OK, now here's the weird part

[Tom]

Close readers may remember I complained about hip pain and then really sharp knee pain in my left leg, hip for more than a year and knee since last fall.

It got pretty bad - I couldn't sit with pressure on the middle of my left hamstring without both the knee and the hip but especially the knee hurting like hell. It hurt all the time, every day.

So last week finally I get outdoors on the bike for the first time since about the beginning of February. I rode three times about two hours each time and mostly went easy except if I had to go uphill or I felt like going fast.

The result? I'm healed! I'm healed! It's a miracle! I can walk again! I can see!

Seriously, I'd have thought it would feel about the same but to go completely without symptoms? I haven't felt good for 72 hours in a row since I don't know when.

Weird.

[barry1021]

Never stop Riding.

No Charge. :)

Actually that's pretty cool. I remember maybe 20 years a lineman for a major college messed up his knee and was scheduled for surgery. The day before he lost his balance on his crutches and fell down some stairs. His knee unlocked and he was on the practice field the next day. I like your story better tho.

b21

[stevep]

The result? I'm healed! I'm healed! It's a miracle! I can walk again! I can see!
.

but can you play the piano?

congrats. must feel good.

[Ti Designs]

but can you play the piano?

At the same time?

[BumbleBeeDave]

So last week finally I get outdoors on the bike for the first time since about the beginning of February.

You took over six weeks off the bike and whatever it was that was stretched, strained, torn, or ruptured had time to properly heal.

I've had the same thing happen multiple times with nagging injuries from riding and nagging injuries from weightlifting. I get strained something-or-the-other from too much riding and over the winter it heals up from much less riding. I get tendonitis or some nagging pain from weightlifting in the winter, stop in the summer, and the next fall all is serene again.

Tom, you ride a LOT. When was the last time you took 6 weeks COMPLETELY off the bike?

BBD

[thwart]

I'm healed! I'm healed! It's a miracle! I can walk again! I can see!Having chronic pain finally go away is pretty exciting. A lesson for those of us who are lucky enough to ride pain-free.

Don't take it for granted...

[Tom]

Tom, you ride a LOT. When was the last time you took 6 weeks COMPLETELY off the bike?

BBD

Which bike? My winter scheme, when I haven't ridden outside is 3 weight workouts a week and 4-5 indoor rides about an hour each. I took a week off at the end of February to lay around and watch iguanas wrestle but that's about it.

[toaster]

Tom,

That's interesting. I'm going through a similar experience. I've got pain in the hip, middle of hamstring, behind the knee, in the lateral calf area all on the left side.

This seems to be the result of overuse as I've been on the bike more this winter and added some weight lifting and started some myofascial release on what I figured was piriformis syndrome.

Now, the pain is debilitating and I've been off the bike 10 days. It's like the nerve is being pinched by inflammation or something. This feels like it all originates between the left lumbar spine and above the left gluteal fold.

I wonder how similar that is to your experience. I ride with a shim on the left cleat.

[Big Daddy]

Holy week?

[BUTCH RIDES]

hey I would ride very easy for a couple of weeks yet
glad your feeling better
b.

[Wiley J]

Just curious, how old is Tom?

[Tom]

hey I would ride very easy for a couple of weeks yet
glad your feeling better
b.

I can't do anything else yet, believe me. It just isn't there at this point.

Mid forties.

My pain sites were, starting at the top:

- Groin at adductor insertion. Middle hamstring insertion. Upper and outer hip at the back, outer front quarter of left thigh (IT band and quadriceps), knee sharply at the very top of the tibia, left calf at the rear outer quarter all the way down. If I sat in a chair with weight on the edge pressing on my hamstring, my knee would light up and then not stop for hours.

Losing all that is kind of nice.

[Wiley J]

Your syptoms are similar to what I was having a few of years ago. Found out I have degenerative arthritus in my hip. I was about your age when I started having problems. I hope that's not what you have. Does it hurt when you ride? Riding is the only thing I can do where it doesn't hurt. Anti-inflammatories help me alot.