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| Guest23. 09. 2007 10:56:03 |
Hello.
In the last two years I've been quite active as far as hiking goes (also multi-day and multi-hour - 12h+ hikes). On the last three, even shorter and easier ascents, I've noticed I have trouble on the descent, especially my knees suffer, so I drag myself to the base with the last efforts. I'm afraid this is slowly signaling the end of my love for the mountains. I'm interested in how to ease the pain and what treatment you recommend. How helpful are neoprene braces? Please share your experiences. Thanks.
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| Guest23. 09. 2007 11:04:42 |
Above all it's crucially important not to overdo it with such long tours as you write, if you have problems...
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| Guest23. 09. 2007 13:53:23 |
Why would that be the end of love for the mountains? Love remains, even if you watch them from afar.
I have a very similar case. Since this June when my knee started hurting, I haven't been "seriously" in the hills, just some 2-3-hour walks in the foothills - alpine pastures. I've been through all tests, meds, physio - but the result isn't very encouraging. I was told to gradually accept it, that sometimes it'll be better, sometimes worse, and to adapt activities to abilities. I'm sticking to that, love for the mountains remains!
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| Guest23. 09. 2007 16:54:39 |
Probably you'll have to at least temporarily reduce the strain on your knees. I myself have occasional issues and they go away with rest, it's true I do max 1000 m elevation per day.
A helpful exercise for me is with straight legs, on a "hard" surface rocking from heel to heel, the floor must be flat and hard.
An exercise good for knee circulation is also "biking" lying on the floor, because thereby the knee joints move but are not loaded.
Don't despair, just listen to your body a bit and obey it!
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| Obala23. 09. 2007 19:44:18 |
I had constant pains in all joints. Even on flat ground, let alone in the hills. And I started taking vitamin C, at least 1 gram per day. Pains disappeared after a few weeks. Now, after a year they reappeared, and I started with the vitamin again. Tested and it works, and not just for me...if no cartilage wear,...anyway, no tangible cause.
Try it, maybe it helps.
Best
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| Kobra 123. 09. 2007 22:26:15 |
http://vitamini.finechance.com /glukozamin-ext.htm
This is not a bad thing at all. Proven to help, if the injury or wear isn't already too severe.
For us who constantly stress the joints, there's nothing wrong with doing a preventive cure occasionally, since it's completely natural.
Safe steps...
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| Guest24. 09. 2007 10:59:43 |
What about glucosamine, which they advertise in the "Journal"; ask your doctor and the pharmacy a bit.
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| Guest24. 09. 2007 11:44:50 |
I too was a few years ago at the point where due to pain it would be necessary to stop hiking in the mountains. In the end it turned out that the cause of knee pain was lack of conditioning fitness. With regular walking, the pains stopped. But you need to start with shorter tours to strengthen the legs. I always carry a knee brace with me, but so far haven't needed to use it. A year ago I read that it's not good to hike in shorts, because the knees get cold. So it's no wonder ancestors wore knickerbockers. I agree with that statement too and it surely holds true.
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| Guest24. 09. 2007 12:10:06 |
For starters I'd recommend a bike, which evenly and not overly prepares knees and legs for greater efforts without stress. You can take glucosamine along - highly recommended for cartilage, a heat patch isn't bad either, continue with flat walking then easier hills, build fitness hard uphill and downhill on the easiest path....
I managed to get my knees in line after I came to her too
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| Guest24. 09. 2007 15:47:30 |
Warming up knees before and during activity definitely helps. That's why many use a brace, which also warms the exposed area. Unfortunately it doesn't work best for me, because it bothers me, digs into the bend behind. Some luckily don't have that experience and it helps them, warms the knee making it less sensitive, and also provides support, supports the knee and relieves it. Try massaging knees with Pernaton gel before activity (and after). And don't forget stretching: lie on your back, push knee to the ground, straighten leg and pull toes towards you, heel lifts slightly and press foot to ground (if at start under knee no contact with ground, roll towel underneath and press that to ground). Hold. Repeat same with raised leg (watch leg stays straight), can draw letters of alphabet etc with leg. I did such exercises after surgery. And of course bike, bike, bike, but without loads (no hills, only flat riding helps). They also recommend rollerskating. Important to have strengthened muscles (achieved with described exercises), to protect the knee itself.
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| Guest24. 09. 2007 16:27:12 |
I too occasionally have knee problems, the most annoying is that I never know when they'll appear. Orthopedist suggested x-ray and ultrasound, after all checks I still don't know what's wrong. When it starts hurting, sometimes already an hour after start of the path, I can't even continue the tour.
But the brace helps me a lot, I bought a stronger one with opening at back, plastic movable supports on sides, so it doesn't hinder walking (Sanolabor). Combination with pernaton gel, and it goes
Besides knee exercises.
Good luck!
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| Guest26. 09. 2007 14:11:33 |
Usually you need to know the cause of the pain. If it appears after strenuous downhill path, most often the problem is that the posterior thigh muscle is too weak. There are exercises to strengthen it, achieving greater muscle strength and consequently greater knee stability. In any case, unless allergic to these things, you can do a "cure" with glucosamine, which orthopedists also recommend for cartilage regeneration, and all warming and cooling creams. Levin strap helps too, but in my experience the best therapy is preventive strength training for legs.
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| Guest1. 10. 2007 11:46:56 |
I faced similar fear a few years ago that it would be the end of my hills. When some told me it's a sign of weakened knee ligaments that need strengthening with some specific exercises that supposedly you can do easily sitting in office or in front of TV. No one could show me those exercises. So I started walking regularly, almost every day. The condition slowly improved. Since then I always have knee pads and Miospray in backpack; probably expired, but I don't need any of it. I think a lot is in the head too and if you fear something will start hurting, it does. If you have everything needed at hand (in backpack), you're worry-free and all is fine. Now I can walk without problems. This year among others I was on Rombon, which has a lot of elevation to cover in one day, and it went without issues. Important is constant conditioning fitness, not some tough tour every now and then, then it's really a problem.
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| Guest1. 10. 2007 13:19:21 |
I agree with the thinking of the last guest. Good luck and happy and safe in mountains and hills for a long time!
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| dk66073. 09. 2008 15:20:08 |
I see some time has passed since this topic was opened, hope someone still sees this.
I also like hiking in hills, not such long paths (under 1000m elevation), but still considering I go 1-2 times a week and at pace, after some time I had similar issues with left knee, but only downhill (true I run).
Since the problem was getting more serious, I paid more attention to walking technique. First I noticed I didn't have even steps, loaded left leg more than right and that helped partially. Then I realized if I have bent knees and lean back a bit more, I really relieve knees, true thigh muscles are more loaded. But better muscles loaded than knees, and over time you strengthen muscles and both problems disappear. And so now I can go downhill without issue, without any pain, even running.
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| jprim3. 09. 2008 17:51:00 |
I completely agree with this, because if I remember last year, big pains in the knees, this year almost none, because the thigh muscles are strengthened and they have the main function in braking downhill. But I have another problem that burdens me a lot, but I still overcome this pain, it's the soles, after about two hours of walking burning pain comes in the front part of the foot, after a long tour - 9 to 10 hours, the bone already hurts. I've tried silicone pads, special insoles, saying I have too soft soles, changed shoes, but the pain is still there. Maybe someone from you can help me with some advice.
Regards!
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| aljazek3. 09. 2008 20:33:08 |
Thick enough socks (I have some Irish, woolen, and very thick ones), the shoe shouldn't be too big, too small either. Warm up your feet well before walking, stretch them. Try to distribute the weight on the entire foot, not just the front part.
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| andrej7674. 09. 2008 22:16:57 |
Vitamin C is one of the preparations that ease problems especially if it also contains bioflavonoids, additional help is provided by Glucosamine, Chondroitin and MSM. The last three ensure good "lubrication" of joints and cartilage regeneration.
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| lazicku20. 07. 2009 11:14:12 |
Almost a year since this topic was posted, but I still decided to ask for advice?
This year I started seriously visiting the hills and it has happened to me twice that my knees hurt. I must emphasize that I am sufficiently well prepared or I have been in worse condition before, and nothing ever bothered me. The pain doesn't creep up right away, but after about an hour and a half of descending. It starts hurting on the outer side of the left knee. When the path becomes flat or level, no more pain. The next day the knee is fine too. Please someone for some advice, despite numerous replies to this topic.
LP
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| vampek20. 07. 2009 12:30:48 |
My boyfriend also had problems with knee pain during descent, so we had to stop several times for the pain to pass. This year he bought new hiking boots and since he has the new boots, no more pain, so maybe you could try in that direction, with new boots
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| igorfran20. 07. 2009 16:05:29 |
If it's an injury or disease defect, of course I recommend first visiting a doctor and then acting according to the "listen to your body" system.
But if the person is healthy, then just a few words from my own experience:
- the first years (some 1/4 century ago) my knees hurt like a knife (descent).
The solution was the following:
- Knees must be shock absorbers and not carriers: downhill with bent knees, all weight must be taken by the muscle. That way the back doesn't suffer either. We descend on heels only on scree or smooth terrain, on steps (rocks etc.) we jump on the front part of the foot - never on the heel - and the knee must amortize like a spring. Of course the condition is fitness, enough so that the muscles hold the entire descent, otherwise no equipment or stimulant helps.
- And don't worry about the looks of "people" if you walk a bit strangely, the result matters.
(And all those vitamins, chocolates, raisins, "hearties", are very well replaced by light food, plain water, and at the end of the tour a decent beer.)
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