Human Knees

Re: Human Knees

Julian Earl — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 12:19:58 GMT

The sports physio who I've had treatment from is in Sheffield up by the University so a bit away from you Martin: Sharon Rawlinson at ActiveRehab but private not NHS I think unless she takes NHS referrals. Thoroughly recommended for anyone in the area.

Re: Human Knees

Hannah Wynne Richards — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 11:57:54 GMT

Isn't he scared for his safety when doing house visits?

Wynne

Re: Human Knees

Anthony Dennison — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 11:49:24 GMT

If there is anyone in the North West (more Lancashire) area, I would highly recommend visiting my sports therapist. I've seen plenty of physios since I started playing rugby, but I now wouldn't go anywhere else. Really professional and friendly, always available for help and advice through his Facebook page.

He sorted out the problems with my legs and is currently dealing with my shoulders. It is one of those massages that hurt at the time, but feels sooo much better afterwards.

Look for Red Rhino Sports Therapy on Facebook, he's based in Ormskirk but does do home visits. If you have a few friends that have troubles and would like to see someone you may even be able to arrange with him to visit your area and see mutliple people, as he does do home visits.

Re: Human Knees

Anthony Todd — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 11:34:10 GMT

[quote user="Helen Wallace"]And I'm not sure lycra is ever a good look... even on a bike Martin[/quote]

Come on boys and girls, selfies required.

Let's really get this thread alight!

Re: Human Knees

Mark Hedberg — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 08:48:02 GMT

Thanks!

Re: Human Knees

Gina Dungworth — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 08:15:32 GMT

Sure! I saw Keith Waldon of Up & Running (http://upandrunning.org/) in Portsmouth. Well worth the visits!

Re: Human Knees

Mark Hedberg — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 13:48:34 GMT

My wife has knee issues; don't suppose you'd let me know the details of that sports therapist? :)

Cheers,

Mark

Re: Human Knees

Gina Dungworth — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 12:04:28 GMT

UPDATE: I had three sessions with a sports physiotherapist before Christmas (1 free assessment followed by two paid-for sessions), during which he mostly concentrated on my back with the aim of reducing referred tension to my leg muscles. Result: next to no knee or hip problems since.

I'm keeping up the one exercise he showed me, and trying to add in some of the other exercises that I was shown by the initial NHS physiotherapist (though not the ones that were ridiculously painful last time).

Now to decide whether to simply cancel my appointment with the NHS knee expert next week, or turn up and tell him what I think of his previous (lack of) advice.

Much thanks to everyone on here who has offered advice and anecdotes, it's all been very helpful.

Re: Human Knees

Julian Earl — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 19:26:55 GMT

I'm experienced with knee problems. Back in 1986 I inficted a tenosynovitis in my right patellar tendon due to over-gearing in a race, bad weather, felt a gentle pop and the weakened tendon troubled me for nine years. I was on my bike for a month or two, off for two, on again, off, and never able to race. Eventually, after my first GP said I was too old for sport at 28 for goodness' sake, I found another who refrerred me to a sports consultant in 1995. I had extremely successful surgery as he cut away " alot of rubbish" behind the tendon. Three months post-op, I was racing again, eigth in my first race no less, a big success. Never ever missed a training day or race to that tendon again.

But, always a but! I fell on the shome tairs in 2005 and landed on my left patellar tendon causing a partial rupture which was massively painful. I had one op at Bristol that made me ten times worse, then referred to Professor Rolf in Sheffield. It turns out he is a world=recognised expert on sports ijuries particularly knees and he operated again, doing a micro-fracture op on my articular cartilage. The main point is that he said NO, NO, NO to intra-articular knee steroids. The best advicehe gave me for physio was that you have to strengthen your hip muscles to protect your knee. Your hip muscles stabilise your whole lower leg soI focussed on hip exercises and eventually I got back to full racing strength and fitness again, but will never have steroids in my knees thank you.Unfortuntely, Prof Rolf has retired now and gone home to Sweden, but he was wonderful. He had pictures of all these professional footballersin hisoffice and he is/was the MAN.He even gave me a free copy of the book he wrote about sport-sinjuries; a nice man indeed.

The short version? Strengthen your hip muscles by hip flexion/extension exercises and it will benefit your knees.

HTH

Re: Human Knees

Gina Dungworth — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 06:51:02 GMT

Well, I saw a sports physiotherapist yesterday evening and got a free assessment, in which I was taken more seriously than in most of my attempts to get anywhere on the NHS. I had some work done on my lumbar spine, which does seem to have loosened everything around my knees too, and makes sense in the longterm context of my problems. I'm going back tomorrow morning to find out what else needs to be done.

Re: Human Knees

tess — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 18:36:44 GMT

Yes, lycra shorts!

Re: Human Knees

Martin Atkinson — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 10:28:00 GMT

[quote user="tess"]The men do wear lycra, because wearing shorts when you are doing the likes of a Happy Baby pose could lead to a serious wardrobe malfunction...[/quote] I do hope you mean just lycra shorts rather than a lyotard - the thought of men in a mankini is not a good one as evidenced by the nutters who wear them when running up mountains during bike races cheering on their heroes.

Re: Human Knees

tess — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 19:34:21 GMT

Martin,

Several men go to the classes- they range from young athletes, who have been told they would benefit from improving their flexibility, through to those who retired .

The men do wear lycra, because wearing shorts when you are doing the likes of a Happy Baby pose could lead to a serious wardrobe malfunction...

Re: Human Knees

Helen Wallace — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 15:58:26 GMT

Keeping muscles built up is really improtant. In all fairness those physio exercises weren't painful at all (except the smirks of my nurses when they kept cathing me standing on one leg between consults). The ones to break down muscle and the tensor fascia lata were the crippling ones.

And I'm not sure lycra is ever a good look... even on a bike Martin

Re: Human Knees

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 14:18:44 GMT

[quote user="David Mills"]

[quote user="Malcolm Ness"]

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]Don't know I'd go for the yoga and tai chi [/quote]

Not like you to miss out on a Lycra-wearing opportunity.

[/quote]

You should try Bikram yoga, 90 minutes in 40 degree heat and 70-80% humidity. It's my latest (well for 2y) thing, and has helped my prolapsed disc no end mainly I imagine by strengthening my back muscles. It's absolutely bloody exhausting, usually half men and half nubile young females wearing very little and sweating, and even a large proportion of middle aged/geriatric blokes wearing, quite disturbingly, lycra in some cases. What's not to like?

[/quote]

Mrs A does 'hot' yoga but thankfully she doesn't wear lycra! Lycra off the bike is not a good look even for super-slim Bradley Wiggins body-alikes like me , other than 'half-nubile young females', the rest of the population should generally avoid it. I'm yet to be convinced that anything about yoga can be exhausting to someone who is half-way fit - yes you may discover some tight muscles and ligaments you never knew existed but heat exhaustion in hot yoga apart, hardly exhausting.

Re: Human Knees

David Mills — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 14:02:19 GMT

[quote user="Malcolm Ness"]

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]Don't know I'd go for the yoga and tai chi [/quote]

Not like you to miss out on a Lycra-wearing opportunity.

[/quote]

Re: Human Knees

Malcolm Ness — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 12:52:25 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]Don't know I'd go for the yoga and tai chi [/quote]

Not like you to miss out on a Lycra-wearing opportunity.

Re: Human Knees

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 09:49:50 GMT

[quote user="tess"]By strengthening the muscles around the knee it seems to help protect and stabilise the joint.[/quote] You've hit the nail on the head. Don't know I'd go for the yoga and tai chi but I have no doubt that while sports may be the cause of my knee injuries the benefits that come from great muscle development from training has helped recovery, Catch 22 almost.

Re: Human Knees

tess — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 00:54:24 GMT

Gina, I have knee problems- very lax ligaments + wear and tear.

Physio through the GP made no difference.

I go to Body Balance which is a combination of yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates. There are a lot of standing strength exercises which work all the muscles of the leg. By strengthening the muscles around the knee it seems to help protect and stabilise the joint.There are easier options for each exercise but I was able to progress to the advanced quite quickly. I have no knee pain as a result.

There are classes all over the UK and it is suitable for all ages.

http://w3.lesmills.com/global/en/classes/bodybalance/about-bodybalance/

Re: Human Knees

Rachael Winder — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 20:45:39 GMT

I've had knee problems since about 13y.o., mainly the combination of luxating patellae and too much high impact sport. My experience of GPs was appalling- was fobbed off as having "growing pains" for several years resulting in significant patella tendon damage by the time it was correctly diagnosed. I would try to seek out a physio who specialises in knees. The initial physio I was sent to was a generalist and hence I was given the standard set of NHS knee exercises, which made everything worse. When I was sent to a knee specialist the improvement was amazing- essentially she banned all the exercises I was initially given! A decent consultant also makes all the difference, so definatley shop around for one you trust. Mine was an ex-England rugby player and my GP reckoned he was better at knees than he'd ever been at rugby :-) Good luck, it is so wearing having chronic joint pain.

Re: Human Knees

Helen Wallace — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 20:42:56 GMT

I developed knee pain in my early 30's due to a combination of patellar luxation, hip subluxation, joint hyperextension, femoral valgus and 'abnormally shaped' kneecaps. Physio worked for me but was excruciatingly painful to start with- I walked like I was missing a zimmer frame for about 2 months. I think I would have given up except for the orthopod who told me there was a high chance of surgery causing more problems sine I'm (apparently) so abnormally shaped in the stifle area :)

I'm now pain free 95% of the time. I only get sore if I slack off on the exercise and my muscles start to waste but its a good motivation to keep fit. Hope the sports physio can help you.

Re: Human Knees

Gina Dungworth — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 20:09:06 GMT

Okay, a small update. I booked an appointment with a sports physio for Monday evening. Shall report back after, but thanks to everyone for the advice so far.

Re: Human Knees

Anthony Dennison — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 17:14:49 GMT

[quote user="Robin Grimmer"]massage the ITB[/quote]

This is possibly the most painful thing I have had done by my sports therapist. I see him for either my shoulders or the lack of flexibility in my legs, and he doesn't massage my ITB, he pummels it. Knuckles down, pressing hard. One of the blokes at rugby kept mocking me for my reaction when I had it done, then I watched him having it done. The mocking stopped shortly after.

Re: Human Knees

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 16:27:34 GMT

[quote user="Robin Grimmer"]Re cleats - incorrectly set up cleats was the cause of Bradley Wiggins knee problems this year.[/quote] Thats the first time I've heard that explanation but I don't believe it for one minute. If anyone is experienced enough to set up his shoe cleats it is Wiggo. No the knee problem was a smoke-screen for lack of form, poor motivation and team politics, Brads head was not right and when his head is not right his form is not there and vice versa. He got it together for the ToB and lost it again at the worlds.

Re: Human Knees

Robin Grimmer — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 15:35:27 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]

[quote user="Robin Grimmer"]The solution to my right knee problem was all down to saddle height. I have to get the saddle height spot on - and lower than I used to have it - and now it is fine. [/quote] Interesting. The vast majority of knee injuries from cycling IME are due to not having the foot aligned properly on the pedal - a lot cyclists just set the shoe cleat up straight without taking into account whether they naturally walk slightly duck-foot or not or having the saddle too low so the knee doesn't extend enough. Saddle too high more often results in back pain.

[/quote]

It's weird. The good knee is not affected by saddle height. But my bad knee flares up if it's too high. I guess it's down to the altered biomechanics of the knee now I've lost a substantial amount of meniscus. Re cleats - incorrectly set up cleats was the cause of Bradley Wiggins knee problems this year.