[Closed] Knee ache - lack of stretching?

If you’ve been cranking up the miles, particularly pushing a single speed up hills then you could be suffering from a chronic inflammation commonly known as “winter knee” where you have inflammed the surface of the underside of your kneecap. Ease off for a few weeks, spin your gears and maybe take some anti-inflammatories. Stretching your quads may help relieve it as it’s the big muscles pulling down on the kneecap that is part of the issue. I got this once after doing a 200km ride around all the Surrey Hills climbs on a fixed gear of 50x17 🤣

As above really, I've driven myself mad trying to track down and resolve knee pain, and it has pretty much always boiled down to a big increase in miles or intensity.

Back off a wee bit, rebuild gradually?

I'll put the gears back on and stick to zone 1 and 2 this week and see how it goes. Fitness is the best its ever been so don't want to lose much now.

Sitting at desk for extended periods of time = tight hips, back, quads and hamstrings etc.

Could absolutely be causing knee pain - multiple muscles cross multiple joints in that area. Cycling can just exacerbate tightness in a flexed hip position.

My left knee aches if I don't stay on top of mobility and stretching work - even walking and running regularly really helps.

Stretching of Psoas, Quads, glutes etc all really help. I also have a percussive therapy gun and foam roller that I really like using on quads and I find helpful (although the jury is out on actual benefit)

Winter knee aka Patellae chrondomalacia

I agree with all of the above, my left knee seems to be a good indicator of when I've ramped up the mileage or intensity too much on the turbo. It definitely pays to take heed and ease off a bit in my opinion.

I've noticed a variety of annoying physical changes since I started WfH full time. I already did 2/week gym or strength sessions on top of running and cycling but now I've added a 30min daily stretching session to the weekdays as I've had a heel spur and pulled back muscle both of which I am convinced are due to the WfH change. Also got a lump on my eyeball from staring at the laptop too much but luckily that has gone away 😲

Sitting at desk for extended periods of time = tight hips, back, quads and hamstrings etc

I agree with this, I used to suffer from tight quads and calves with the odd knee niggle after big rides, saw a physio and started doing mobility exercises and 2 pilates moves to strengthen my lower back couple of times a week and its helped with tight muscles and the odd aches. Reminds me I should go do them now!

I also noticed my knee not clicking like it usually does.

It usually clicks when I squat down. Has done since I was about 10 and never causes pain. The last couple of weeks its not. Until a few days ago when I started stretching again.

In an ironic way the clicking again is a bit of a relief so I know something wasn't right but hopefully getting better again now.

I would strongly agree with this. Hips and hip function has a massive bearing on how the rest of your body moves. Tight hip flexors, alot of anterior pelvic tilt are all bad side effects of sitting too much.

Sitting at desk for extended periods of time = tight hips, back, quads and hamstrings etc.

Could absolutely be causing knee pain – multiple muscles cross multiple joints in that area. Cycling can just exacerbate tightness in a flexed hip position.

My left knee aches if I don’t stay on top of mobility and stretching work – even walking and running regularly really helps.

Stretching of Psoas, Quads, glutes etc all really help. I also have a percussive therapy gun and foam roller that I really like using on quads and I find helpful (although the jury is out on actual benefit)

 

Hamstrings is the key stretch for me to reduce knee pain. Hips is also crucial for me but for other reasons

Just in case. Are you clipped in? Are your cleats aligned correctly?

Could anyone pop a link on to the relevant stretches pls.

Are you clipped in? Are your cleats aligned correctly?

Spds and flats. Same shoes and pedals for a few years so no changes to position.

This is my first knee issue so not sure if I need to stop completely, or just ride gently. I felt an ache saturday before last and was pushing hard. Since then I've eased right off and only really notice an ache if I think about it.

recently been pushing quite hard on the hills with a single speed

How old are you?

Could anyone pop a link on to the relevant stretches pls.

Google Abi Carver PinkBike she offers some good yoga / stretching routines.

How old are you?

37

I have a slightly different approach. I used to get one aches but that has all gone since I've started doing bodyweight squats. I've now progressed all the way to doing single leg pistol squats. No pain anymore and more power up the hills.

I’ve now progressed all the way to doing single leg pistol squats.

I can do a few sets of 8 pistol squats so its not a strength issue in my quads. Not done them receny though. I think my hamstrings are the weakest link. They're usually the first to get cramp on long rides and always been tight.

I had knee pain last year.
Eventually put it down to working from home and not have a proper office chair.
All sorted since getting a proper chair setup.

Maybe check out your ITB if the pain moves around your knee - the band is generally tight cos the glute medius is underdeveloped; this shows why it causes pain and how to fix it:-

Of course it could be a multitude of different things, but many folk have knee and hip probs caused by this one little muscle not pulling its weight!

As above - ITB band is a prime candidate, especially it the pain is on the outside of your knee. Made worse with all the WFH and lack of mobility. Lots of pigeon pose to stretch, then split squats, single leg bridge and lateral leg raises to help strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee.

I had this previously, physio and gym work completely cured it, ran and cycled pain free. With Covid, lockdown and this stuck at home bollocks and now it’s back again.

I thought itwas IT band issues at first and could still be that. There was a little pain on the outside of my knee at first. After some thorough stretching the pain has moved to the inside/back. Doesn't hurt if I poke it or twist. There's an ache that comes and goes on the kneecap. I'm getting a few more clicks than usual which seems to relieve any pain.

Well this is odd:

When I stretch a muscle I always feel the difference afterwards, except in my quads. They have never felt tight like other muscles and never feel different after stretching in various ways so always thought they were fine.

Yesterday afternoon a massaged my quads just above my knee and felt an almost instant relief of pressure on my kneecap. Even made my toes tingle with a warm feeling. Did this a few times and it made a big difference. Still got an ache in my right knee but clearly something was wrong in my quads. Going to keep up the stretching/yoga routine with added massages to see if it keeps improving.

With the winter knee stuff, and the talk about an increase in load - when should your knee get used to the extra load? My left knee has tingled a bit the last two winters, not so much that it holds me back but I'm aware that it's not right. Last summer I properly injured it and did some physio. But I've been churning out the same mileage at the same intensity for getting on for three years now and my knee still doesn't seem to be adapting.

Also, what are the long term implications for this? Arthritis?

Thought I'd update in case anyone else is having the same problem. After an hours zone 2 ride in the week the pain come back and seemed a little worse. Did a lot of research and experiments with different stretches and found the Spiderman stretch targeting your hip flexor to be the most helpful. Managed a couple of hours riding this morning with no pain at all.

I think the main cause was from too much sitting causing my pelvis to rotate forwards.