Sore knees on downhills

imported
#1

I want to hike the AT, but every time I go out and hike my knees start to hurt when I am going down the mountain. I have no pain going uphill or walking on flat ground, but once I start to go down the hill my knees really hurt. I use trekking pole. Is there anything I can do about this, exercises, knee braces, etc? Let me know, thanks!

Pam

#2

Trekking poles are great but if you are consistently having pain going downhill, I’d see a doctor and maybe have my knee scoped.

Strengthening the leg muscles might provide a little more stabilty to your knee but if its bone on bone rubbing, excercise can only do so much

jalanjalan

#3
  1. Keep the quads strong. Strong muscles protect the joint.
    My fave quad strengthening exercise is wall-sits twice a day while brushing my teeth. Keeps me in shape for weekend warrioring.
  2. Stretch the quads. Hiking tightens muscles & tight quads pull the kneecap down against the joint.
  3. If the pain is on the outside of the knee is probably IT(ilial_tibial) band syndrome. For that you need to stretch the outside of the thigh. Google IT band stretch.

I hope this helps get you hiking & that you have a great time.

Long Skirt

#4

As jalanjalan said seeing a doctor is the best approach. I also agree stretching can do wonders. I had been a distance runner for years prior to my thruhike and I used a lot of the runner’s stretches during my hike. They really helped. I have also used a knee brace. It also might help to ice the knee when in town. When not in town a cool stream will also help reduce some of the inflamation. The important thing is get a handle on what it is and how to deal with it while at home with access to doctors, ice, and all the things that might help. It’s a lot tougher on the trail. I also am better at uphills than down, so I am more agressive on uphills while taking it slow and easy on downhills. Good Luck.

Steady On

#5

If it occurs on the outside of the knee it’s likely ITB (iliotibial band). Assuming ITB, google “iliotibial band” & “iliotibial band stretches”. See your doctor & get started on Physical Therapy, if you can. In PT, they will work with you on stretches, balance, & strengthening areas that are weak. (For instance, you may have overdeveloped quads, but underdeveloped hamstrings or you may have an imbalance in your gait, such as pronating.) I’ve been following a strict stretching routine now for several months, along with icing after (10-15 mins on/off - 3 sessions). I’m also religious about taking Glucosomine/Chondroiten/MSM & gellatin, and I hike with poles. The past several weeks, I’ve been hiking 20+ mile weekends (back-to-back days), with 2k-3k elevation gain/loss, plus another 6 miles rt on flat surface to/from work twice/wk(25-lb pack) at full stride/speed. I also stretch throughout a hike, whenever I can (hams, quads, flexors). Though my ITB occasionally lets me know it’s there, I’d place the improvement over several months at >90%!!!

OregonHikerDave

#6

The tendons in the knees will strengthen as you hike, they take longer than muscle to strengthen, but they will get there, just keep hiking, use poles and don’t push yourself too hard

HeartFire

#7

Hey Pam et al,
Soreness should always be treated as a yellow light, as it signals potential tissue damage. Sore knees may just be “growing pains” as you acclimate to hiking. Carrying extra weight places strain on the body, and the knees take time to strengthen enough to adjust to the heavier load placed on them. That is the best case scenario, but you should see the pain lessen pretty quickly with consecutive hikes. If you find the soreness worsening or not resolving with rest, then the light turned red. You need to consult a health care provider for an evaluation to determine the cause. It may be originating from your foot, knee, hip or back, amongst other medical issues so a comprehensive exam needs to be performed. Listen and be kind to your body, it has to carry you for many years! Peace out.

shep

#8

As others have pointed out, lots of things can go wrong with knees. What works for me is: regular exercise, periodically stopping to stretch, trekking poles, and going slow & careful on the downhills. A Cho-Pat knee brace has also been a tremendous help.

Dioko

#9

When I sobo’d in '05 several co-hikers complained of this same thing, a finishing nobo, (x-caver I think?) explained about the patella (sp?) bone putting excessive pressure on the kneecap durring down hill parts = pain on down hills only/mainly. The hiker “fix” for this is to take a bandanna, roll it up triangular-wise like you are going to make a sweat band, and tie it around your leg just below the kneecap. Tie it as tight as you can, the major blood vessels here run thru the inside of the knee so you wont be able to cut off circulation or any thing. The point is to keep the patella from stabbing farther forward then it normally would because of an unaccoustom amount of pack weight or previous underuse/overuse of the knee joints. I suppose once you get conditioned to the trail your legs may over come this, however I think Squeam used them all the way to springer. An actual brace may be available for this but bandannas are cheaper, lighter, more fashionable, and can be washed of sweat in stream crossings and laundrymats.

spider