Knee Aches and Pains
Posted on Feb 17, 2008 under The Long Road Back | 2 CommentsEDIT: A lot of people land here after searching the web for information about their knee ailments. In fact, this is now probably the single most visited post on my blog. Jump over to my other post Knee Pain for a link to a site with a whole lot of information on the topic. (The link is also in my sidebar under Links.)
Okay, got up this morning as usual and did the loop around the neighborhood at more or less the usual walking pace — no jogging thrown in at all since yesterday included some. Overall, about normal, or as normal as can be expected this early into getting back into some semblance of shape.
The knees, however, are a little sore and there is a slight ache that come and goes. The bad part is that there is a spot on each knee at the top of the tibia — forward of or near the region of the medial collateral ligament attachment to the tibia — that is tender to the touch. Hard to isolate precisely, it could also be a little bit higher, in the area of the medial menisca. Either way, the pain is damned sharp when I tap in the area with a finger, so I’m a little concerned.
As I wondered about the source of the pain, I noticed my feet were still in a much worn pair of New Balance 1023 shoes that are about three years old. I don’t wear my new Nike+ shoes except for my walking and jogging, after which I putz around in the old New Balance shoes in the house or yard, at work, out and about town for shopping, etc. There’s no way those old shoes still have any appreciable cushioning remaining after all that abuse.
So, while my wife was shopping for last minute stuff for our granddaughter Halee’s birthday, I looked for a new pair of knock-about shoes to replace the old, worn-out ones. I finally settled on a pair of New Balance 661s — cushioning, neutral foot. I can continue in the Nike Air Structure Triax+ 11 shoes for my workouts where their cushioning and stability will come in handy and then switch to the more neutral, but still cushioned NB 661s for the rest of the time I spend on my feet.
Maybe they’ll help keep my legs a bit fresher than that old pair. My knees felt a little better while in them today, so we’ll see.
February 18th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Richard, you will have to remember how your body basically replaces cell tissue… every 3 months you have a new set of legs, in theory. Look at those knees and ankles and muscles you’re trying to utilize. They are set to do what you’ve trained them to be doing. Somehow you will have to re-teach them to bear weight and tension.
My first goal was to get the first run into the books. I knew the pain would follow. Even after cycling over 10,000 miles in the year before running, my muscles and legs weren’t ready to take the strain at first. My first 10 runs felt like my femurs were not able to take the impact of the road and pavement, not even a run on soft grassy trails. It felt like there were fractures in both legs. I remembered the pain would go away if I ran thru it.
New shoes have been one of the saving graces. I replace them every 500 miles without fail. Sometimes sooner if I feel those joints flaring up. I wanted Nike 360′s but I had to bait myself for the expense. I started with a pair of Asics and insole pads, then I switched to Adidas Bounce A3′s. Finally, at 1796 miles logged, I got those super expensive Nikes. Now I’m in a pair of Asic’s Kayano 14 series. The Nikes can’t go cross-country without catching a thorn and ruining those air pockets. I save the old pairs for walking the dog twice a day.
Don’t forget what you advised me about as well. Vitamins and joint supplements work like a charm. Vitamin D, calcium, chondroitin and MSM all made a big difference. It was the bones and joints that I needed to reinforce as much as my mind and muscles. I took less and less aspirin as things balanced out.
February 18th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Yeah, I’m sure you’re right about my joints and muscles being tuned for exactly what I’ve been using them for: mostly just sitting on my ass. Changing gears as I have now and asking them to do more after five years of nothing is demanding an awful lot of them.
I’m taking vitamin and mineral supplements, and glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM, and even fish oil for more Omega-3. I need to crank up the chondroitin, though, since I read that I need about four times what the supplement I’m using right now provides.
Oh, yeah, I’m all about the aspirin right now, too. I sometimes take one a couple times a day when the aches are bothersome. I’m staying away from the acetaminophen, though — pain relief without anti-inflammatory properties isn’t complete enough relief for my knees.
By the way, before the diet change, I used to take a lot of aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and sinus meds to combat headaches morning, noon, and night. Now, I only need the occasional aspirin tablet for the aches and have no headaches and no sinus problems. I seriously hope that trend continues.
I didn’t walk this morning. I got up and made breakfast, and my wife and I have been cleaning up the garage since mid-morning instead. The weight bench, dumbbell rack, and another smaller bench are in place on the door-end of the garage (where I can get some air circulating in the summer months ahead). I still need a weight tree for the barbell plates, though.
I may still do a walk this evening, after I drive to Goodwill to drop off a truckload of stuff we’re donating. We have accumulated so much junk and clutter since moving into this house over 13 years ago!