Has anyone suffered with (MCL)

Hi there I have been suffering with a recurring injury (medial collateral ligament) pain in the back of the knee for several weeks/months now. I rest and gently stretch for up-to two weeks then when knee feels fine i ride at a casual pace only to find that the pain returns the following day. I have repeated this twice now to no avail has anyone else suffered with this injury and can give some advice and potential repair time? I am thinking a 3-4 weeks now and will be using a roller with ice packs following recommended techniques.

This injury is so frustrating.

Speak soon

Rob B

Hi Rob - sorry to hear you are having trouble.

Are you continuing to stretch when you return to full activity? Are you gradually increasing your mileage over time?

Typically, if the injury is returning you are not addressing the route of the problem. Tight hamstrings (ask any club member to try and touch their toes - a blessed few might get there) are a common complaint in cycling. As you do not fully extend your leg when going through a pedal revolution this tends to lead to a tightening of the hamstrings which, if left un-checked, can cause a whole range of issues from knee trouble to lower back pain (my returning pain in the ass - or backs should i say). Keeping on top of your whole body flexibility can really help to prevent issues arising in the first place or indeed from returning after a period of rest.

Also consider your hydration status as a key element of this recovery. Typically dehydration can exacerbate overuse injuries and reduced range of movement at joints - keeping ontop of your hydrate can really make a difference and is commonly overlooked by many. Adults should aim to try and consume 2-2.5L a day (8-10 glasses). Consider around 20% of your intake comes from food - slightly more if all you eat is watermelon and cucumbers - I suspect you would also be the first to the top of most climbs - I'm pretty certain that's what Joe's secret is...

Finally, get an experience club member to take a look at your setup - they may be able to advise where the issue is arising from. A very loose rule of thumb - saddle too high = back pain, saddle too low = knee pain. Might be a good place to start.

Should any issues continue then seeing a professional can really help - I don't know if there are any club members who can recommend a cycling savvy local physio?

Hope this is of some help to you,

Cheers

Hi Mike thanks for your reply very informative indeed. I will follow the good advice offered and will start the sketching before and after all future activities using a roller for starters.

As for the returning injury I think that is all down to me being to eager to return to base mileage I will not be making that mistake again. After 3 weeks of rest and stretching I will start off with small easy paced rides circa 4-5 miles daily gradually building up to daily rides of 10-15 miles. Then i should be able to manage slightly longer rides at a nice easy pace before starting more pacier rides say two-three weeks into the training schedule.

Again thanks for the advice I appreciate it indeed and if anyone else has used or experienced a good sports physio I would love you get in touch with them for advice and help in my rehabilitation.

Cheers

Rob B

Hi Rob,

Sorry to hear about your ailments.

I have suffered from something similar - pain at the back of the knee - though I haven't heard it called MCL before. I've been seeing Mark Horrell at St Neots Chiropractic Clinic in the Market Square (01480-473472) for years and I really rate him (although I guess you could say he should have sorted me out in all this time!) He's not particularly cycling savvy, but he's always been able to address the issues I've had within a couple of visits (£38 each). He uses applied kinesiology (testing muscle strength while touching various trigger points) to find the origin of any weaknesses and adjusts your skeleton to compensate - it's worth the £38 just to see him work! You sometimes need 2-3 sessions for your body to accept it's new alignment but I often only need one.

I think he does a free "chiro check" for new patients to determine whether he can help you.

Like most people, I just want to get on with life as soon as possible. My experience of physios is that they give you loads of exercises to do which are really tedious and soul-destroying, whereas a chiropractor finds the cause of the problem and fixes it for you. Some might say that's a load of tosh, but it works for me.

Mark won't advise on bike setup because he doesn't have that expertise, so it might not be worth seeing him if that's where you think the problem lies. I have found that poor cleat setup is a common cause of knee pain. It might be worth checking yours.

Best of luck

Mike