7 weeks out from goal race & L knee pain is cramping my training rides. I suffered for a few weeks & treated it aggresively with RICE & NSAIDS & stretching. Then I was pain free for 3 weeks & though I was healed.
This weekend I did a local century ride that included 3 major climbs, I was pedaling w/ one leg the last 10 miles b/c of pain. Now I’m back where I started & no time to rest!! The next few weeks are the big ones for training. So, I see my MD very soon. I am considering asking for the steroid injection, but the side effects scare me so acupunture has crossed my mind.
The pain starts when pushing the big gears & long into a ride, usually when Im far from home. The pain is local to where ITB pain usually is, but the therapists say its quad tendonitis not ITB. It doesn’t hurt to run or swim or walk.
Ive adjusted the float,cleats, seat, new cassette & tried different shoes. I even tried different bikes. I just want to get to the race & finish. Theres has been a lot invested into this goal as Im sure you all understand. Time, $$, energy & all that goes with it…feeling desperate.
I think you need to take a step back and ask yourself if this race is important enough to risk your ability to sustain exercise after the event. I know in the short term you have a lot invested, but you need to think of the long term consequences of your decisions. There’s no question, with your determination, you will get to the finish - but for what? It’s one race, afterwards you may not be able to cycle for a year, you may never be the same again. Is that worth it? Is a race really worth a year or more off from regular running and cycling? Worth the time and money it will take in Rehab and possible surgery to correct?
I don’t know your situation to know how serious your injury is, but I do think you need to consider skipping your short term goal (this race) for long term athletic ability. Good luck, whatever you decide.
You need your Dr to give you a referral to a good PT. They can do wonders, usual recovery time is about 4-5 weeks. At good PT will provide: pressure point retraining, ultrasound, heat treatments and stretching/exercises to build your legs back.
With the others, which is better skipping one important race or wipping out your legs? There’s always more races, but you only get 2 legs.
Yesterday I saw thet sport MD who discouraged steroid inj. & prescribed some PT. He also said that training & racing on this injury, although painful, would not cause serious damage. He offered no opinion on the acupunture. He reassured me that losing my legs doesn’t appear to be an immedate threat at this point.
So, I plan to work around this & finish what Ive started. Has anyone had good or bad experience with either of these 2 options?
Accupuncture, given only those two choices. I’ll take steroids (cortisone) when you knock me out and strap me down. Then afterwards I’ll kick your ass until your own mother won’t recognize you. The stuff is POISON.
Try Unizime or Vitalzym. They don’t provide instant relief like cortisone, but they’ll make you healthier. I use them instead of NSAIDs
2.5 hr run w/o pain today, who knows what’ll happen on the bike. Im getting PT today. If I cant finish my big training ride this weekend, then plan B is shooting myself in the ass with a Ketorelac inj, plan C is acupuncture. No steroids. Thanks.
no contest! Acupuncture! you will get results and FAST. it’s helped me a lot with posterial tibial tendonitis, and a whole bunch of other stuff. if you go to a traditional chinese medicine person they will also give you herbs that’ll help.