Knee Injury

[Llew]

Hi,
Hoping I can get some help from the forum.
Back in December my right knee blew up like a balloon after I finished a walk.
Went to Doc and for x-rays and the x-ray showed my patella (kneecap) had moved from the centre of the knee to the outside. Is called patelloformoral pain syndrome. After a couple of months of rest, icing the knee, physio, exercises etc the swelling has reduced (not back to normal size) and stabilised. Doc instructed me to resume short walks on the flat and then increase to 1 - 1 1/2 hours which I did with no discomfort. Then advised to do a bit of hill work which again I did with no trouble. Then advised a long walk with hills so today I did 3 1/2 hours (approx. 20km). Bit of pain on inside of knee and swelling increased slightly.
What I would like to know is if anyone has experienced this injury and more importantly was it able to be cured and if so how.
Would appreciate any feedback.
Thanks, Llew

 

[Al the optimist]

Sorry I can't help Llew but you have my sympathy as that sounds horrible. Hope you recover and remember that the Camino isn't going anywhere and consider that if you haven't fully recovered by May that it might be worth rethinking whether to go or not. If you do be sensible and use back transport and public transport to help you through.

 

[KinkyOne]

Hi,
Hoping I can get some help from the forum.
Back in December my right knee blew up like a balloon after I finished a walk.
Went to Doc and for x-rays and the x-ray showed my patella (kneecap) had moved from the centre of the knee to the outside. Is called patelloformoral pain syndrome. After a couple of months of rest, icing the knee, physio, exercises etc the swelling has reduced (not back to normal size) and stabilised. Doc instructed me to resume short walks on the flat and then increase to 1 - 1 1/2 hours which I did with no discomfort. Then advised to do a bit of hill work which again I did with no trouble. Then advised a long walk with hills so today I did 3 1/2 hours (approx. 20km). Bit of pain on inside of knee and swelling increased slightly.
What I would like to know is if anyone has experienced this injury and more importantly was it able to be cured and if so how.
Would appreciate any feedback.
Thanks, Llew

Hi, Llew,
I don't have exactly the same diagnosis, but my knee also swell overnight even if I don't put any pressure on it the previous day. I help myself to prevent that with simple exercise to make my thigh muscles stronger so that more knee stability is gained (less pressure on the knee itself and more for the muscles). Also when in the evening I feel kind of heat in my knee I take anti-inflamatory pill like Naklofen (as known here in Slovenia) or Diclofenaco Normon (in Spain). Maybe google for equivalent in Australia.
Hope you're knee will get better. Also could take Al's advice on backpack transport ahead or take more flat Camino (de la Plata, Levante, la Lana, Portugues, CF on Meseta etc.) instead of Norte, which is quite up & down as I've heard.
Anyway - Ultreia!

 

[Llew]

Sorry I can't help Llew but you have my sympathy as that sounds horrible. Hope you recover and remember that the Camino isn't going anywhere and consider that if you haven't fully recovered by May that it might be worth rethinking whether to go or not. If you do be sensible and use back transport and public transport to help you through.

Thanks Al.

 

[Llew]

Hi, Llew,
I don't have exactly the same diagnosis, but my knee also swell overnight even if I don't put any pressure on it the previous day. I help myself to prevent that with simple exercise to make my thigh muscles stronger so that more knee stability is gained (less pressure on the knee itself and more for the muscles). Also when in the evening I feel kind of heat in my knee I take anti-inflamatory pill like Naklofen (as known here in Slovenia) or Diclofenaco Normon (in Spain). Maybe google for equivalent in Australia.
Hope you're knee will get better. Also could take Al's advice on backpack transport ahead or take more flat Camino (de la Plata, Levante, la Lana, Portugues, CF on Meseta etc.) instead of Norte, which is quite up & down as I've heard.
Anyway - Ultreia!

I have been, and still are, doing exercises to strengthen the thigh muscles and have also taken a few courses of anti inflame pills. I was planning on walking the Norte and Ingle caminos, starting mid May ( have walked Frances) but may have to change to another route or delay until the autumn.
Thanks for your reply.

 

[hunsta]

Geez! Hope you work something out mate. I been youtubing alot of shinsplint taping and exercises. Maybe try there. Havent had a shin splint in last 2 weeks training walks. See you Sunday week.

 

[Arn]

My first Camino I injured my right knee in a fall. By the time I got to Burgos I was using forearm crutches and taking 2400 mg of ibuprofen (Naproxen) every day. I made SDC, had several easy, cerveza imbibing days and a few vinotinto chasers.
My 2-4 Caminos...I wore Newbalance hiking shoes with motion control balance bars in the heel. NB Men's 1569. This kept me from turning my feet to the outside. The pain wasn't anywhere near as Camino#1 and, as long as I take 400 mg at the first twinge I'm good to go and nearly pain free.
Buen " hooray for vitamin I" Camino,
Arn

 

[Edith Frost]

I messed up my knee hiking last year. After months of it hurting I saw a sports doc, who gave me a cortisone shot (under the kneecap!) and sent me to a physical therapist. The cause of all my issues was, just like Lise T, tightness in the muscles and tendons. The tightness was causing the patella to go off-track and rub against its uh, channel? My whole left side was soooo bound-up compared to the right, and I hadn't even really noticed. So I'm doing stretches every day (quad and hamstring), doing thigh exercises with a giant rubber-band they gave me, and getting my boyfriend to torture, I mean foam-roll my IT band and calves. It's made all the difference. I'm a lot more limber on that side and (with care) have been able to slowly ramp up my walking (& skating & working out) to where I think I might be okay on my Camino. As long as I don't forget to stretch! Good luck & healing vibes to you Llew...

(edit to say Trekking poles! Are knee-savers, they take so much pressure off...

 

[sharon w]

Hi Llew,
Hope it improves soon. Thinking of you.
Sharon

 

[Llew]

Geez! Hope you work something out mate. I been youtubing alot of shinsplint taping and exercises. Maybe try there. Havent had a shin splint in last 2 weeks training walks. See you Sunday week.

Thanks Hunsta. See you at the meeting.

 

[Llew]

My first Camino I injured my right knee in a fall. By the time I got to Burgos I was using forearm crutches and taking 2400 mg of ibuprofen (Naproxen) every day. I made SDC, had several easy, cerveza imbibing days and a few vinotinto chasers.
My 2-4 Caminos...I wore Newbalance hiking shoes with motion control balance bars in the heel. NB Men's 1569. This kept me from turning my feet to the outside. The pain wasn't anywhere near as Camino#1 and, as long as I take 400 mg at the first twinge I'm good to go and nearly pain free.
Buen " hooray for vitamin I" Camino,
Arn

Thanks Arn. Have been taking anti inflams. The main problem seems to be that the swelling will not reduce and this is what has the doc and physio stumped. They are going to try cortisone to see if that will dry up some of the fluid.

 

[Llew]

Hi Llew,
Hope it improves soon. Thinking of you.
Sharon

Thanks Sharon.

 

[Llew]

Hi there

Gosh that doesnt sound good. You have my sympathy.
I dont know your particular injury...but about 6months before my last Camino I developed pain under my knee cap and swelling.
I went to a Osteopath. One of the best things I have ever done.
Turns out my knee cap was impacted. It wouldnt move. The result of my quads being too tight....and a trip on a treadmill was the final straw.

I was religions about doing calf and hamstring stretches...but failed to do quad stretches.
I spent about 6 weeks having treatment (which focused on my entire leg not just my knee). Plus weekly remedial massage to loosen my quad.
I started and carried on taking glucosamine tablets on the Camino and have never looked back.

I am a firm believer that sometimes our injuries are linked to something else. ...and that everything is connected. I mean no disrespect to doctors....but one of the reasons I liked going to the Osteopath was because they take in the whole picture. Not just the injury site.

So while I am not a medical person....I just wonder if you have established why your knee cap moved.
Was it a specific incident or some kind of imbalance?
Understanding causation is an important part to resolving ongoing issues and preventing the problem re-occuring.

I wish you all the best with your recovery.

Thanks for your advice.
I haven't seen an osteopath so I will make an appointment. Do not know why the kneecap moved. Had been for a walk and it just swelled up.

 

[Llew]

I messed up my knee hiking last year. After months of it hurting I saw a sports doc, who gave me a cortisone shot (under the kneecap!) and sent me to a physical therapist. The cause of all my issues was, just like Lise T, tightness in the muscles and tendons. The tightness was causing the patella to go off-track and rub against its uh, channel? My whole left side was soooo bound-up compared to the right, and I hadn't even really noticed. So I'm doing stretches every day (quad and hamstring), doing thigh exercises with a giant rubber-band they gave me, and getting my boyfriend to torture, I mean foam-roll my IT band and calves. It's made all the difference. I'm a lot more limber on that side and (with care) have been able to slowly ramp up my walking (& skating & working out) to where I think I might be okay on my Camino. As long as I don't forget to stretch! Good luck & healing vibes to you Llew...

(edit to say Trekking poles! Are knee-savers, they take so much pressure off...

Thanks Edith. I am going to have a cortisone shot to see if that will help. Appreciate your comments. and thoughts.

 

[SanchoPanza]

Hi there, so here's my contribution not sure if it'll help but here it goes.
Some time ago I injured my knee playing hockey, I took a nasty hit and after some excruciating pain I realized the patella on my left knee wasn't where it was supposed to be. I couldn't walk on it for a couple of weeks and it wasn't until a couple months later that I could walk straight. I did pretty much what you did with the icing and exercise, I wore a knee brace for support on occasion. That happened 12 years ago, to this day if I'm on my feet for hours at a time especially on hard surfaces I'll have some slight pain and minor swelling, nothing that requires icing though. As far as your swelling well it might not be swelling at all. A few months after my injury I noticed that my knee didn't look the quite the same, it did look like it was a bit puffy in spots. I tried icing and creams and home remedies of all sorts but it didn't go away, no one had an answer for me. Then one of my buddies just said what if its just scar tissue, built up after it healed. In my case that seems to make the most sense. So if it is scar tissue well I don't think there's much you can do. Just keep up with the exercises, lots of walks with the right footwear, swimming helped out a lot too.

 

[Kiwi-family]

pacerpoles (or any others used correctly, but you can't go wrong with pacers)

If you can do 15km without trouble, would you consider shortening your daily distances?

 

[CarlaH]

Hi,
Hoping I can get some help from the forum.
Back in December my right knee blew up like a balloon after I finished a walk.
Went to Doc and for x-rays and the x-ray showed my patella (kneecap) had moved from the centre of the knee to the outside. Is called patelloformoral pain syndrome. After a couple of months of rest, icing the knee, physio, exercises etc the swelling has reduced (not back to normal size) and stabilised. Doc instructed me to resume short walks on the flat and then increase to 1 - 1 1/2 hours which I did with no discomfort. Then advised to do a bit of hill work which again I did with no trouble. Then advised a long walk with hills so today I did 3 1/2 hours (approx. 20km). Bit of pain on inside of knee and swelling increased slightly.
What I would like to know is if anyone has experienced this injury and more importantly was it able to be cured and if so how.
Would appreciate any feedback.
Thanks, Llew

Hi Llew... I was diagnosed by a Orthopedic specialist 5 months before my first camino last year. I basically have very little cartilage and my knees have, for years made hideous noises when going up and down stairs, there's always pain when doing any form of exercise etc - he had advised that my knees would not make the 800km walk. In addition to this I have acute rheumathoid arthritis - and here too my rheumatologist was not to thrilled I was doing this walk ... I am stubborn though, so went on a mission to find a 'cure' or at least 'help' to make my walk possible.

This type of injury is quiet often the result of overuse of the knee, previous knee injuries, alignment problems of the knee, slack legiments , reduced muscle strength, and believe it or not, foot problems http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Patellofemoral-Pain.htm

So, I stopped walk training for my camino (to take the weight and pressure of my knees and "save" them for my Camino) and took up swimming 4km a day x 4 days a week.

I then went to a Podiatrist who checked out my feet and my walking gait - and was told I had collapsed arches and my feet were pronate (facing inwards) - because my feet are pronate it 'pulls' the kneecap inwards...creating pain; the collapsed arches meant that each footfall / steep had no shock absorbing qualities for the knees - solution to this was to have orthotics fitted into my New Balance trail shoes. My feet are now positioned perfectly straight and there is more cushioning for my knees.... walking became easier.

I then went to a physiotherapist who taught me how to strap up my knees using Kinesiology tape (which you buy at a physiotherapist practice)- the purpose for this, was to keep my kneecap in perfect alignment and position -

and

I bought a pair of walking poles - fabulous ones which help shift weight off my knees when walking on flats, were great brakes going down hill and a equally great doing uphill http://www.pacerpole.com/ - they deliver worldwide

and then I had to learn to walk, properly - being aware where I put each step; how to correctly put one step in front of the other (took some time to get used to walking properly... and learning to walk using the Pacerpoles provided hours of entertainment for my family and friends) - and then learn to walk uphill with dodgy knees - most people increase the length of their stride going uphill hoping it will make them go faster and get it over with...with dodgy knees, the smaller the step with your arms pumping up and down takes the strain off your knees and help you get up without knee pain during or after. Going downhill, bend the knees slightly so that your gait going down is more 'springy', on very steep down hills, walk in a zigzag and again smaller steps than you would on a straight

A week before I left my rheumatologist gave me a cortisone shot and prescribed meds for the duration of my walk - cortisone and Celebrex. I also chose to ice my knees at the end of each days walk about 2min per knee.

and finally - I started my Camino slowly ie from SJPdP to Orisson, Orisson to Roncesvalles, then for the next 5 days did an average of 10-12km a day and slowly increasing thereafter to max 23km a day - it took me 49 days to complete - and completely pain free from day 3 for the rest of the walk. And iced my knees at the end of each day for 2min per knee.

I start my 2nd Camino on 16 May 2015 and will follow the exact same 'programme' as I did last year.

good luck and I hope that some of the above info is helpful
Carla

 

[Arn]

Hi Llew... I was diagnosed by a Orthopedic specialist 5 months before my first camino last year. I basically have very little cartilage and my knees have, for years made hideous noises when going up and down stairs, there's always pain when doing any form of exercise etc - he had advised that my knees would not make the 800km walk. In addition to this I have acute rheumathoid arthritis - and here too my rheumatologist was not to thrilled I was doing this walk ... I am stubborn though, so went on a mission to find a 'cure' or at least 'help' to make my walk possible.

This type of injury is quiet often the result of overuse of the knee, previous knee injuries, alignment problems of the knee, slack legiments , reduced muscle strength, and believe it or not, foot problems http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Patellofemoral-Pain.htm

So, I stopped walk training for my camino (to take the weight and pressure of my knees and "save" them for my Camino) and took up swimming 4km a day x 4 days a week.

I then went to a Podiatrist who checked out my feet and my walking gait - and was told I had collapsed arches and my feet were pronate (facing inwards) - because my feet are pronate it 'pulls' the kneecap inwards...creating pain; the collapsed arches meant that each footfall / steep had no shock absorbing qualities for the knees - solution to this was to have orthotics fitted into my New Balance trail shoes. My feet are now positioned perfectly straight and there is more cushioning for my knees.... walking became easier.

I then went to a physiotherapist who taught me how to strap up my knees using Kinesiology tape (which you buy at a physiotherapist practice)- the purpose for this, was to keep my kneecap in perfect alignment and position -

and

I bought a pair of walking poles - fabulous ones which help shift weight off my knees when walking on flats, were great brakes going down hill and a equally great doing uphill http://www.pacerpole.com/ - they deliver worldwide

and then I had to learn to walk, properly - being aware where I put each step; how to correctly put one step in front of the other (took some time to get used to walking properly... and learning to walk using the Pacerpoles provided hours of entertainment for my family and friends) - and then learn to walk uphill with dodgy knees - most people increase the length of their stride going uphill hoping it will make them go faster and get it over with...with dodgy knees, the smaller the step with your arms pumping up and down takes the strain off your knees and help you get up without knee pain during or after. Going downhill, bend the knees slightly so that your gait going down is more 'springy', on very steep down hills, walk in a zigzag and again smaller steps than you would on a straight

A week before I left my rheumatologist gave me a cortisone shot and prescribed meds for the duration of my walk - cortisone and Celebrex. I also chose to ice my knees at the end of each days walk about 2min per knee.

and finally - I started my Camino slowly ie from SJPdP to Orisson, Orisson to Roncesvalles, then for the next 5 days did an average of 10-12km a day and slowly increasing thereafter to max 23km a day - it took me 49 days to complete - and completely pain free from day 3 for the rest of the walk. And iced my knees at the end of each day for 2min per knee.

I start my 2nd Camino on 16 May 2015 and will follow the exact same 'programme' as I did last year.

good luck and I hope that some of the above info helpful
Carla

Fantastic well written and researched presentation!

 

[Tia Valeria]

Sorry to read your problem Llew. Have you considered doing the Ruta do Mar from Ribadeo as you previously planned. This keeps you near the FEVE if you need transport over a section and also although there is no actual pilgrim infrastructure there are bookable B&Bs. you could then get round to Ferrol on the FEVE or bus and take short days on the Inglés. Our plans include approx 9 days on the Inglés after the Ruta do Mar. Feel free to PM us if you would like our itinerary and stopping places.
While not having any medical knowledge we both find tubigrip knee support good. Terry prefers the doubled over the knee method and I prefer the triple fold under the knee support. Pharmacies will advise the correct size of tubigrip needed, if you want to see if it helps.

 

[CarlaH]

Fantastic well written and researched presentation!

Arn, I realised there was a very important 'knee treatment' item I'd left off my 'list' - drink a lot of water, all day while walking, it lubricates the joints and helps ease aches and pains... for the first 3 days I drank almost no water, I was told by a Pilgrim who was a nurse to drink way more water - which I did the next day and almost immediately felt relief in my knees....

 

[Pruden]

I had a few years ago my meniscus thorn! So I had to make 20 days osteopathic treatment , and five months later I walk 200 kilometers Leon to Sarria .
Never I was like before but still walking!
I do a lot of cycling on a static bicycle and some more exercise for keeping my legs strong enough .
I also take Krill Oils from Viva Oils Laboratory or from Mercola , you can find it trought internet!
It would help a lot your knees and joints!

Good luck and Buen Camino!

I

 

[Scott Sweeney]

Recently I was diagnosed with bursitis in my left knee. With walking being such an important part of my life it is a real concern. Where my problem is not as serious as yours it is your body talking to you. Listen to your body, its always good advice. On my second Camino I had a knee issue and found those wonderful Ibprofun tablets in Spain, came home bleeding in my colon from to much ibprofun... I should have listened to my body, I didn't... Lesson learned.
Like All said, the Camino isn't going anywhere. Listen to your body and Dr.

 

[Llew]

Hi there, so here's my contribution not sure if it'll help but here it goes.
Some time ago I injured my knee playing hockey, I took a nasty hit and after some excruciating pain I realized the patella on my left knee wasn't where it was supposed to be. I couldn't walk on it for a couple of weeks and it wasn't until a couple months later that I could walk straight. I did pretty much what you did with the icing and exercise, I wore a knee brace for support on occasion. That happened 12 years ago, to this day if I'm on my feet for hours at a time especially on hard surfaces I'll have some slight pain and minor swelling, nothing that requires icing though. As far as your swelling well it might not be swelling at all. A few months after my injury I noticed that my knee didn't look the quite the same, it did look like it was a bit puffy in spots. I tried icing and creams and home remedies of all sorts but it didn't go away, no one had an answer for me. Then one of my buddies just said what if its just scar tissue, built up after it healed. In my case that seems to make the most sense. So if it is scar tissue well I don't think there's much you can do. Just keep up with the exercises, lots of walks with the right footwear, swimming helped out a lot too.

Thanks SanchoPanza. Am doing all you did.

 

[Llew]

pacerpoles (or any others used correctly, but you can't go wrong with pacers)

If you can do 15km without trouble, would you consider shortening your daily distances?

One option. Also now looking to walk Portuguese camino instead of Norte & Ingles.

 

[Llew]

Hi Llew... I was diagnosed by a Orthopedic specialist 5 months before my first camino last year. I basically have very little cartilage and my knees have, for years made hideous noises when going up and down stairs, there's always pain when doing any form of exercise etc - he had advised that my knees would not make the 800km walk. In addition to this I have acute rheumathoid arthritis - and here too my rheumatologist was not to thrilled I was doing this walk ... I am stubborn though, so went on a mission to find a 'cure' or at least 'help' to make my walk possible.

This type of injury is quiet often the result of overuse of the knee, previous knee injuries, alignment problems of the knee, slack legiments , reduced muscle strength, and believe it or not, foot problems http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Patellofemoral-Pain.htm

So, I stopped walk training for my camino (to take the weight and pressure of my knees and "save" them for my Camino) and took up swimming 4km a day x 4 days a week.

I then went to a Podiatrist who checked out my feet and my walking gait - and was told I had collapsed arches and my feet were pronate (facing inwards) - because my feet are pronate it 'pulls' the kneecap inwards...creating pain; the collapsed arches meant that each footfall / steep had no shock absorbing qualities for the knees - solution to this was to have orthotics fitted into my New Balance trail shoes. My feet are now positioned perfectly straight and there is more cushioning for my knees.... walking became easier.

I then went to a physiotherapist who taught me how to strap up my knees using Kinesiology tape (which you buy at a physiotherapist practice)- the purpose for this, was to keep my kneecap in perfect alignment and position -

and

I bought a pair of walking poles - fabulous ones which help shift weight off my knees when walking on flats, were great brakes going down hill and a equally great doing uphill http://www.pacerpole.com/ - they deliver worldwide

and then I had to learn to walk, properly - being aware where I put each step; how to correctly put one step in front of the other (took some time to get used to walking properly... and learning to walk using the Pacerpoles provided hours of entertainment for my family and friends) - and then learn to walk uphill with dodgy knees - most people increase the length of their stride going uphill hoping it will make them go faster and get it over with...with dodgy knees, the smaller the step with your arms pumping up and down takes the strain off your knees and help you get up without knee pain during or after. Going downhill, bend the knees slightly so that your gait going down is more 'springy', on very steep down hills, walk in a zigzag and again smaller steps than you would on a straight

A week before I left my rheumatologist gave me a cortisone shot and prescribed meds for the duration of my walk - cortisone and Celebrex. I also chose to ice my knees at the end of each days walk about 2min per knee.

and finally - I started my Camino slowly ie from SJPdP to Orisson, Orisson to Roncesvalles, then for the next 5 days did an average of 10-12km a day and slowly increasing thereafter to max 23km a day - it took me 49 days to complete - and completely pain free from day 3 for the rest of the walk. And iced my knees at the end of each day for 2min per knee.

I start my 2nd Camino on 16 May 2015 and will follow the exact same 'programme' as I did last year.

good luck and I hope that some of the above info is helpful
Carla

Fantastic well written and researched presentation!

Thanks Carla. Some new tips which I will take on board, especially the taping you describe. The physio has shown me how to tape to pull the kneecap over but not using the tape or methos you describe. I have been swimming but not 4km a day a few times a walk. I have been to a podiatrist and my gait is pretty good. He did put a small insert into a inner to lift behind the ball of my right foot.
Yesterday my doctor drained the fluid on the knee and gave me a cortisone shot. I am to start walking again for short distances on the flat, building up to longer walks and then progressing to hills. If this proves ok he will give me another shot a week before I go.
I am due to start my second camino on 19 May so depending which walk you are doing we may meet.
Many thanks for your for thorough reply.
Llew

 

[Llew]

Sorry to read your problem Llew. Have you considered doing the Ruta do Mar from Ribadeo as you previously planned. This keeps you near the FEVE if you need transport over a section and also although there is no actual pilgrim infrastructure there are bookable B&Bs. you could then get round to Ferrol on the FEVE or bus and take short days on the Inglés. Our plans include approx 9 days on the Inglés after the Ruta do Mar. Feel free to PM us if you would like our itinerary and stopping places.
While not having any medical knowledge we both find tubigrip knee support good. Terry prefers the doubled over the knee method and I prefer the triple fold under the knee support. Pharmacies will advise the correct size of tubigrip needed, if you want to see if it helps.

Thanks Tia Valeria. I had gone off the idea of the Ruta do Mar as I was looking forward to the Norte & Ingles. If my knee doesn't improve to where I can go ahead with these I will look at the Portuguese which is a lot flatter. I am remaining positive & hopeful that I will be able to proceed as per my original plan.
However the Rua do Mar is another option and if you would PM your itinerary etc I would appreciate it.
Many thanks .Llew

 

[Llew]

Arn, I realised there was a very important 'knee treatment' item I'd left off my 'list' - drink a lot of water, all day while walking, it lubricates the joints and helps ease aches and pains... for the first 3 days I drank almost no water, I was told by a Pilgrim who was a nurse to drink way more water - which I did the next day and almost immediately felt relief in my knees....

Excellent point Carla and yes, I do drink a lot of water when walking and a couple of cold beers when finished.

 

[Llew]

I had a few years ago my meniscus thorn! So I had to make 20 days osteopathic treatment , and five months later I walk 200 kilometers Leon to Sarria .
Never I was like before but still walking!
I do a lot of cycling on a static bicycle and some more exercise for keeping my legs strong enough .
I also take Krill Oils from Viva Oils Laboratory or from Mercola , you can find it trought internet!
It would help a lot your knees and joints!

Good luck and Buen Camino!

I

Thanks Pruden. I am keeping up with the exercises and swimming to help with recovery.

 

[Llew]

Recently I was diagnosed with bursitis in my left knee. With walking being such an important part of my life it is a real concern. Where my problem is not as serious as yours it is your body talking to you. Listen to your body, its always good advice. On my second Camino I had a knee issue and found those wonderful Ibprofun tablets in Spain, came home bleeding in my colon from to much ibprofun... I should have listened to my body, I didn't... Lesson learned.
Like All said, the Camino isn't going anywhere. Listen to your body and Dr.

Thanks Scott. Doctor has recommended not to overdo the anti inflams so I haven't taken too many. Your advice on listening to your body is excellent. Rest assured I will do what I can do. If the walking gets to be a problem, on whichever camino I do, I may look at biking some of the journey or just visiting different places each day.

 

[CarlaH]

Thanks Carla. Some new tips which I will take on board, especially the taping you describe. The physio has shown me how to tape to pull the kneecap over but not using the tape or methos you describe. I have been swimming but not 4km a day a few times a walk. I have been to a podiatrist and my gait is pretty good. He did put a small insert into a inner to lift behind the ball of my right foot.
Yesterday my doctor drained the fluid on the knee and gave me a cortisone shot. I am to start walking again for short distances on the flat, building up to longer walks and then progressing to hills. If this proves ok he will give me another shot a week before I go.
I am due to start my second camino on 19 May so depending which walk you are doing we may meet.
Many thanks for your for thorough reply.
Llew

hi Llew.. I'm doing the Frances route SJPdP to Santiago and set off on 17th May so if you end up doing the same route, you will probably over take me... I'm the slow one, having very regular snack, food, vino stops along the way

 

[Arn]

Excellent point Carla and yes, I do drink a lot of water when walking and a couple of cold beers when finished.

Llew,

May I suggest three ice cold beers: 1 in your hand, 1 at the ready and 1 on your knee. Replenish until the pain is gone

 

[Llew]

hi Llew.. I'm doing the Frances route SJPdP to Santiago and set off on 17th May so if you end up doing the same route, you will probably over take me... I'm the slow one, having very regular snack, food, vino stops along the way

Hi Carla, Who knows. I will keep a look out. Keep an eye out for me. I wear an Aussie hat and have New Zealand badges on my pack.

 

[Llew]

Llew,

May I suggest three ice cold beers: 1 in your hand, 1 at the ready and 1 on your knee. Replenish until the pain is gone

My kind of cure. I will try it over the next week and if it works will be forever in your debt.