Knees (human!)

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Kiko

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Does any one else struggle with their knees? I'm only 22 but been riding since I was about 6 along with various other activities etc. For the last couple of years my knees 'give way' or 'lock' and I can't really run or walk up stairs properly as they feel like there going to give!

In November I was literally standing up and one of them gave way with a massive crack, since then they've been swollen and sore and regularly get sharp shooting pains, the cold weather makes them worse.

Is this just me or does anyone else have similar issues? I went to my doc tonight and he just said that they are not strong enough and is going to refer me to Physio?? I generally thought my legs are
pretty strong anyway from riding, yard work, heavy haynets and water buckets, I guess I need to do more exercise to strengthen them even
more??

Just wanted peoples experieces/opinions on what I should do next?

Thanks
 
Oooooh not sure. When i was 15 I was kicked on the knee. Absolutely the worst pain ever! I could still walk on it so i didnt bother going to walk in centre.
- Im now 25 and I wake up in agony some nights - especially in the winter (arthirits).
 
i also get bad knees, and im only 15, so its not great :S xrays told me that one of them has an overgrown bone (can even feel it) but i dont get any hassle from this one... and the other one i cant bend properly!! i think i will be going to doctors/hosp for lots of xrays in the next few months!
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i have a feeling that the un-bendy one could be riding related
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but now for sure the other one ist and im just strange!
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lol
 
My right knee got like this and would 'lock' when doing normal everyday things like getting out of a car etc - i would have to 'pop' it back out and then it'd be very weak.

I did gymnastics as a kid and i partially blame this to be hones so don't know if you did anything similar?

Mine gradually got worse and worse and eventually I was referred to hospital and they operated on it. They found I had a cyst within the knee joint and also the cartilage had been frayed (or something, it was a while back now). Anyway, they trimmed back the cartilage and shaved some bone off my knee and drained the cyst. Touch wood it has been fine since. Somedays it seem and feels weak and I feel it'll lock again but it hasn't as yet.

i don't think riding is the best thing for knees either though so some other exercise may be better - ie cycling, walking etc

My op was about 6 or 7 years ago now.

I would def see the physio but be warned they may manipulate you knee a bit and it could be rather uncomfortable!!
 
I don't get loud cracking noises or anything but some of the symptoms are similar. Apparently I have lumpy cartilidge on the back of my kneecaps, it's called Osgood Schlatters or something... means they're quite weak, and I get really bad shooting pains if I, say, try to hop (not that I do!), to run up stairs, to stand up on a bike without being very careful etc...definitely can't jump sideways or twist etc like you would in squash or tennis, say. It's far worse in cold weather. The doc tried all that stuff about 'strengthening the muscles around the knee will improve it' nonsense but nothing really has, apart from avoiding those kinds of movements. I've had it forever. It doesn't really affect riding too much because you're weight's not in your feet - apart from if I sit in the same position for too long in the cold they kind of sieze up!
 
My knees have always ached and last year one of them was giving way when I walked down stairs etc. Physio did help though it still feels weak sometimes. I'm 35yo.

The sprenger type stirrups are good for aching knees etc.
 
Yep i do - going to see a specialist soon and im only 19
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! Its because i am very hypermobile, they have always been a bit sore but the riding has made them way worse and they recon its caused arthritis in my knees
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. Mine always swell up also and crack and creak, give way for no reason (literally standing still) and i struggle to get up and down stairs without walking very odly, which is fine unless someone is behind you!

For riding i find those flexi styrups that have the rubber connections on both sides have helped loads with the riding, as for normal life, they say operations might help...

If i were you i personally would go back to the doctors and virtually demand refferal to a specialist - really emphasise how it affects you day to day life and gives way (that worked for me). The physio could help but to be honest its probably worth seeing a specialist anyway. If you have private medical insurance and tell the doctor you do you get reffered much more easily, that is what i had to revert to doing for my back, which is when they realised i was so hypermobile which causes so many other problems! Hope that helped a bit
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Had a similar problem with my knee and turned out it was torn cartilage which I had to have removed. Just got over that and ruptured my cruciate ligament.

As others have said, Sprenger stirrups are a Godsend.

Also do physio to strengthen your quads.
 
ive got bad knees - damaged them when i used to hurdle for school. if i kneel down my knees move out of place and really hurt for days after.
i use sprenger stirrups now and they help a lot.
 
I have bad knees, left is worse than right and is swollen a the back of it! When ive been sat down and try to stand up they crack and hurt and I have to hobble a bit till they work again lol, been riding since 5 and now 29, I have done alot of running though in the past but knee only got like this over the last year where I havent done as much after having my daughter. I have a bad back too but the physio said riding would help this as just muscular! I ride with flexi stirrups and they are much better than fixed ones, knees dont tend to lock :-) try doing yoga exercises to strengthen muscles - helps mine no end :-)
 
Goodness me, sounds like riding isn't very good for our poor knees at all! I've got dodgy knees too - if I kneel down for any length of time they really hurt, and sometimes I'll go through a phase of maybe a week (sometimes triggered by hitting my knee falling over or something, but often just randomly with no cause) where it hurts to take all my weight on one knee, for example when walking up or down stairs, and to sit down/stand up/crouch, anything that means supporting my weight through my knees even for a split second. I'm told it's because I have hyperflexion in my knee joints, which is weird because I'm really stiff and inflexible in all my other joints (can't mount my 14.2hh pony from the ground!), and the physio gave me some exercises to do but I am ashamed to say I got bored and just forgot to carry on doing them.
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So if I bugger my knees up for good, it's my own fault for not listening to the physio. Hope riding doesn't make it worse.
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im generally in a mess from riding and heavy lifting lol. im 18 and currently undergoing tests for bad back and hips, i have extremley clicky knees and they ache sometimes, but i rely suffer with my hips, they even hurt when im riding. iv just had x-rays on my back and pelvis and awaiting a radiology report for something that has shown up on my sacroliac joint but i start physio soon. as said above, sprenger stirups are fab for bad knees as they absorb the shock.
 
My knees ache most of the time but are always worse when its cold or that time of the month, (random i know) not sure what you can do about it, other than try wearing supports, sometimes they help and other they feel pointless.
 
My right knee has had a dull ache in it when driving or riding, especially at jumping length...I shifted my car seat back and it has helped. Also, I find longer stirrups more comfortable, but hopefully putting the car seat back will fix it now. I don't want to have a wonky knee!
 
My Knees are BAD!! One I damaged the curciate ligament in and its quite scary as sometimes it gives way and locks and I cant straighten it out, I had an arthroscopy and they found the ligament was torn badly and had try to repair itsself in a mangled way, I was told I would need an op to sort it out.... but when I went back the consultant said they would try physio first.. it didnt help whatsoever and I have never had the op to put it right so still very dodgy.

My other knee has arthritis
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I use like everyone else sprenger stirrups and I take glucosomine or Human cortaflex is brilliant
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Kiko, the symptoms you describe sound very similar to mine and could well be cartlidge problems. I have had a torn cartlidge repaired 10 years ago and am back seeing the othopaedic chap with a suspected cartlidge problem again after exactly this:

" my knees 'give way' or 'lock' and I can't really run or walk up stairs properly as they feel like there going to give!"

and

"I was literally standing up and one of them gave way with a massive crack, since then they've been swollen and sore and regularly get sharp shooting pains, the cold weather makes them worse."



No doc can not tell what's going on inside your knee without an MRI scan and therefore can't say it's just muscle wastage. Even if you do have muscle wastage, there must be an underlying problem which is causing that. Please pester him to refer you to orthopaedics.

I am back on Monday to get the results of the MRI, which I'm hoping will just show bony fragments floating about, which may get removed during an arthroscopy

Oh, and Sprengers are fabulous!.
 
as eggs says, do physio to strengthen your quads.
i banjaxed my right knee 7 yrs ago (got bucked off and landed on 1 leg, bad move), did cruciate, tore meniscus, fractured bottom bit of femur.
had op and did tons of physio, he stressed that strengthening quads, to stabilise the knee joint, is key to its strength.
wrecked same knee again 7 wks ago (v similar accident), have done collateral ligament this time (and maybe more), doing strengthening exercises with weight on ankle etc.
anyone with dodgy knees that need strengthening up... this is the answer!
Sprengers are brilliant, make a big difference, the normal ones as well as the Bow Balance ones.
 
Wow this is crazy! Our poor knees
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Mine are odd, generally they're fine and I never have any achiness. However sometimes if I jump or the first (push off) stride when I start to run, I'll get a stabbing pain in my kneecap. Very painful and stops me doing whatever I'm doing, pain disappears in under a minute. I also get the same thing in both ankles. Like I said, it's occasional. I've never had it checked out as I'm not bothered about it, but I am interested in what it could be.
 
Gosh looks like it's quite a problem with us riders! I'm goig to pay to see a sports Physio instead of waiting on NHS and see what they have to say. thanks for all your replies and I hope your all feeling better soon!!!

Jo
 
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