by DominicTook » Tue Dec 16, 2008 7:55 pm
Thanks Phil, I appreciate this.
I first started getting the problem late summer, probably August I think, start of. It came on very suddenly and it was after learning a new technique to run downhill that the problem was exacerbated. This involves doubling stride length, rotating the elbow out (A bit like a chicken haha) and allowing yourself to glide down the hill basically. Great for speed, but I reckon it really wrecked my knee. I just remember getting pain on the outside of my knee and then it going incredibly stiff.
I did some more research today, it's the LCL Ligament that's affected. The one on the outside that connects to the thigh bone I believe and it has defiantly affected the thigh band muscle, but that's stopped now.
The pyhsio did some intensive work on the knee cap more than anything, but I remember that fairly vividly as I went to the Isle of Skye not long after. That just inflamed the tendon to be honest and it took WEEKS to heal. I'm not really sure this is ever a good thing, they did explain that might happen, but with two separate conditions I've had the same treatment and the same inflammation, so I don't have much faith in the physio.
The podiatrist altered my orthotics but I think after 3-4 months that's actually made the problem worse. So I've completely removed those now, which is helping, but not completely adjusting the problem. (Diagnosis/Prognosis/Physio treatment was Trinity House in Macclesfield and Stuart Fletcher was the Podiatrist)
From symptoms I read on other websites, I don't appear to have torn it. My symptoms at the time were a near lock up of the knee joint, a little pain and a fairly large swelling on the point where the lcl ligament joins the lower bone, on the outside of the knee (It's a squidgy spot I find hard to find for me)
You know I think Stuart mentioned Alsager to me, you've just jogged my memory...might be the same person. Anyway I don't think there's any real nerve damage, I had been out and had lower back pain recently (Which is a little strange as I've been cycling 12 miles three times a week for the past 4 months pretty faithfully.) I had to take painkillers to get rid of the back pain, hence why I mention it, but I doubt it's a symptom.
The thigh muscle band (I have forgotten the name of it now) was also a bit of an issue to begin with, but seems to have cleared up completely.
As I've mentioned walking exacerbates the problem and as most websites say, pivoting is a bad idea.
Thanks Phil!
Dominic