mr. Guru,
i`m sure you already heard almost all the stories, i`ve read some of them on the site, looking for a clue to solve my problem, didn`t find one yet… so please have some patience (or mercy), take 5 minutes of your time and read my story, maybe you can give me a good advice to follow. I`m bit scared, but more demoralized right now.

I`m a cyclist, amateur… i started to proper cycle 3 years ago and i love it, I`m riding lond rides on weekends, between 350-600km in 24 hrs. everything was ok, sometimes i was feeling tired and my muscles sore, but this was because sometimes i was pushing hard, and it makes sense…

Two weeks ago i decided to go for a big ride along UK (as part of my training). After first 500km i felt a pain on the inside lateral of right knee. Didn`t bother too much, thinking is normal (maybe i pushed to hard, or maybe a bit of soreness and it will go away) so i kept rolling. After 800km the pain became powerful and i couldnt ignore it anymore, I tried to rest several hrs, and i took some painkillers (ibuprofen). Nothing… the pain was still there. After more than 1000km the pain became even worse, at some points i couldn`t push with my right leg at all, so i was pushing only with the left leg on climbs, and just keep it steady on flat. After 1400km i couldn`t use my leg at all, everytime i was trying to bend the leg, the pain was so powerful, i was almost crying. At this point i decided to stop the ride and take a train home. Curiously i could walk with no problems as long as the knee had no pressure. I`ve never had a massage in my whole life until now. Back home i went to a clinic (don`t want to go to my GP, i think is a waste of time, they don`t care too much, just doing their “jobs”)… where i had a massage and i received some blood circulation improvement tablets (my body was very swollen)… And i had rest days until today. I thought my knee pain disappeared and everything went back to normal. I took the bike for a 10 km ride, as soon as i pushed the pedal the pain came back. the pain is like a line on the left side of the right knee, from 2cm above patella and below with 2 cm. I really don`t know what to do now…

Can you help me with an advice, or maybe you had similar cases.

Thank you very much.

Martian
April 21, 2015

Hi Martian
Wow – you like to bike and bike and bike.

Do you do any other type of training – gym, Pilates, swim etc? Do you have the correct nutrition and the right amount of hydration and replenishment of electrolytes/glucose whilst riding? Do you ever have post even massages or foam rolling?

If not you absolutely need to be – it’s sounds like you tissue has had enough and is totally overloaded, especially your patellofemoral joint Unless I’ve read this very wrong, is it time to face facts?

The Guru
Six Physio

Guru Responded

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