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I love hiking. The problem is my knees. A couple of years I went over some mountains way too fast. It was the start of the Camino de Santiago, and that means Pyrenees and poorly trained novice hikers. My knees absolutely hated this and I had to basically shuffle every slight incline for the latter 700km. Anyway, fast forward a couple years and I'm ready to try again. First day on pretty easy mountains in Corsica, and I feel the same weakness going down hill. It's at the front of the knee. Like a very slowly emerging pain at the kneecap. It sucks, because i can't make any nice treks. I hobble over every hill like an 80-year old. Anyone have tips to better prepare my legs for the stress of mountains? I'm in the gym a bunch, so I have access to whatever. Pointers for gear or technique also welcome.
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Jul 14, 2016 20:35
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 09:13 |
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Not a doctor but doing things like strengthening your quads can help generally. Talking to a physical therapist might lead to more exercises or stretches that could help. Lots of people use hiking poles to help reduce the strain on their knees and swear by it, so get yourself some poles and start using them. I don't know the trick to using them to help reduce strain on the knees though, so you might have to look around for pointers about that.
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Jul 14, 2016 20:56
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So, I have no idea how to fix your knees, but there are a few things to try to pay attention to, and consider while descending:
You already have hiking poles? You have footwear that has a pretty solid footbed? I know people have lots of different preferences for shoes, but for me, if I am carrying any kind of load for steep climb and descend sequences means I'm wearing a pair of light mountaineering boots, not hiking boots. Blitter fucked around with this message at 05:47 on Jul 15, 2016 |
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Jul 14, 2016 21:12
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I've had success using hiking poles to reduce the battering on my knees and improve overall stability. If they're adjustable on length, making them longer on the downhill seems to improve the experience. The trick is to use them for support like you would a handrail, so you aren't so much jolting your way down as (relatively) softly lowering your body down with each step. For downhill, I've found that palm-on-top technique is easier on my wrists than the normal grip I use when on the flats.
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Jul 15, 2016 01:21
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As a bitch knee haver who's struggled for years, here's what I try to do to help them, and it has even though I have not yet solidly fixed my problems because it turned out I had a lot: - Strengthen your quads and glutes. Do lots of squats. Make sure you have proper alignment, feet planted hip width apart and knees stay centered over those feet. Building up the muscles that support the knee will help a lot. - Are you pigeon toed or have flat feet? Be sure your stance is aligned right or you could find your joints are rubbing under pressure from misalignment, especially under high stress such as walking down steep slopes. Find exercises that help correct those problems if you have them. Physio can help if you have a bad case and aren't sure how to fix it. I had both of these problems, and I'm still working to build the muscles up properly to fix them. - Poles help tremendously, especially on the downhill where muscles fatigued by the climb up no longer have the strength to keep your knees aligned properly. Distribute some of that weight elsewhere. Every time I forget to bring my poles I've regretted it. They make a world of difference for me. - "Hiker's switchbacks" as mentioned can ease the stress on the knees while also making it easier on your muscles on the climb so they aren't as fatigued for the trek down. I've done them when I've started to feel pain or pressure and it cut the symptoms back a fair bit. - I have a foam roller that I use on my quads, calves, and hips frequently to massage the muscles which really helps, because if your muscles are stiff they can pull on your joints and make things worse. - Stretches rule. Do them lots. All the time. Stretch the gently caress out of yourself.
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Jul 15, 2016 04:19
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Try spinning: bike around on the lowest gear you can tolerate, pedaling fast but with minimal force.
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Jul 16, 2016 18:24
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Picnic Princess posted:As a bitch knee haver who's struggled for years, here's what I try to do to help them, and it has even though I have not yet solidly fixed my problems because it turned out I had a lot: These are the right answers. Squats build up all the muscles that support your knees and skeletal loading strengthens your bones. Do more squats. Squat three days a week.
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Aug 15, 2016 03:53
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Learn how to do contract/relax stretching as well. I can't squat unless I fix my rusty hinges.
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Sep 21, 2016 14:11
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Going down stairs or inclines backwards can also help if you have super hosed up knees like my dad does.
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Sep 21, 2016 20:02
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Anybody have recommendations for some hiking poles? Last hike I did I suffered from a case of bitch knees after doing several major hills two days in a row. A nice stout stick with a paracord handle kind of did the job, but I'd like a more permanent solution.
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Sep 22, 2016 15:40
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IronDoge posted:Anybody have recommendations for some hiking poles? Last hike I did I suffered from a case of bitch knees after doing several major hills two days in a row. A nice stout stick with a paracord handle kind of did the job, but I'd like a more permanent solution. Yes in fact there's a thread right in this forum for that. It's fallen off the front page, but if you filter by the "north east" thread tag (looks like dunkin donuts, ftw) you'll find it.
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Sep 22, 2016 18:07
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This is Picnic Princess and apparently I can edit incredibly lovely posts if I want. BYEEEE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6Xo21L0ybE Somebody fucked around with this message at 08:14 on Sep 23, 2016 |
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Sep 23, 2016 07:38
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IronDoge posted:Anybody have recommendations for some hiking poles? Last hike I did I suffered from a case of bitch knees after doing several major hills two days in a row. A nice stout stick with a paracord handle kind of did the job, but I'd like a more permanent solution. I like the black diamond Distance Z poles. A bit on the expensive side but they are light and durable, and fold up nice. Make sure you get the right length. They are even helpful on flat ground. If you use them right your upper body should be tired at the end of a day hiking, because it takes weight off the legs. Watch some YouTube's
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Sep 28, 2016 15:49
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 09:13 |
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OP, I got the exact same knee pain as you after trying to run up the AT like a moron. Exact same spot, in front and under my knee cap. I had to abort my hike because I couldn't go down mountains anymore. I haven't figured it out yet, but this thread sounds promising.
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Oct 21, 2016 07:42
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