It's December, another year drawing to a close, and I'm grateful to be the owner of two well-functioning knees. I now know the danger of taking them for granted, of exercising through the warning signs of injury.
At this point I have normal, or probably better than normal, knees. But that doesn't mean there aren't some issues that pop up here and there.
I am a bit fanatical about getting in my exercise, and I like to do it intensely. That's great for my cardiovascular system, but as I get older, it can be a bit taxing on my joints.
I can give you an example that involves my favorite indoor cycling activity, "Zwifting." Zwift is a "game" where a stationary bike on a smart trainer is connected to, say, an iPad and the cyclist can see himself (or herself) on the screen, riding through video game-like courses alongside other riders.
The faster you pedal in real life, the faster you go in the game.
The only trouble with Zwift is, unlike cycling in the real world, you never have to stop. No red lights. No crashes. No flat tires. No pulling over to the side of the road so someone can photograph a sunset.
It's just pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, and this can be rather intense for long rides. I started riding 100-mile centuries in Zwift. I did one yesterday: 4 hours, 20 minutes. Phew!
However, I've noticed my left knee bothers me sometimes after these long rides. I can't tell if it's because of the bike fit on the trainer, or just pushing so hard for so long, without a break. I never have a similar pain riding in the real world.
So I've tried to troubleshoot this, and this year I'm experimenting with ramping up more slowly to the long, really hard rides. Not sure how well it's working, as I always have to fight my natural inclination to zoom off with the fast riders; it's hard to hang back and take it easy in the beginning.
Other than that, my knees are good. I walk half a mile to catch the train when I commute to work; when I work from home, I take two breaks during the day and walk almost 40 minutes during each. Motion is good. Sitting too long is bad.
What I've learned about my knees this year, I suppose, is that taking good care of them is a lifelong project. I don't need the same constant focus as when I lived in Hong Kong and battled chronic knee pain, but I am still alert to little aches, or feelings of instability, and I try to modify my behavior a bit before things get worse.
What about all of you out there? Anyone have any good lessons from this year to share?
In the meantime, happy holidays to all, and if I were a drinker (which I'm really not), I would make a toast to your good knee health in 2024!
Good
ReplyDeleteHi Richard,
ReplyDeleteI'm a long time reader, and a fan of your book too. I first had knee pain in 2018 and lived with it all the way through lockdown. It was agony. For much of it, I was ready to just chop my leg off.
Through walking, and cycling, and following your advice I healed about 70% in 2022. However, my wife and I learnt that we would have a second child in 2023 and I was desperate to fix it even more, if I could, before the birth.
I visited my 5th physio. All the others hadn't helped at all, but this physio had been highly recommended and seemed, well, enlightened.
So we began a very, very gradual strengthening program, always playing it safe and being careful. The physio was convinced I'd been badly advised by a doctor (who said I had very cracked cartilage and was basically a lost cause). This time, my physio reassured me that they were wrong, and that nearly everyone my age (45) has wear and tear, but that lots don't feel pain.
The physio based her treatment around the concept that the pain I felt was a memory - something stuck in my nervous system.
By slowly strengthening, I both made my leg stronger, but also reconditioned my brain, telling myself that the knee was good now and the pain had gone.
After 6 months of this, I was able to return to light jogging in summer 2023. I had been unable to do this since 2018... Jogging now is helping - my knee feels strong, pain free and functions so much better.
My physio now feels that it wasn't cracked cartilage that caused my agony, but patella tendonitis .. My tendon certainly feels stronger now, and doesn't complain when I kneel on hard floors.
I would never have believed I could get back to running and cycling. One physio told me that I'd been stuck with it for 4 years so it was 'chronic'. I hope my story gives hope to others, as yours did for me.
Thank you for providing a good news story, that gave me hope during very difficult times.
Hi Richard, I've read your book and Doug Kelsey's as well. Grateful for both. I was wondering, is there a PT you would recommend in New York City?
ReplyDeleteHmm, I have not had to use a PT for knee pain while living in the New York City area (thank goodness). So I'm probably not the best person to make a recommendation. Any readers of this blog out there who have a suggestion?
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