Medial knee pain (inside of knee)

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jonny jeez

Legendary Member
I've suffered from Achilles tendinitis in my off side knee in the past and managed to remove this via the use of foam rollers. It's never come back, despite riding between 3,000 and 5,000 miles a year over the last few years.

But I have always had a slightly weaker offside knee, the worst symptom of which is a slight restriction to lift my offside leg when putting on trousers ( nothing Career ending there) It doesn't hurt, its just a little less mobile, almost as if the thigh muscles are too big and stop my leg bending as much on that leg.

Thing is, over the last few months I have developed a pain on the inside rear section of my knee that manifests when I walk a lot more than when I ride.

Last night I heard a clicking noise as I climbed the stairs and thought it was something in my pocket. Today, in a suit, the clicking persists and is definitely coming from my knee.

I generally commute about 20 miles (round trip) 2 or 3 times a week but used to ride over twice that (new job). I have also ridden a lot of long miles (leJog, L2P etc) post Achilles tendinitis, with no issues.

So, am I falling victim to spring over training (have been pushing a bit more over the last two weeks... But the knee "weakness existed long before that...whilst the clicking didn't)

Is perhaps the chronic weakness and chronic General pain unrelated to the recent clicking perhaps.

Lastly (sorry) should I just rest up, or shift my cleat...or both...or none.

Going to get a sports massage over the next week to see if that helps an immediate recovery but I don't want to stop riding if I can help it as its my only excercise.

Cheers

J
 

Ganymede

Veteran
Location
Rural Kent
I did a big day's skiing in late January and have had this same problem ever since. The muscles on the inner side of my knee are achey and a bit stiff, especially if I sit for a while. I was seeing a physio about something else and he said it was a kind of overtraining - I'd done too much and then not kept it up, ie everything since had been rather less strenuous - and that I should do quad stretches and keep up my activity. However, no (extra) clicking has occurred so maybe you should get it checked out. NB The ski trip really was very strenuous - steep, mostly off-piste, quite a bit of walking, started at 9am and didn't get to lunch until 2.30. Not meaning to brag (feel a bit self-conscious typing it!) but just to show you what caused it. It was near the end of 2 weeks of reasonably hard daily skiing but it was exceptional - so have you been overdoing it, is what I'm actually getting at?
 
It's not clear where you're talking about but it could be anything from tendonitis to swelling and all things in between and around. You say you've rolled in the past and it's helped. Perhaps it's an insertion point from a larger muscle group like your hamstrings which insert behind and around your knee, so stretching them might help for instance but you'd need to be more certain where it's coming from. Ice never does any harm and some exploratory stretches and rolls might help you figure out more about it.

Here's a handy website which might help

http://www.cptips.com/knee.htm
 

vickster

Legendary Member
If it continues, see a sports physio. How old are you...could be some wear and tear - my knees click and crack and hurt but they are falling apart! If the clicking isn;t painful, probably not a lot to worry about but get it checked if concerned

Usual stuff, do you stretch after riding?
 

Too Tyred

Well-Known Member
Location
West Yorkshire
Bumping this because there's probably a thousand knee threads already!

My last two turbo rides have been cut short due to pain on the inside of my left knee and upon closer inspection it looks a little swollen.

I don't wear cycling shoes and just have trainers with loose toe clips.
Cadence could probably be higher.
Technique probably isn't the best.
I've ridden just short of 450 miles since May - comfortably the most miles and most consistent riding I've ever done but clearly not loads. Still though, maybe a little bit of over exertion?

Any advice other than rest?
 
Ice it: I recall you were warned about doing too much in another thread and it's possible that's why. Again, there's so much can go wrong around the knee it's impossible to be specific. I know I've had inside knee pain and it was caused by other muscles inserting in that area. Rolling and stretching them, plus icing, sorted it eventually.

This website might help you isolate and describe the symptoms better as well as giving you some help.

http://www.knee-pain-explained.com/
 

Too Tyred

Well-Known Member
Location
West Yorkshire
Ice it: I recall you were warned about doing too much in another thread and it's possible that's why. Again, there's so much can go wrong around the knee it's impossible to be specific. I know I've had inside knee pain and it was caused by other muscles inserting in that area. Rolling and stretching them, plus icing, sorted it eventually.

This website might help you isolate and describe the symptoms better as well as giving you some help.

http://www.knee-pain-explained.com/

Yes it was me in the beginner training thread but I did listen. I haven't been doing any structured training only riding Zwift when I can.

It's interesting that you mention other muscles in that area as I didn't feel comfortable on the bike earlier. Hamstrings were a little tight early on which did ease quickly.

I'll ice, have a bath, and rest for a few days then have a light, flat ride later this week and see how it feels. Thanks for the advice.

I've looked at a couple of those sites and tbh they just confuse me with the varied advice. I never fully trust what I self diagnose myself with.
 
Hamstrings were a little tight early on which did ease quickly.
Hamstrings have insertion points on the inside of the knee amongst other places, so there's never any harm in stretching them. The other muscles that insert there are adductors and your sartorius muscle. you can stretch your adductors too but you'll probably need to roll your sartorius. I'd start with ice and your hamstrings. I'd also just double check your position on the bike. Check the cptips link earlier on for medial knee pain and make sure your cleats are set right.
 

Ganymede

Veteran
Location
Rural Kent
@Two Tired Look up "pes anserine bursitis" and see if that fits the symptoms. Not serious but needs a bit of pampering, ice etc.

You should be aiming for lower gears thus speeding up your cadence and lowering the pressure you are pumping onto the pedals (told to me by a doc who is also a cyclist).
 

Too Tyred

Well-Known Member
Location
West Yorkshire
This keeps rearing its ugly head.

No more riding for me for at least this month. The annoying thing is I feel great on the bike then all of a sudden I start to feel my knee. It's not like it's happening when I've done 50 miles flat out and I can think well maybe I should stop at 49. Comes on quite randomly, can be 15 miles in, can be 30, might not come at all.

Over the winter I'm going to invest in some proper cycling shoes fitted by the LBS and get used to them on the turbo. Something is just telling me that I may have too much give in the angle of my foot/ toes when I'm pedaling and that slide may be causing me to be putting power through an awkward position?
 

vickster

Legendary Member
This keeps rearing its ugly head.

No more riding for me for at least this month. The annoying thing is I feel great on the bike then all of a sudden I start to feel my knee. It's not like it's happening when I've done 50 miles flat out and I can think well maybe I should stop at 49. Comes on quite randomly, can be 15 miles in, can be 30, might not come at all.

Over the winter I'm going to invest in some proper cycling shoes fitted by the LBS and get used to them on the turbo. Something is just telling me that I may have too much give in the angle of my foot/ toes when I'm pedaling and that slide may be causing me to be putting power through an awkward position?
See a Physio who does bike fitting, rather than relying on your LBS to have the appropriate knowledge to take injuries into account. I've had an LBS Retul fit and two cycling Physio fits, night and day in considering injuries and joint issues
 

vickster

Legendary Member
I second that and highly recommend Nicole Oh at the Octopus Clinic near London Blackfriars.
She's also in Putney
Phil Morel at Wimbledon Physio v good too

Unfortunately @Two Tired is in Yorkshire but I'm sure there's a comparable Physio in Leeds or similar. Or at least a sports Physio with a cycling focus
 

Too Tyred

Well-Known Member
Location
West Yorkshire
@vickster @velovoice

That's what I'm now looking for, I've had a check of the services provided by peloton physio and as the name suggests they're pretty much perfect. London is a long way though.

If I can't find a really good cycling specific physio I've been recommended a well regarded sports physio. However his main field is football and I played football the other night with absolutely no flareups or after pain. Different movements.
 
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