tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post4096054575145117389..comments2024-03-13T11:19:08.598-07:00Comments on Saving My Knees: The Fine Art of Playing Medical DetectiveRichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960907174716515553noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-71266541823037335602018-04-04T21:22:04.647-07:002018-04-04T21:22:04.647-07:00Heather - I can't remember if I posted an upda...Heather - I can't remember if I posted an update elsewhere on this blog, as this was years ago now. I took the Gabapentin for about 5 weeks and was weaned off of it by about 2 months, before I started slowly getting back to running again. It was the reboot switch that my brain needed. I've since gone back to running, including a couple 100km trail runs and my knees generally haven't bothered me again (I've had plenty of other injuries that have derailed my running though!). I do get occasional inflammation in my knees, but it goes away fairly quickly and I mostly try to ignore it, making sure not think about it too much in case I get trapped in the same pain spiral as before. In my case, it seems the damage was mainly neuropathic and not actually physical, though it certainly felt physical at the time! I still find it really fascinating.runnerDnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-30856222776228219172018-04-04T10:36:30.642-07:002018-04-04T10:36:30.642-07:00Runner D... any update on the Gabapentin experimen...Runner D... any update on the Gabapentin experiment? I have some of that kicking around and I have occasionally taken a pill at night...knocks out the pain until about noon the next day... but I am afraid to take more because of it masking pain... allowing me to do more than I should... maybe my thinking is wrong on this?Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17195045403014258415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-91485439106469838922015-06-23T12:56:09.753-07:002015-06-23T12:56:09.753-07:00Thank you so much! It is helpful to discuss what h...Thank you so much! It is helpful to discuss what has worked/doesn't work with someone experiencing the same struggle. Sorry to hear about your set back, wishing you a speedy recovery.<br />-AlexAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-5532760542153899042015-06-15T10:05:52.935-07:002015-06-15T10:05:52.935-07:00Regarding the pain you may have when doing that ex...Regarding the pain you may have when doing that exercise.... it shouldn't be more than 3 on a scale of 10. Should not be really painful, you can feel some discomfort or little pain but that's all. This exercise works for me as I also have "quad inhibition" , apparently my quad has decided to shut down xDD Trying to revive it now. Atheneanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-41579953655329136532015-06-15T10:02:23.201-07:002015-06-15T10:02:23.201-07:00Hi Alex,
Tendons take long time to heal as well, m...Hi Alex,<br />Tendons take long time to heal as well, maybe not as much as cartilage though. I've had tendonitis a few years ago but it was just a bit of inflammation and with rest everything went back to normal. What I have now "experts" call it Tendonosis, basically is a cronic tendonitis. Eccentric exercises work very well for tendons. I've done some in the total trainer, but another one you can do is a "leg extension eccentric". Let's see if I can explain it. Sit down on a chair with your legs in 90 degrees. Tie a 1,5 / 2 kg dumbbell to your ankle. Now with the help or your arms or the opposite foot, raise the involved leg. Keep it straight. Now tighten your quad and put your leg down counting 4-5 seconds. If it hurts it's ok. But make sure the tendon hurts only, if you feel pain in the patella or somewhere else don't do it. Tendons usually need a bit of stress to get better. So with this exercise your tendons work only in the eccentric part (concentric part is assisted by your arms or other leg). I am sorry if this is not very clear, also English isn't my mother tongue so apologies in advance. <br />Regarding PRP it took me 2-3 months to feel some changes. But to be honest I can't say if my improvement was because of the PRP or the exercises. <br />It's quite frustrating... <br />I'm actually having a huge setback now, probably as I was travelling and couldn't do my routine in the total trainer. <br />I hope to recover in the next few months.<br />Let me know if you have other questions :)Atheneanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-89222436703110292682015-06-09T14:31:16.353-07:002015-06-09T14:31:16.353-07:00Thanks Athenea!
What are you doing to combat the ...Thanks Athenea!<br /><br />What are you doing to combat the tendonitis? I too have tendonitis + arthritis in my knees and I find no matter what I do I can't shake the tendonitis component.<br /><br />How long did it take before you noticed improvements with the PRP? I had one PRP injection 3 weeks ago and so far; I don't notice anything. I also had 5 prolotherapy injections prior to that. My doc says PRP can take 6 weeks to notice a difference.<br /><br />Thanks!<br />AlexAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-61345545738830748492015-06-05T12:34:55.728-07:002015-06-05T12:34:55.728-07:00Hey Anonymous, I'm still not 100% and the tend...Hey Anonymous, I'm still not 100% and the tendonitis keeps bothering me from time to time. When all this nightmare started, I couldn't walk normally, my knees wouldn't go to full extension for example. I was in so much pain. The training I'm following is similar to the one described in Kelsey's book. I started with the total trainer on a very low level and went up little by little. Some exercises had to be adjusted depending on my symptoms. If you cannot do the total trainer now, there are other exercises you can do to build up your knee and be able to work on the TT. For me the good thing about having a coach is that I can always contact her when I have questions, or when my knee feels weird. And that means a lot to me because it is really difficult to understand what is going on sometimes.<br />Don't think that because you cannot use the TT now there isnt anything else you can do :) <br />I've also had PRP injections that helped somehow.<br />and I also do core and balance exercises. Atheneanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-40367530113152647922015-06-03T09:36:40.078-07:002015-06-03T09:36:40.078-07:00Hi TriAgain,
I've read many of your posts onli...Hi TriAgain,<br />I've read many of your posts online and definitely feel your pain. I've been experimenting for 2 years now and walking is the only thing that helps. I've just started to dabble in CNS as I believe that is a component for me. So thank you for the link I will be pursuing it further. I also started clenching my teeth in my sleep which leads to headaches, jaw pain (TMJ) and I believe it directly linked to the knee saga and CNS.<br /><br />I recently saw a Naturopathic doctor regarding nerve pain and CNS since my MD is completely useless when it comes to this. He told me meditation and to significantly increase essential fatty acids in my diet. I already take fish oils but I've doubled up and increased the amount of nuts and seeds in my diet. <br /><br />I stopped PT and single leg squats a LOOOONNG time ago; I knew it was causing damage. Many of the PT's I saw were all structuralists too. <br /><br />Best of luck,<br />AlexAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-44178986252471249782015-06-02T22:22:48.767-07:002015-06-02T22:22:48.767-07:00Single leg squats are also what every medico &...Single leg squats are also what every medico & PT I saw prescribed, and IMO are probably the single worst exercise you can do for long-term chronic knee pain. They are too much load too soon for most people.<br /><br />After 3 yrs of experimenting, and scratching my head as to why I can spend hours walking over rough ground, extracting myself from bogs, jumping off fences and balancing on boulders while fishing and cause no additional knee pain, yet 5 mins easy spinning on a bike brings the on the familiar burn, I've found my answer:<br /><br />http://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/weekend-australian-magazine/training-the-brain-to-beat-pain/story-e6frg8h6-1227202215911<br /><br />I'm pretty sure CNS changes and not cartilage damage are now my primary problem.<br /><br />A torn meniscus and subsequent surgery on the L knee while running re-wired my CNS to believe that triathlon was 'dangerous' for my knees - so they both packed it in. I have to re-wire those neural pathways (and there is now evidence to show it can be done).<br /><br />Unknowingly, I think this is what the SMK and Kelsey approach achieve in part through gentle regular knee motion (relative rest = the CNS thinks the knees are healing) and motion which is edged up in intensity over time (the CNS starts to learn that using the knees is not dangerous to them). The process could be accelerated by via the mental exercises described in the above link.<br /><br />Of course, this is only relevant to knee sufferers who appear to have no acute injury. It relates more to chronic knee pain where CNS issues have taken over from physical damage, and the nervous system is producing pain signals out of proportion with the actual damage.<br /><br />I've raised the possibility that Richard had CRPS on here and I think he correctly identified that he did not (not in the full sense of the term anyway). But I'm sure he had chronic knee pain triggered by physical damage (hard cycling and walking) that lead to CNS changes such that his initial acute overuse injury became chronic. Remember how in his book he said meditation helped? That, combined with a slow graduated return to using his knees probably reversed those CNS changes, while at the same time allowing his over-worked cartilage to settle. I'd guess his cartilage probably healed in the first 12mths, but his pain continued for longer due to the CNS changes. <br /><br />Meditation/relaxation techniques certainly work for me when I'm patient enough to do them properly. TriAgainnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-36790168477541319152015-06-02T20:00:46.560-07:002015-06-02T20:00:46.560-07:00Athena,
That is wonderful news! And, in 4 short m...Athena,<br /><br />That is wonderful news! And, in 4 short months? Wow. I have seen 6 PT's (spent thousands of dollars) none of them followed "low load & high repetition" and every single one of them prescribed single leg squats, strengthen quads, vmo! I think PT is based on old science that just doesn't work. So, I have devised my own walking program based on Doug Kelsey's approach. I did buy a total trainer (found a cheap, used one online) however, no luck. I found my right knee just could not handle the motion even at the lowest angle. May I ask; what sort of program worked for you? All the best.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-8722963303772959552015-06-02T04:58:20.590-07:002015-06-02T04:58:20.590-07:00Finding a good PT is really really important. In m...Finding a good PT is really really important. In my case, my knees were so bad last year that I couldn't walk 70 steps without pain. Chondromalacia + Tendonitis in both knees. I had a horrible time. As many of you know I started PT with a coach who has been working with D.Kelsey for many years. She got me back in shape in 4 months. I'm still dealing with some tendonitis and quad issues BUT the improvement has been awesome for me. Yes, it costs money. But for me it really worth it. Atheneanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-35046293033303371082015-05-28T02:17:49.189-07:002015-05-28T02:17:49.189-07:00Roger, the sooner you accept your condition and li...Roger, the sooner you accept your condition and limits that go with it, and move on, no matter how difficult it is, the better for you. I have been on sick leave for seven months but I found the strength to go back to work full time. My knees still hurt me, even though less than before, but life goes on ...gcozahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06435412065553771379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-2853120949142036772015-05-28T00:48:35.503-07:002015-05-28T00:48:35.503-07:00You don't need to explain how down you are to ...You don't need to explain how down you are to me Roger. I get it. Triathlon was my life. I got much more satisfaction out of it than my job. It was the challenge that kept me going. Losing it has been one of the the hardest things in my life - but the chronic pain which colours every day life is worse. I do have some relatively pain-free periods and they are Heaven!<br /><br />I found slowly over the years, the triathlon obsession fades, but I still miss the endorphins from exercising outdoors. Swimming does not quite cut it - esp when I can't really kick. On the up side, I have become more connected with my kids since stopping tris - endurance sports can become very selfish.<br /><br />My goal now is to fix the pain. A new type of Ironman - fix the pain while still staying moderately fit through swimming, walking, upper body weights and watching my diet. If in 5 yrs I'm out of pain and can beetle around on an MTB, that would be Nirvana.<br /><br />I never did any triathlon that was as hard as this knee pain thing though.<br /><br />I doubt the 500 steps were the main problem. Like me, it was probably a cumulative thing over the years, and it would have happened anyway.<br /><br />Hang in there mate - you seem to have caught your problem early so have a good chance of fixing it if you are smarter and more patient than I was!TriAgainnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-13516573138840557502015-05-27T17:40:43.307-07:002015-05-27T17:40:43.307-07:00Thanks for your thoughts TriAgain. I meant to say ...Thanks for your thoughts TriAgain. I meant to say orthopedic doctor above. I don't know where the term osteopath came from.<br /><br />I just saw another doc. He said chondromalacia/early arthritis. He said to stay active and even run as pain allows. He said my ITB was real tight and the timing of my hams/gluts/back firing was off. <br /><br />I can't explain how down I am. Life has fundamentally changed for me. Even if I can run a little bit, it will never be the same. I'm also kicking myself for climbing two 500 step towers in Europe last March. Maybe I'm in denial, but I'm thinking that is the straw that broke the canals back and maybe I could have recovered if I didn't do all those steps.Rogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07055215793791912409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-90127019286680604312015-05-27T15:46:30.290-07:002015-05-27T15:46:30.290-07:00Roger, what the osteopath said pretty much confirm...Roger, what the osteopath said pretty much confirms my theory after 3 years on the medical roundabout. Mostly, advice given by medicos about knee pain which has no blindingly obvious cause is nothing better than a moderately educated guess. There are some standard treatments they trot out (PT to strengthen your quads being the biggie), but mostly they are winging it. Some patients get lucky and it works, but my guess is for people with longer-term, constant, chronic knee pain it will not, and may make things worse.<br /><br />I got suspicious when I suggested something to my medicos (e.g. like your swimming or water jogging idea) and they immediately perked up and said "yes, good idea". It left me thinking if it is such a good idea, why didn't you suggest it - you're supposed to be the bloody expert? Gradually I realised (just like R-X has said many times on here), you need to educate yourself, try things, see what helps and what doesn't. And it can be the most frustrating process.<br /><br />I'm not at all surprised a 45yo has minor spots of arthritis (esp one who does marathon and triathlon), I'd guess almost all 45yo's do. But generally minor spots should not cause long-term chronic pain. I was diagnosed with fairly high grade chondomalacia patella (= kneecap arthritis) years before my chronic pain started, and it only ever gave me grief for a few days or so.<br /><br />Like me, it seems something else is going on - possibly the 'loss of homeostasis' in the knees which Kelsey talks about. Re-reading your original post however, it seems your knee does settle quickly when you stop doing aggravating things, and it is only in one knee - that sounds like good news. You have caught things early.. If it were me, knowing what I now know, I'd try the PT but at the first sign it is making things worse, stop it and go to more conservative activity (like easy walking). Swimming might work, as may water running, though water running did not work for me. Pushing on with running/tris (like I foolishly did for 4 mths after my chronic pain started) will likely make things worse.<br /><br />The bottom line is everyone's situation is different, so you have to conduct experiments and find out what helps, what hinders.TriAgainnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-71125911044057269662015-05-27T12:56:16.310-07:002015-05-27T12:56:16.310-07:00So, I saw a sports oseopath - with mixed feelings....So, I saw a sports oseopath - with mixed feelings. The first question he asked me "What is your biggest concern that I will tell you?". I said that I wouldn't be able to run again and its been such a big part of my entire life. Then I said, having an active lifestyle is probably more important. He gently poked and moved my knees around. He then said my knees are sturdy and I'll be able to run again. He said he recommended PT for strengthening and flexibility. Especially strengthening the quads and hips. I've read so much negative stuff on this blog and Kelsey on that approach that I recoiled. I asked if low resistance / high repetition exercise like swimming or water jogging was good and he perked up and said yes - that joints love motion. He also said that open foot exercises like the leg extension machine is bad, but stationary foot exercised like squats are good. He didn't seem too concerned about my crepitus and said he probably has some in his knees.<br /><br />Although my Xrays were deemed negative by the radiologist, the osteopath said he saw minor arthritis in some spots - but that I had joint space. This was a big hit to me. Yet he said many 45 year olds would show minor spots of arthritis if they had Xrays done. He said I likely had some minor arthritic spots on my good left knee. Overall, he didn't seem too concerned and thought some PT would get me back running. He seemed to talk like this just kicked up a few weeks ago and just hurts when I run, yet it has been going on for 8 months now and hurts when I walk.<br /><br />Another comment he made was that he is not a big proponent of Nsaids and the big danger to the knee is when is swells. Yet, can't inflammation occur without swelling? And wouldn't that be harmful to the knee? <br /><br />So now, I'm debating going the PT route. Perhaps I can find a PT that leans toward the low resistance/high rep strategy. As of now, the only aerobic exercise I can do without pain that gets my heart rate up is water jogging. I hope water jogging is good for the joints, because I plan on that being the basis of my rehab. Also, anyone know if "a few minor spots of arthritis" is normal in 45 year olds? The osteopath acted like it was, yet it really alarmed me.Rogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07055215793791912409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-50966137104407508992015-05-23T04:07:14.257-07:002015-05-23T04:07:14.257-07:00I’m not trying to justify bad doctors or physical ...I’m not trying to justify bad doctors or physical therapists. Look, in the end you may very well turn out to be your own best doctor. But I think it’s dangerous to start out with that premise. I get nervous when people say things like (upthread), “What do you think physios and doctors can offer, if anything, in the recovery process?” I picture someone who has knee pain and hasn’t yet seen a doctor reading this post and thinking, “Doctors and physical therapists -- waste of time -- no need to bother. I can figure it all out myself!” <br /><br />Well, if a blood test, or X-ray, or careful physical exam, turns up something complex that is causing your pain, that’s something the vast majority of people wouldn’t figure out themselves. The idea behind this post was to urge people to get more involved because traditionally we go to professionals and seek answers that we blindly obey. I don’t think that’s a very smart model. I think the ideal though is to find that good doctor or physical therapist and, at the same time, for you to get much more involved in the effort to heal your knee pain. If you never find that good doctor or therapist, then you may have to fly solo.<br /><br />But ideally, the recovery would be a collaboration of complementary knowledge -- for instance you do ultimately know better what you can and can’t do. But a good PT can advise you on a range of exercises that will help improve your knees. I like to jokingly refer to myself as the best patient Doug Kelsey never had. ;)Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03960907174716515553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-75466741228833454482015-05-22T03:13:29.523-07:002015-05-22T03:13:29.523-07:00Thanks Richard for the clarification. It is frustr...Thanks Richard for the clarification. It is frustrating when you have to go from one doctor to another, and you know deep down that they are not the right ones. But when you find the one, it is fantastic.deloupynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-79697249485044481072015-05-22T02:41:47.474-07:002015-05-22T02:41:47.474-07:00Oho, we have new members!
A lot of people have co...Oho, we have new members! <br />A lot of people have completely asymptomatic patellar crepitus. I use to test other people's knees, and guess what, every other has crepitus in the knee. (my father, my friends...). Some of them much worse then I have. But but they have no pain at all, especially chronic and constant like I have.<br /> gcozahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06435412065553771379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-86710395095877096902015-05-21T23:32:42.691-07:002015-05-21T23:32:42.691-07:00Roger, first let me say I share your frustration a...Roger, first let me say I share your frustration as an ex-triathlete who is 3 years into this journey. This sentence "My self image is changing from an injured athlete to a pre-arthritic middle age man" struck a chord with me.<br /><br />I agree with Luiz. Before my chronic bilateral knee-pain started, I had mild crepitus but it was never a problem. However, when the chronic pain started, the noises morphed from a little crunching to the type of wet ripping sound Richard describes in his book.<br /><br />And just like you, I can to intermittent walk/standing for hours, sometimes over very rough terrain while fishing (i.e. walking over basket-ball size slippery rocks, sometimes stumbling) with no big increase in pain. But try to run for 30 secs or cycle for a few mins and I'm in big trouble within a few hours. See my comments above on CRPS as to why this might be the case.<br /><br />I walk with minor or even quite achy/burny knees - mostly 20-30min walks on flat ground 1-2x/day. It does not seem to make things worse & I believe is the type of 'gentle motion' needed to promote healing. But as soon as my brain perceives a knee movement to be something akin to the sort of triathlon training I used to do, things go backwards (which again makes me think nerves & CRPS type situation)<br /><br />I'm not sure how your knees would react to Grand Canyon walking. If you can walk for 4-10hrs without pain, it sounds like you might be OK. But it may depend on the steepness of the terrain. Lots of downhill is a problem for me (uphill not so much). As Luis says, avoid things that definitely make the pain worse.<br /><br />All the best with it.<br /><br />TriAgainnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-89508178583631783222015-05-21T23:15:37.137-07:002015-05-21T23:15:37.137-07:00I'm wondering if a lot of long-term chronic kn...I'm wondering if a lot of long-term chronic knee pain is actually due to nerve involvement (a CRPS-type issue) once the initial cartilage or other physical damage has more or less healed. <br /><br />I talked to an old work colleague at the gym this week who said he'd ended up with CRPS-like problems for years in both knees after a motor bike accident which caused a fairly simple fracture of just his left knee. Like me, and many who post on here, he got on the medical / PT roundabout of aggressive muscle strengthening, which just made it worse. I want to talk with him further, but got the impression he avoided medication and solved the problem by what sounded to me like doing exercise/movements 'within his envelope of function'.<br /><br />All this makes me wonder if Richard and others have found the right solution, but for (at least partially) the wrong reason. It may not be the cartilage - or just the cartilage - that is responding to light regular movement, but also the nerve problem. One of the cures for CRPS is gradually increasing your exercise regime, re-training the nervous system to recognise that this type of movement is not actually damaging your body.<br />TriAgainnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-49237718513782288562015-05-21T19:12:33.592-07:002015-05-21T19:12:33.592-07:00I am also new here as a commenter (although I have...I am also new here as a commenter (although I have already read the whole blog). From what I have heard from most medics, crepitus isn't a direct sign of anything. The sign is the pain you are feeling, not the crepitus. You may have some mild cartilage injury... or may not. It is hard to tell, as pain and damage do not correlate perfectly. And for how far you should go in the pain zone, I would say zero. Try never to be in the pain zone. Maybe I'm traumatized because of my knees, but I would avoid any thing that gives me articular pain.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01154195392973593952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-23619898390067442152015-05-21T08:53:09.123-07:002015-05-21T08:53:09.123-07:00Hi, I am new to this blog. And new to the chronic ...Hi, I am new to this blog. And new to the chronic knee pain situation. Perhaps the hardest thing I've had to go through in life. I've been a marathon runner for 23 years and triathlete. I'm 45 years old now and have never had a knee injury. About a year ago, only during runs I started feeling pain in my hip and lateral knee. It felt like a ITB issue. About six months ago, my knee started hurting during the day as well as while running. I drastically reduced my mileage, added in some foam rolling, or stretching. i've been on sabbatical the last six months and do a lot of sitting and driving, which seems to aggravate it especially the driving. Last month, I was in Europe and walked for about 4 to 10 hours a day without pain. This was very encouraging. Toward the end of the trip, I climbed two 500 step towers on back to back days, after the second tower my knee started hurting. When I returned home, it started feeling better and I went for a bike ride. My knee started hurting at 18 miles and hurt a lot by the time I got home at 25 miles. It hurt for the next two days. That's what got me into see the doctor a GP. She ordered X-rays, which came out negative. I have an appointment next week with an osteopath.<br /><br />What really got me worried is the doc revealed crepitus in my knee. I have never noticed it before. It sounds crunchy and grating. I'm afraid I'm grinding down cartilage. It's got me freaked out. I've been spending most of the day online searching for ifo, causes and solutions and driving myself crazy. This last week, I've done anything I think could help - supplements, foam rolling, stretches, quad exercises, low impact exercise like walking. I have discomfort, but no pain during a one mile walk. My knee was feeling good this week.myesterday I spent an hour mowing the lawn and I raised my bike seat and went on an easy 10 mile bike ride. Just some minor discomfort.. Also, my leg didn't do the crunchy crepitus while cycling. It felt soooo good to cycle. Yesterday, My leg felt good. So I decided to do the same thing, an hour mowing and 10 mile ride. 13min into a low resistance ride, I felt the first signs of pain on the medial side. It spread, but didn't get too bad. Today my knee is achy and I'm beating myself up for going on that ride.<br /><br />Is it ok to walk on a minorly achy knee. Also, is the crepitus a really bad sign? Should I try to avoid activity if it causes crunchiness? I'm flying out to the Grand Canyon today with my girlfriend. I'm really worried about the walking and hills. She has been looking forward to this for months- it's my birthday present to her. She has read dozens of tour books and bought new gear. The idea of holding her back and limiting the trip due to physical condition is really really hard on me. My whole life I've been an endurance athlete and have slowed down for others. My self image is changing from an injured athlete to a pre-arthritic middle age man.<br /><br />I'm really worried about causing more damage. Is crunchy crepitus a reason to stop activity? And how far into the discomfort/pain zone do people go while active?Rogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07055215793791912409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-84946421595911916122015-05-21T01:30:01.884-07:002015-05-21T01:30:01.884-07:00I would say 90%. When I'm very stressed, I cle...I would say 90%. When I'm very stressed, I clenched my teeth at night and get the odd pain the next day, but never as bad as it wasdeloupynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142068982446715373.post-79488806675938630922015-05-20T13:42:09.932-07:002015-05-20T13:42:09.932-07:00So deloupy, are you cured now as a result of takin...So deloupy, are you cured now as a result of taking Gabapentin?TriAgainnoreply@blogger.com