How To Fix Knee Pain From Cycling

[@gunmanrishi]

I had some knee pain on the side of my knee. If you could have a video focused on different knee pain regions it will help us know what we are suffering for and how to fix it. But a great video none the less.

[@transkryption]

Which side? The inside or outside edge of the knee. The inside can oftwn be a sign generally of pronation of the knee from fallen arches aka "flat feet"...

[@cchanc3]

full time rider in the 80s. major knee problems last few years. trouble standing up, getting in/out of cars, walking, almost everything. just retired and moved to socal. by day 3 my knee pain was completely gone just from riding in the mountains every day. I just needed the workload. 7 months now and going strong.

[@MarcoP70]

Back in the 90's as a young man in the Navy, I was injured in a work accident. A bloody big rope(hawser) whipped me across the right thigh severely dislocating my knee, causing damage to my right hip and lower back. As the years went on my left knee ended up dislocating from years of compensating for the right. That needed surgery. Now I can't run, but thankfully I can walk and cycle. I wish I had this sort of help back in the beginning of my problems. Great video would like to see more about different injuries recovery, maintenance. 👍🏿👍👍🏾

[@thebikethebody]

sounds like a nasty injury! glad you enjoyed the video! we have a whole series of these videos coming so stay tuned

[@MarcoP70]

@@thebikethebody I most certainly will.

[@vincentcampagna3254]

Most recent study are showing that having the saddle aft further back actually increase stress on the knee. And it does make sens, runners for exemple, need to land under there center of gravity, a runner that over reach in front of him will have way more stress and its one of the primary cause of knee pain. So, don't move your saddle back, that will also disengage the glutes, wich is the leading muscle for the quad and the knee. Sorry for my english, I speak french.

[@thebikethebody]

good points, of course it’s all relative, in this case if your saddle is to far forward in the first place then moving back can help, but absolutely, excessive setback is problematic also

[@vesalehtinen4534]

I had some knee pain this summer, which I self diagnosed as IT band tightness. I managed to fix it by doing 3 things: started regular exercising to strengthen the glute medius, regular stretching after rides, and got expensive shoes. Not sure which contributed the most, but I'm pain free and have nice shoes, so can't complain.

[@Ozaneee]

The shoes definitely made the pain go away 😅

[@zacharypump5910]

Do you remember where the knee pain was exactly ? Inner side, outer side? Behind the knee? Just under the cap? Sorry I know it’s 2yrs later… hopefully you didn’t die of COVID :)

[@markben303]

​@@zacharypump5910 I am sorry that he couldn't reply you it's been 8 months

[@zacharypump5910]

@@markben303 that’s ok, after short rests and continued biking the knee pain worked itself out. Also try to consciously push pedals with your butt muscles rather than quads

[@raseemriyas2889]

​@@zacharypump5910I had pain on the upper side and left to it(right leg)

[@saddleweary9709]

After knee trouble this week, this vid is very appreciated. Thanks to both of you.

[@gavsmart]

Thanks GCN for a great video! Some great points here to get started with training and bike fit, etc. It's always nice to have things confirmed too, when you see different sources and opinions all coming together. An example for me was that I've farily recently experienced a shoulder impingment (not through cycling, but swim training - my main focus) and after working with a local sports science physio, he paired me up with a personal trainer for the last two months. One of my PTs favourite exercises for me is exactly this, reverse DB Lunges with a dumbell weight (atm) of around 7kg-8kg in each arm. I had no idea at the time but this has been a game changer for me and my cycling! My favourite ride is a single speed around a really hilly town (Edinburgh) and have often experienced knee pain after too much over enthusiastic grinding! I wouldn't say my pain has gone yet, but its night and day in terms of the strength I now have in that area, and I experience way less fatigue and much quicker recovery times. I think the last little bit of gain will be in my bike which I'm still tweaking with shorter cranks and foot position in my left leg/knee. Thanks again and keep up the good work as always! 😀🙏 Best wishes, Gavin

[@petinka721]

Thanks Conor for the video! Perfect for my bad knees.

[@bobgriffith1029]

Excellent description and demonstration of exercises.

[@scottdouglasshieldsnclmtab9950]

I recently got diagnosed with "calcifications on the lateral and medial sides of the meniscus" about nine weeks ago. Strange thing with said diagnosis is that I "just woke up" one unfortunate very early morning (3:00 a.m. all twisted up - legs looking like a human pretzel), with a horrible "crampy feeling" in the knee. I decided to carefully "walk it off" slowly as we all probably do for most other muscle cramps. Then, went back to sleep comfortably for a couple of more hours before I had to be up. The Doc took a few positions of X-rays and said "That's all I need to see, RIGHT THERE" !! AND THEN proceeded to tell me thee above diagnosis. My theory is that I believe it was a partial tear , because the initial pain has been now presenting center line to the patella but just superior to it. I am also in firm belief that a CT Scan and or an MRI would have and might yet prove my self diagnosis ??? BUT, bottom line is this .... being a Certified and Licensed Massage Therapist here central Illinois for nearly fifteen years has allowed me to learn many "tricks of the trade" in the physical rehabing business which in turn has allowed me to get back on the mountain bike and start to do "SOME" low end trails, it's just I put up with that superior patella tendon issue for about 5-10 minutes every morning........ 🤔🤯 UHHHGG !!!

[@SeattleHomeFinder]

This is spot on - exactly what I'm dealing with.. Thanks guys!

[@davidthomas9079]

I`ve suffering with knee pain for the past few weeks...some great advise in this video so i`ll give it a try.

[@mruedar]

Loved it! Please make a video about iliotibial band syndrome IBS (runner’s knee)

[@thebikethebody]

glad you liked it - we are looking at doing some deep dive videos in the future

[@ceftx2375]

Another very useful video, and for me...very timely.

[@GCNTraining]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lolproandherdog6507]

Hi Guys at GCN thanks for posting this video. I have arthritis in both knees so I have to have steroid injection in them every 4 months I will eventually I need to have a knee replacement so I'm trying my best to help with looking at exercise. I cycle 3 times a week in summer and twice in winter or use a turbo trainer. I went for a 80km ride and finished with both knees like balloons and haven't even been able to walk for 4 days not sure why but any hits and tips would be greatly appreciated. I'm 48 and suffer with fibromyalgia. Have a wonderful day hope to hear from you soon 😊

[@123mcah]

Thanks for a great video. My 17yr old son is a competive cyclist but has been diagnosed with Plica on his left knee after having an MRI scan. Probably from over training. He has had a cortisone shot but the pain is still there (inner side of his knee). Are there any drills/exercises that have been successful for treatment of Plica? We're reluctant to go down surgery route. Thanks for any help.

[@SteveBrill]

Great video Connor. I must say you are looking more like Wolverine every day. 😉

[@aGhost0o]

Some tips for people that I used recently to cure knee pain I'd suffered with for a few months... *Do these leaning against a wall, worktop, or fixed in a trainer. Not out on the road!* 1. Tie something like a wrench socket to a piece of string. Sit on your bike, clip in and position the foot you're checking with the pedal horizontal at the front of the stroke. Hang the string over the front of your knee and the weight should hang down and line up with the pedal axle. If it doesn't, adjust your seat forward/backward as needed. 2. With your foot unclipped, position the pedal vertically at the bottom of the stroke and rest your heel on the pedal. Your leg should be straight, but be careful to not tilt your pelvis to reach. This height should result in a slight bend in the knee when clipped in at this position. Now you should at least be close to an ideal fit.

[@richcrompton6891]

Very useful indeed. Thanks guys. Would love more of this sort of content to keep me functioning before a niggle ends up becoming a problem 😊

[@husnainanwar514]

I have a reconstructed ACL, PCL and LCL ( 3 x ligaments) of the left knee. Just 4 months post-op and starting to ride out of the saddle. I found this video really helpful. peace.

[@johne7100]

Good luck! I don't yet know if my knee pain is ACL or meniscus - I'm blaming it on my first ride of the off-season wearing long tights that dragged a bit.

[@husnainanwar514]

@@johne7100 Try having an MRI. See the results and if it’s a tear then get op otherwise it’ll get worse.

[@johne7100]

@@husnainanwar514 You're right there. I'm going to give it one more ride and if it howls I'll see my doc.

[@husnainanwar514]

@@johne7100 hoping for the best

[@thebikethebody]

good luck in your recovery 👍

[@dodojanik]

What helped me was start walking a bit more, that was after i realized i am spending more time on my bike than my feet.

[@Ok_cool_1]

Do these exercises still work if there’s hardly any cartilage left in both my knees?

[@oOoACFREEMANoOo]

If you need a laugh and your a 13 year old at heart, then press this an immediately close your eyes: 5:38

[@playandteach]

I was hoping for some more specific advice about location of pain. Mine is on the inside, slightly above. Curious to know if it is to do with needing to move cleats out etc.

[@pedromagnani1053]

I've a similar one after riding 315km in an event... Both knees hurt at first but now only one is still annoying me. I'm still seeking for an answer

[@thebikethebody]

we may look at doing some deep dive videos in the future on specific issues if there is demand - the idea here was to give some general guidance, advice and basic info

[@faosa73]

inside, if near the joint line between tibia and femur, is a symptom for meniscus tear.

[@playandteach]

@@faosa73 Thanks, I'll look into that.

[@boldirio]

I've heard a lot about tight quads causing anterior knee pain, since it wasn't brought up here, is it not as common or simply false? Because I have anterior knee pain and it's not nice.

[@SteRumbelow]

Illiotibial Band Syndrome is extremely common in cyclists. If you notice the ligament popping over the top of your lower leg bone when you squat or bend your leg, then that’s the cause. I’m 99% sure I have it now, so have been taking steps to rectify it with stretches and foam rolling, concentrating on the TFL (it connects the IT band at the top). I too am surprised they didn’t mention this.

[@thebikethebody]

Hi Joel, you’re spot on, quads ‘tightness’ is blamed for a great many issues but in my experience it is rarely the root cause - having said that, there is little harm in quad stretching so if you find it helpful fire ahead

[@shuonanzhao6395]

The video is too generic, and knee pain has too many possible causes for it to be covered. I myself suffer from snapping hips, tight gluts, and knee pain and it’s horrible. Extensive sessions with physio suggests the following: - knees can only bend in one plane - knees start hurting when it is bending at an angle - knees start bending at an angle when the muscles activating them are imbalanced - you need to figure out which musicales are imbalanced, then stretch/strength them specifically in order to correct the knee movements - once knees are moving as intended, the pain will go away

[@thebikethebody]

@@shuonanzhao6395 you're right that there are a vast array of different knee pain problems from different sources - this video is meant as an overview with some simple options to try and help - as we say at the end, it is always best to seek professional help from an expert to get an individualised assessment and treatment plan if you have ongoing problems

[@CJ7_QT]

In my left knee upper left behind my knee cap hurts when I stand up or sit or when I pedal my bike, what kind of knee pain is it? And how to fix it?

[@CJ7_QT]

Sometimes it hurt so much that I can’t put force on my pedals so I have to rely on my right leg to keep my bike going.

[@robertrepka1372]

the cut in 8:23, so intimate :)

[@radfordbean2164]

I'm dealing with pain at the point where the quad muscle attaches to the patella. Physical therapy doesn't seemed to have helped.

[@maxkrug2000]

Having knee pain off the bike, no matter if I ride or not. is that less bike related then?

[@thebikethebody]

most likely yes, get in with a good physio / Osteo / chiro etc to get it fully assessed

[@maxkrug2000]

@@thebikethebody thank you very much for the response sir!

[@abedfo88]

My knees hurt when my saddle is too low. 😫

[@herbwhite5924]

I would like to see a video of cycling with a knee replacement

[@thebikethebody]

great idea - i have some content about this on my instagram page

[@evanbrom1]

Ironically I found the source of my knee pain was off the bike when I slept on my side putting a sideways pressure on my knee. No amount of bike adjustments could fix my knee pain but a few pillows did.

[@steflodewyckx4336]

3 bikefits later, groin rupture operation, still got knee problems and right buttcheek pain. Feels like sitting on only right side of saddle.

[@JitinMisra]

How much do you ride a day and how often, to cause you such issues ?

[@steflodewyckx4336]

7-9 hours zwifting in the week. 4 to 6 hours outdoor in the weekend. Trying these tips now, let’s see.

[@thebikethebody]

if you have a bike fitter with a background in sports injuries / physio / rehab this would be best so you can address the likely off-bike issues that you may also have affecting your comfort and positioning on the bike

[@JitinMisra]

@@steflodewyckx4336 Thing is , when you do any activity repetitively, you are bound to get some problems, even if it was 4-6 hours of walking, the body doesn't like repetitive movements, for soo long

[@michaelorr181]

Yes reverse lunges are king 👑 Even for a grandpa like me “ If you want to cycle forever do what this man tells you , even if it means staying off the bike for a couple of months you’ll be back “ Like ARNOLD ……. ILL BE BACK 😜

[@chrisridesbicycles]

I got the knee pain of my life during a 4 day trip in 2019 where I noticed too late that my cleats were slightly wrong and I had to work against the spring of the pedal ever so slightly but for 6 to 8 hours every day.

[@thebikethebody]

nasty, happens quite a bit, I hope you’ve managed to get this addressed 👍

[@stschubs]

my knee hurts watching this video haha

[@anarchocyclist]

Just bring a stick to knaw on for the ride.

[@michaelthompson7277]

His jersey is too short. Too many of us tall riders from 6’2”+live with jerseys being too short. If we all only bought tall versions of jerseys the clothing companies have to would offer a tall option.