Knee ache

I would seek a second opinion if it were me.
Zap has it right it's all in the hips and glutes.
Stop running for a little and do lots of glutes/hip exercises and foam rolling-lots of foam rolling all over your body.
And don't run on the mill if you can help it.
Good luck!
 
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In my transition days I had some knee aches. They eventually went away but here's my $.02...All the emphasis to "bend the knees" when running bare causes those of us who have been running with less than great form to tax our quads and hammies doubly (both in the action of striding and in maintaining the bend). Until your tissues and connectors get used to it it's achy. I think it's just as valuable as the conditioning of your foot structures, if you think about it; you haven't utilized these muscles and ligaments and tendons in *just* this way so there's adaptation in play.

As to the doc mentioning surgery. I think they all do that as a "worst case" sort of warning. It scares you into resting until you get definitive answers.
 
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Let's hope that it's not needed. Surgery sucks!
 
I would seek a second opinion if it were me.
Zap has it right it's all in the hips and glutes.
Stop running for a little and do lots of glutes/hip exercises and foam rolling-lots of foam rolling all over your body.
And don't run on the mill if you can help it.
Good luck!

Thanks Dama. I'm hoping the specialist will give me a better, or at least more detailed, prognosis. I haven't run now for about 2 months and I've been doing lots of hip, quad and hamstring exercises as well as tons of rolling.

In my transition days I had some knee aches. They eventually went away

When you say eventually, how long did it take? I was wondering if it was just due to transitioning but I haven't run for 2 months now and I still have the knee ache. It's noticeable most of the time. I've had knee problems since I started running (shod running) about 18 months ago. But a physio got me some exercies and a knee strap and everything was going well. But after a 10k race last october, I was in excrutiating pain for a week or more and could barely walk. It was about a month after that when I read about and decided on BF running. I was wondering if it was transition pains if it werent' for my recurring problems and the fact that it's not going away after 2 months rest. At least the specialist can (hopefully) zero in on the problem.

Hey Tim. I also had knee pain when I first started running. Please look into these web sites below. I had good success doing the excercises.

Thanks for the sites I'll check them out.

edit: *sigh* Could only get an appointment with the specialist in 6 weeks. :(
 
edit: *sigh* Could only get an appointment with the specialist in 6 weeks. :([/quote]

Sorry, six weeks is a long time-but hang in there, there is always a wainbow at the end of the storm...:)
Have you being icing your knee?
Or tried a heat ice therapy?
 
No I haven't been icing it. Didn't think it would matter at this stage but I guess I can give it a shot. It's summer here anyway :)

What's heat ice therapy? Sounds like an oxymoron :)
 
Hey Tim,

vzyzt7 posted some good links. I was going to say that you might just have runner's knee. I think that is what I have come down with after this half marathon. It just takes some time to heal. While I do have some arthritis issues in my family, I doubt it is that. I have some of the arthritis pains in other joints from time to time and I know that this dull ache is much different. I doubt you will need any surgery. Just some rest for it. Most info that I've found has said rest on the order of MONTHS (anywhere from 1 to 3) and then slow progression back to your normal training over a few more months. I have races every weekend into May right now that I've already paid for so I won't be resting as much as I should, but if you had six weeks, that is plenty of time to rest up and see if it makes any difference. A couple of sites I saw mentioned other cross training to maintain cardio and strength. Swimming was recommended and light cycling. These might be good to try for the next few weeks. Hope it goes well with the knee and you've been resting it.

-James
 
I hope you're right devilnuts. I've been resting it and not running at all (boo!). I did borrow my brother in law's mountain bike for a week or so and did some cycling which was not only fun, but it seemed to stop the stiffness in my knees in the morning. I've been seriously considering getting a bike for a while now anyway. Only two weeks until my specialist appointment. My x-rays didn't show anything wrong with the bone so I guess that's a good thing. Not sure if it makes surgery more or less likely :)
 
Keep us posted. And if you found that a bike has helped you, then there's no need in postponing getting one any-longer. They are really affordable these days, unless you want a specialty racing bike.
 
The single thing stopping me from buying a bike right now is the money. I'm only working casually at the moment and with my specialist appointment coming up, I dont want to be spending more money than I have to in case I need to cover medical expenses :( I'll wait until after the appointment and go from there.
 
That's a good plan. Walmart has some okay bikes. I got one that I love for about $60. I know they're not the best, and I'm kinda embarrassed to admit it that I got one :oops:, but I wouldn't have one otherwise if I had to pay more.
 
Except we dont have Walmart in Australia :p I came soooooo close to buying a bike last week. Had to go to the post office during my lunch break and there was a bike shop next door. Thought I'd just pop in and take a look and the guy showed me a great bike for a great price and then knocked $200 off it. Was very very tempted :)
 
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Well I had my appointment with the specialist today. He reckons I've blistered the cartilege on the underside of my patellars. Thankfully surgery isn't the best option (short term gain, long term problems). He wants me to see a physio for exercises etc and see him again in 3 months. He said it could be a long recovery time and it might not ever get better. So I wont be running for a long time :(
 
What?! No, Tim. I'm so sorry. Can you get a second opinion? Can you get an MRI, something more concrete to prove exactly what is going on with you? That sounds bleak, but I wouldn't give up if I were you. Have hope.
 
Dr's really know how to cheer a person up don't they. I had a back doctor once tell me I'd be in pain the rest of my life. I fixed myself within 6 months and haven't had significant back pain in 13 years. Don't lose hope. Keep up with the biking and any other resistance exercise you can. If it is a cartilege issue, strength training will help support the healing process. Don't go all crazy with heavy weights though. Chin up, soldier on.
 
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Thanks guys. I thought I'd feel happier knowing I dont need surgery but it did get me really down yesterday. I asked him about cycling and he said so long as I dont grind up any steep hills I should be ok. Which kinda sucks because I really want to do trails on a mountain bike rather than road cycling.

I have to work out which physio to go to as well. I could go to the one I went to about 12 months ago. On the plus side he is local and knows my history. On the downside he's the one who prescribed orthotics to me as a matter of course rather than strengthening my arches through exercise.

My other alternative is that the BRS barefoot-friendly doctors map (great idea BTW) has a barefoot friendly physio in Adelaide (only one on the map for the whole of Australia luckily enough). On the plus side he is barefoot friendly, but on the downside he is about a 45 minute drive from where I live, but close to where I work. Have to see how much he charges too.
 
Good luck with all that, Tim. Do check out the BF-Friendly doc. I would travel 45 minutes and even way more to find a good BF-friendly doc. So glad to hear the map is working for some of you.