Help with a dilemma: Low grade knee pain but planning a century on Saturday. Do it?

[Louis]

Hi Folks,

First off, I know you can’t give me a good medical assessment over the web, but I figured several opinions are better than one.

Background: For the last three or four weeks I’ve had what I would call relatively low grade, but more or less constant pain in my left knee. Usually I have some knee “sensations” the day after a longish ride (say 50 miles +) but that soon goes away. Now I have the same low-level pain most of the time, riding or not. Climbing stairs and other daily activities do not seem to have any significant impact.

However, this is something new, the pain just does not seem to want to go away. Riding and climbing relatively steep hills don’t seem to aggravate it significantly (it feels a little worse, nothing serious), but a combination of crappy weather and concern about the knee (but not pain itself, just me not wanting to go too long) have caused me to cut back to about 25 miles per ride on weekends, fewer rides/week and less “pushing it hard.”

So here’s the problem: a few buddies of mine have been planning a century for quite a while, and it is this Saturday. If things go they way they have for my shorter rides, then no big deal I can handle it. However, since I haven’t done any significant distances since this new issue I have no idea how I’ll feel after, say, 60 miles. If all hell breaks loose I’m in trouble since we won’t have a sag wagon. To make things even better, it’s going to be a cold start (just above freezing). On the plus side, there will be no significant climbs on this ride.

Your thoughts / experience? Would you do it? Pop some Aleve and go for it, or hold off, for fear of really messing things up?

Thanks
Louis

[eddief]

You don't speak of any treatment. My knees like to be iced when they ache. Why not stay off them, so to speak, for a week and see if the pain lets up? Easier said than done, I know, but it might be a valuable experiment. Could be overuse. I have had both knees scoped due to faulty minisci. They amaze me sometimes. Can go hundreds of miles with little or no pain. Then I go and change to a new pair of shoes, start dialing in cleat position, ride for 10 miles and can start to feel the pain. I'm 53 and I hope they last or will turn into Good Year blimp.

[Louis]

Eddie,

I do ice them for about 25 minutes after every ride. Other than that, so significant treatment these days. The knee in question was 'scoped about 8 years ago (plica).

Louis

[dgauthier]

Your thoughts / experience? Would you do it? Pop some Aleve and go for it, or hold off, for fear of really messing things up?


I had low grade knee pain a few months ago. I forced myself to stay off the bike until the pain went away completely (about 5 weeks). While I've resumed riding my usual mileage (about 130 miles a week), the pain has not returned. This underscored for me the importance of *giving the body a chance to heal*.

So in answer to your question, no, I wouldn't do it. The pain is your body trying to tell you something. If you continue to injure yourself, you'll just extend the time required to heal. Do you want to be off the bike for a few weeks, or a few months?

[slowgoing]

I think this is one of those times where if you have to ask the question, you probably know the answer.

[Michael Katz]

I had an experience not too dissimilar to yours. For several years I would periodically get knee pain just below where the inside "head" of where the quad hits the inside top of the kneecap. I would cut back my intensity and do regular quad extensions and leg curls and the pain would seem to go away. Then in July 2003, I had another flare up where after 25 miles I would have pain and when not on the bike, the knee just didn't seem "right". My usual conservative approach didn't really help and my symptons persisted. I had an MS 150 ride scheduled for September and being stubborn I did it anyway knowing I was going to pay for it. Finally in February 2004, I had an MRI and discovered I had a slight tear in the meniscus. Had arthroscopic surgery and am now fine.

While I'm not a health care professional, I agree with the earlier posts that your body is trying to tell you something. What I think is key is that your symptoms are no longer episodic but are constant. Don't underestimate the stresses caused by even a flat century. (Think about the number of pedal strokes you'll be taking over the course of 100 miles!) I was very fortunate that my imprudent decission to do the MS 150 didn't result in some serious damage. If I were in your shoes, with the benefit of my past experience, I would bag the ride, see a doc and get an MRI to find out what's really going on.

[Kevin]

For the last 20 years I have been on and off the operating table and in and out of physical therapy for my knee. Take my advice, spend a week or two off the bike and skip the century. Anytime I tried to be the warrior and ride through the pain, I ended up doing damage and visiting the doctor.

Kevin

[Sandy]

Do as Micheal K says. It is only one ride of many in your future. Why take the chance?

Sandy

[Ozz]

I would probably ride the century. Doubel dose the Alleve for a couple days and ice. Start the ride, but be prepared to quit (yeah, right!) if your knee doesn;t feel right. Be warned: No one has ever accused me of being the sharpest knife in the drawer! :rolleyes:

No one here can really do a diagnosis, or understand what kind of "pain" you have. Therefore, all you are getting are guesses, and are hedged by being conservative....

If all you have is some inflammation, you will probably be in pain during the ride, and for awhile afterwards...

If there is some actual damage to your joint, you could injure it further...

I think the best advice you received so far is that if you came here asking the question, you already know the answer.