So, this is want I wanna know.
After hiking 2,174.1 miles, and now being home for three weeks, my knees still hurt. Not all the time, of course…just when I ask them to do things other than walk. Like running. Or playing Volleyball. Even stocking shelves at the bookstore I now work at.
Is this normal? Does it go away? Do i need to seek help? Is there anything I can do? Will my knees give me problems forever?
Thanks!
Leki-Less
Well, I suspect that your knees are hurting from 2,174.1 miles of overuse. Running puts tremendous impact on your feet and knees, so that’s what you are feeling. I suspect the same for volleyball, especially if on a hard floor.
Will it last? don’t know. Will it go away? perhaps, with enough rest. Should you seek help? An expert would know the answers better than I.
Peaks
When and where are they hurting?Kneecap,sides,back?Going up stairs,going down stairs,getting up after sitting?Oo
Onlyone
I had sore knees for a couple of weeks after my last time out too and they were swollen but I was carrying an extra heavy pack and have a tendency to hyperextend the knees on downhills (this means they tend to bend backwards further than they should when they are straight which damages them).
I’m going to use knee supports from now on. Also, check with your doctor next time you see him/her. My doctor suggested I start taking a supplement called Joint Builder: Glucosamine sulfate with MSM. The bottle says it “supports cartilage and joint function.” Maybe it’ll help you too. You might have to find it in health-food stores. Always check with a doctor before taking herbs or anything because they can sometimes react to something else you might be taking.
Leslie
Took about 8 months for my knees to return to 100% of pre-hike condition. Some people just recover faster (or slower) than others.
Double Stuff
I wouldn’t say I’m overusing them. Today was the first day I tried running (and then stopped immediately). I’ve only played an hour of Volleyball. Basically, I’ve noticed when going down stairs, sometimes when going up. If I’m sitting or crouching low, I usually need to use my arms to help me get up. I did take glucosamine during the last half of my hike, but no, i’m not on it any longer.
Leki-Less
Hey, you know what doesn’t hurt your knees? Sitting in front of the computer and updating your journal! You have a great touch with the writing and I just have to know what else happened to you out there.
Ivy
There have been other posts in the past few months re: knee pain; you may want to look those up. Basically if they still hurt; do go to the dr; at minimum; & to an Orth. specialist preferably. Some orth drs specialize in sports medicine. You may just need (kneed?!) to go on anti-inflam. meds for a bit of time or get a shot of cortisone. My dr advised using EITHER heat or ice; which ever seems to work the best for me. Some of us are just more unlucky than others, & have bad knees. ALSO…my probs. (not when hiking) flared up when I switched out shoes to what i wear in the summer. My knees rebelled @ the change; & did so again when I switched back to"cool weather shoes"
after the summer. I also ended up getting some great help from a physical therapist; they give you exercises to help build up the muscles around the knee; quads, etc.
leah
Dude, give your knees a rest and update your journal! What happened? Enqiring reader want to know. :cheers
Tyger
We’ll do these one by one…
Glucosamine - there is conflicting studies with regards to this, studies being peer-reviewed, double-blind, placebo base studies by credible sources (hence, not from the company making the supplement,not from an internet webpage that looks so official looking, not from Men’s Health, Womans Day, Prevention Magazine, etc etc…not from Oprah, or Grandma’s friend, etc…) Humans tend to really screw up studies and subjectively, how they are doing with regards to treatments/medications, hence the placebo use in studies… Most studies show a subjective response of Glucosamine and placebo to be equivalent… However, many people claim it works well for them ( and others I know reported zero effect), and it basically cannot hurt you unless you have pre-existing kidney problems, so go ahead and try it…
MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane) - no clinical proof that it works, plenty of clinical evidence it can be very dangerous…looking at this stuff and how the body metabolizes it, I would recommend staying away…in theory, it should be similar to DMSO (dimethylsulfoxide) in effect, and even more in theory, provide the sulfur which way down the pathway can be incorporated in compounds that will eventually become intergrated into cartilage and fluid found within it…it is a long pathway, and really really stretching the If’s…but who am I to judge it (cough, molecular biologist, medical student, PhD candidate in molecular biology), your body, your wallet, your call…
Chondroiten Sulfate - good idea, in theory, just doesn’t hold up under clinical trials well…again, any second semester biochemistry student can tell you it just isn’t going to work…can’t really hurt you as with one save pre-existing renal problems if taken in high enough doses, but really a waste of money…your body, your wallet, your call…
I am sure grandma, or the local GNC guy, phrenologist, astrologer, and most definitely a few MD’s will jump all over this, go ahead, who cares…
If you really want to do something about your knees, see a sports physiologist, or sports medicine doctor…light stretches and low impact resistance training are often helpful…if you need pain relieve, or inflammation reduction, try an OTC like Aleve or another NSAID drug…stay wawy from narcotic pain analgesics, credible studies are showing they may actually SLOW the healing process… buy good shoes, fitted by somebody who knows how, to assure you are walking correctly, if you have to, see a podiatrist for orthodics…
And, if you really want to try a supplement, go with the Glucosamine for a few weeks or months, see how it does for you… the Chondroiten is extra money and a waste, I’d stay away from the MSM…
IMHO (well, maybe not being too humble here…)
xtn
airferret
What are you doing up and around at this hour rattling the living … get back in your grave! :eek:
Specter
hey leki, congrates, btw…maybe the dependance on leki poles has gotten to you. If you use a stair rail going down stairs, it could be a psychological thing, where you remember a phantom mountain that is haunting your memory…like phantom limb. Slick carpet reminds you of wet moss covered rocks that you slid on and so mentally you fear a fall and over compisate for this with knee stress.
…damned if you do, damned if you don’t!
i know nothing about knee problems, but one thing i am sure about, you’ll tackle this with strength and one step at a time, love ya baby…and come see us, we got yer bed made and flat trails and cool beaches to over come what haunts ya.
burn
I hope your knees are better.I take it by your trail name that you did’t use poles try them next time out and you might save your self some pain
nopain
Rest, ice, compression, elevation
get some dixie cups and freeze water in them. perfect way to self ice your knees. 10 min ice on, 10 min ice off. you’ve got to let the ice completely numb your knee before you remove it. advil or other anti-inflammatory.
stretch your quads. go to the gym and lift (lightly, slowly) weights that will rebuild the muscles around your knees.
over time these things will work.
i had serious knee injuries a few years ago. the cortisone shot sucked. i found it better to do these things religiously… my only problem now is walking too long on concrete. oh and if you start running eventually, run on packed dirt. no sidewalks!!
good luck!
greenie
Sorry, Spector, none can do…like the old House of Pain song, I’m “back from the dead”… yeah!!!
-xtn :pimp
Straight out the casket, rising up
Open up your eyes, can’t you see me
What the f is this madness
Pick up my bones
Erase my name from off the tombstones
Alive and kicking
Breathin’ the air
Call out my name punk
And I’ll be there
No question
My suggestion to the action
Caught smack dab in the middle of the blastin’
Messin with me
You’re messin’ with the best
Bleow, you’re takin’ to shots to the chest
airferret
I hiked in 03 with too much weight (though my friends will tell you different about the weight piece). I did glucosamine starting in Franklin and stayed on it till after the trail. Unfortunately I cannot tell you if it helped or not…as you know. Pain just becomes part of it after a while. Anyway…I did not stress my knees for a while after the trail. I think it took about a year to fully recover everything…spiritually, mentally and physically. When you said you were running, I felt pain. I wouldn’t do that for a while…I know it sucks to not be able to exercise…what about cycling? Swimming? aerobic machines? Just wanted to say…give your body time to rest…and you may want to pay attention to more than the knees…are you replinishing your body with iron and other nutrients? Are you finding new social circles that meet the needs for the new person you found inside yourself? Spiritual needs getting met (however you defind this of course)? When I got off the trail I was amazed at how much info was out there about getting on the trail and not much to guide you about how to come back down. I found the latter to be much harder! Good luck LL!
Last Minute GAME03
Last Minute
Hey,
I just finished hiking on Sept. 17th. I didnt have any knee pain during my hike but after about a weeks rest my knees started hurting, especially when walking downstairs. I’m planning on just resting and taking up swimming. I’m also taking Glucosamine and hoping for a miracle recovery.
It is dang frustrating after losing 20lbs, slowly watching the weight come back. I really want to go running but am holding off.
Good luck!
Jalanjalan
Wow
Great to see some familiar names. Airferret!! I was so glad to hear you are alive and well. And sorry you had a “joke” like that being played. BURN!! THANK you for the invite. It was a pleasure hiking with you at the begining. I hope you are well.
As for Tyger and anyone else wondering, I was going to update my journal one day at a time, but you can see how good THAT’S going. So I’ll update a Post-hike entry sometime this week to give you an idea of what happened.
Thanks for the replies everyone!
Leki-Less