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Thankfully not a big issue for me at the moment but just interested in seeing what the STW-armchair-sports-science consensus is.
I've been off painkillers in general since January, as part of my 'rehab' from lower back surgery I'm trying to avoid the sort of behaviours that required painkillers in the first place!
Also as I increase the miles there's been a sort of general low level grumbling from my knees, but it's not getting worse and I think my strengthening routine will gradually see it off.
It's inevitable though that small niggles will occur, e.g. yesterday when trying a pistol squat I obviously annoyed something in my knee which has been twinging since.
I've been icing and using a bit of Voltarol gel, but have also been reading some articles which suggest NSAIDs and ice might actually SLOW the healing process, as inflammation is key to healing.
So if you're training, trying to build up hours, miles and intensity in the saddle, and you tweak something, what do you do, do you just back off and ride a bit more gently while it heals, or do you reach for the ice pack, voltarol gel or ibuprofen?
I’ve been icing and using a bit of Voltarol gel, but have also been reading some articles which suggest NSAIDs and ice might actually SLOW the healing process, as inflammation is key to healing.
Yep, current thinking is avoid as it slows healing.
Also, steroid injections for tendonitis have been shown to reduce the chance of succesful outcomes for surgical intervention, so best avoided as well if it gets bad and you might need surgery.
Also, steroid injections for tendonitis have been shown to reduce the chance of succesful outcomes for surgical intervention, so best avoided as well if it gets bad and you might need surgery.
It's funny that steroid injections should come up, the one reason I'm still attracted to ibuprofen is that it seems to have an immediate and marked effect on the residual inflammation of my sciatic nerve, post surgery.
Sometimes I think I might like to write off a week's 'training' for the sake of 2-3 day's Ibuprofen abuse, just to take inflammation down, but it's never painful enough to warrant it, it's just another background grumble!
Steroid injections came up with doctor but neither of us fancied it so thankfully idea was shelved.
There's also evidence that endurance sport and ibuprofen don't mix, strain on kidneys, and it's been linked to some deaths in marathons. Brighton marathon had it in their official guidance not to use. The links are somewhere in the big running thread.
Steroid injections came up with doctor but neither of us fancied it so thankfully idea was shelved.
When I had my shoulder injury (hit by an out of control snow boarder), the Consulant I saw specifically said avoid any injections if you think you'll want me to operate on it as it reduces the chance of success for reataching tendons. His other advice was wait another 6 months and it will probably fix itself, which it did...
When my spine got broken, they pumped me full of everything, paracetemol, ibuprofen, morphine (loads) and diazepam and stuff to make me go to the loo. Surgeon told them to stop the ibprofen as it slows healing.
I 'did' have a prescription of Etoricoxib - a slow release NSAID during a bad period of back pain. Worked a treat, but I made the 28 day prescription last over a year for emergencies.
Fortunately, back pain has improved en
Need to ease off and build up gradually again. Not just muscles your building up but connective tissue as well.
Ibuprofen and ice are good for immediate treatment but no more than a day. I’d always recommend Paracetamol for low level pain over ibuprofen.
Some move away from traditional RICE advice to POLICE, where Rest is replaced by Protect and Optimal Loading. In other words don’t do anything daft but keep the area moving gently.
POLICE, where Rest is replaced by Protect and Optimal Loading. In other words don’t do anything daft but keep the area moving gently.
That sounds like what my physio has been preaching for a while, which is good, has seen me through my rehab so far.
I have been taking Marine Collagen for a couple of months and it has been great. I can ride more often and I have less pain after riding.
(Broke knee cap into lots of pieces late 2015, I have cartilage damage too)