knee trouble

[andy.d]

I've had to go to the doctor with knee trouble - swelling and pain when I walk. The doctor has given me the all clear to do the camino, I just have to wear one of those compression pads on the knee and use plenty of ibuprofen. So it's really going to be a matter of managing pain :?

I know other people have had knee problems, but has anyone had this particular problem?

thanks,

Andy

 

[papajohn]

Hi Andy, I too have had knee problems, don't know what your cause is, mine is osteoarthritis, I recently recieved three injections of Synvisc (don't know the UK name) which was described by the surgeon as WD40 for the knee. It isnt a long term solution but rather 6mo. to a year. It has helped me tremendously. No more ibuprofena!
Also, I used walking sticks on the camino and feel that they helped my knees a lot. Buen Camino, John

 

[marjorita]

I discovered that I had knee problems while walking the camino last year. I bought knee supports along the way which turned out to be my best friend. The pharmacist told me to keep my back at around 7 kgs which also helped a great deal. What is so great about knee supports, aside from being most stylish is they become an extension of walking shorts and I found I didn't need to wear long pants when the mornings were chilly.

Espero que tenga un buen camino.

 

[Arn]

Hi,

I had a fall outside Pamplona and severely injured my right knee. Up to that point I had only minor knee pain.

Two months prior to my departure my Dr suggested that I begin taking glucosamine and chondroitin tablets. Upon my return when he examined my knee he admitted that the G&C regime he'd suggested had recently been shown to have little or no effect on knees. He also stated that I'd be better off taking ibuprofen (which I did).

I got to the point where I had to resort to forearm crutches for the last 200 km. They provided ample stability and the large-wide rubber tips never broke down...nor did they make any appreciable noise.

Arn

 

[WolverineDG]

Well, Arn had a different experience w/Glucousamine & Chondrotin than I have. I use a combination of that with MSM. I can't remember where I got this information, but you need the MSM along with the Glucousamine & Chondrotin. My experience with this was that my knee pain disappeared within a week of starting to take these horse pills every day. Of course, discuss this with your doctor.

Other things that have helped me considerably: ibuprophen, carrying as light a pack as possible & using walking sticks. On my last camino, I took a day "off" & rode the bus to the next stop to give my knees a rest. I didn't have any problems with my knees after that day. Sometimes all they need is to rest a day.

Kelly

 

[Heloise]

Hi Andy,

I´ve had various problems with my knees (I did know nothing about it before my first camino ) and finally found the reason - the wrong position of my foot, which led to pain in both hips and knees. And thanks to a fellow-pilgrim I found a relief, a support to put under my arch. While at home, I went to a naprapath, who gave some excercises for me to do. Also I have to keep the muscles around the knees in shape to protect the ball of the knee ( I have a bit hypermobil joints). The next caminos and other long-distance-walkings have been excellent.

I don´t know what is your case like and what are the exact reasons for your pain and swelling, but I hope you´ll find a proper cure - ibuprofen is good but it´s always better to find the real reason and not just cure the symptoms. I hope you and your knees all the best!

Heloise

 

[Anonymous]

Knees! I ripped one of mine open taking a motorbike over a pontiac in my sillier (or was it just younger?) days ...

I wear a Fab McDavid brace .. has hinges down the sides .. really super thing ...

http://www.return2fitness.co.uk/Supports_And_Braces/Knee_Supports/md429knee

I am interested in these remedies for inflammation as I cannot take Ibuprofin products (stomach burn)

but, yes, low weight, use sticks - be kind to yourself .. and most important .. walk at your own pace! if you try to keep up with someone who walks just a tiny tiny fraction faster than you then you will be in serious trouble

 

[Portia1]

Do you have high arches? I thought I had knee trouble but with more investigation, it turns out what I REALLY needed was orthodics to take care of over-pronation. This was throwing my knee and knee cap out of whack and causing a great deal of pain when I hiked. Over time my back and hip joints also ached. I now use orthodics in all my shoes and voila--no more joint/knee pain. I use knee support (but not that heavy-duty mechanical one my first ortho prescribed!) when I am doing long distance hiking with lots of altitude climb/descent--just to be sure, but I have to say that orthodics have made a huge difference for me. Buen Camino!

 

[Anonymous]

Interesting ... what is 'over-pronation' .. leaning forward?

How does one check this? is there a self help thingy?

 

[Portia1]

Over-pronation happens when the arch "collapses" down and so your foot rolls inward. If you look it up on the internet, you'll see the physics of it and why it affects the knees and hips. If the arch is not properly supported, it breaks down over time and you have residual pain. You may also see evidence of it when you look at the soles of your shoes--is the inner edge more worn than the outer?

 

[Arn]

Br. David mentioned(stomach burn)

In a farmica in Estrella I was given some tablets that they said should be taken in the morning to prevent the “burn” from the vitamin “I”…they worked great!

And

Kelly said: you need the MSM

Again, my Dr. also mentioned that by adding the MSM…the trial changed to the positive. Once again, good info from the Dr. but too late to be of use on that Camino. But there’s always the next one and the next.

Buen kneeding help Camino

Arn

 

[andy.d]

Thanks everyone for help.

I've just been to see a friend who is a chiropodist. She's ruled out foot problems and has given me the thumbs up on my footwear - Raichle Scout boots and Keen sandals, both with Superfeet insoles.

The pain and swelling might be due to a strain or a need to build up the muscle on the outside of the knee. I'll try to get a physio appointment, although realistically this is likely to be after the Camino.

Andy

 

[Arn]

Andy,

Have a great trek along the Way and keep Santiago in the forefront as a guide.

Buen Camino,
Arn

 

[andy.d]

Andy,

Have a great trek along the Way and keep Santiago in the forefront as a guide.

Buen Camino,
Arn

Thanks - I'm praying for grace to keep my eyes on the prize.

Andy

 

[Javier Martin]

I've had to go to the doctor with knee trouble - swelling and pain when I walk. The doctor has given me the all clear to do the camino, I just have to wear one of those compression pads on the knee and use plenty of ibuprofen. So it's really going to be a matter of managing pain :?

Hi, Andy,

It happen to me something similar in one of my first Caminos, and the compresion pad helped me so, that I changed my idea of giving up the Camino, arriving to Santiago walking without any problem. It was in Vega de Valcarce, I'll never forget the pilgrim who let me his bed (he took another one more difficult to access), gave me the compression pad, ibuprofen, and came with me to Santiago. Nice boy.

 

[KiwiNomad06]

andy,
I walked a lot with a woman from Quebec who had some serious knee pain. She did various things to help, but one thing she had that she always used, for descents in particular, was two walking poles. They helped take the pressure off her knees. A masseur who tended to her in the albergue in Cacabelos suggested that she should limit her day's walks to 20km, no more, and that helped also.

We walked into Santiago together: she is a heroine in my books, and she remains glad she achieved what she did, despite the difficulties.
Margaret

 

[Alan Pearce]

I walked in Spain last year in the company of a pharmacist, who freely gave of his knowledge to anyone who asked. When tending one Canadian lady he was aghast to find that because her knee was so painful, she had visited 3 different pharmacists for advice and they all had recommended that she take tablets that they provided, all called something different. They were however the same anti-inflammatory, with different names. No doubt they gave the appropriate advice but with her lack of Spanish she would not have understand their instructions, and that they must only be taken with food because of their corrosive affect on the lining of the intestine. The result was that she was taking triple the recommended dose of the chemical, and on an empty stomach. My companion stated that she would have been bleeding internally in a very short space of time had she continued on that course of action.
I am blessed with reasonably good knees, but I feel that anyone attempting the camino should, at the very minimum, do enough training to find out if they are likely to have trouble along the way. Get out and do some distance walking for several days in a row, and if trouble flares organise the treatment necessary before you leave. That won't stop accidents of course but is some form of insurance. The Canadian lady in question was absolutely devastated that she could not complete the walk.
My pharmacist companion was not completely convinced that the best way to treat a blister was with a needle and thread, leaving the thread to drain away the fluid. Neither was another Canadian pilgrim who had a masters degree in nursing, who he treated one evening. However they agreed that when in Spain one should do what the Spaninrds do, so needle and thread it was.
Buen Camino Alan

 

[andy.d]

Thanks again for the advice and support. I did a testing long walk on the Malvern Hills yesterday and the compression bandage over the knee plus a small dose of ibuprofen seem to have really done the trick,

best wishes,

Andy

 

[viajero]

I'm not sure if I can convince anyone of the benefits of acupuncture but...
If you have knee problems in training and have plenty of time before your camino, it might be something that you would want to look into. Before my camino last year, I trained and trained and trained. Two weeks before I left I had a bit of knee pain in my left knee--only when walking downhill. It wasn't horrible but concerned me. Several work colleagues had raved about an acupuncturist they had seen for various ailments. I went in for one treatment and haven't had any trouble since. of course, it depends on the problem. This acupuncturist focuses on sports injuries/ailments and the people that I work with swear by him.

 

[johnBCCanada]

Just a note of caution. Many of the replies mention ibuprofen. I took some ibuprofen from home (Canada) and it comes in 200 mg tablets with instructions to take a maximum of 6 a day (1200 mg). When I was in Spain a doctor told me to take the Spanish ibuprofen (600 mg) and three times a day. As far as I know I had no ill effects and it may have ennabled me to complete the Camino but people should remember that even in such a thing as widely available over the counter medications practices can very in different countries.

Also the doctor in Spain was very friendly and helpful but we had no common language. If I found myself having to go to a doctor in Spain again I would try to find someone who could help interpret so I could better understand and could ask questions.

regards,

john

 

[WolverineDG]

600 mgs is prescription-strength in the US.

Kelly

 

[Arn]

I draw my Vitamin "I" from a military pharmacy and the tablets are 800 mg. The dosage note says not to exceed 2400 mg per day...and never on an empty stomach or without milk.

I found that even at 2400 mg...walking unaided was nearly impossible.

That said...if I hadn't been so bone headed...I should have stopped for at least 3-5 days to see if that was the ticket. As it was, I never stopped for more than 24 hours and paid for it.

Listen to your body...if you're not going to listen to your doctor.

Buen Got milk? Camino,
Arn

 

[Radhika Murari]

I had my cartilage removed 17 years ago I had severe swelling for many years and then started taking glucosamine (Nature Made Triple Flex; 2 a day). I also use Rehbands. This helps me manage the swelling and be mobile.

 

[Lynda t]

Strapping/tape below the knee helps me. Remove at night.

 

[Sixwheeler]

Correct length pair of trekking poles AND know how to use them correctly (look on YouTube), take high dose (400mg) Ibuprofen at the end of each day's walking as antiinflammatory/pain killer. If you're suffering take a break, don't be foolish and force yourself to go on, listen to your knees creaking! I had a knee replacement and the above works for me. Good Luck.

 

[Olivares]

Consider baggage transfer for those specially challenging days, i.e. from SJPDP. It will help ease your knees into the walking routine as your legs muscles also get stronger. I had 3 things with me that got me thru inflamations, etc....1) bought 600 mg anti-inflamatories in Spain (no prescription needed; very effective), 2) daily magnesium tables before going to bed, 3) Icy Hot pain relieving cream (so good!)). Never missed a day due to inflamatory conditions.

 

[William Garza]

600 mgs is prescription-strength in the US.

Kelly

Please be careful with over use of Ibuprofen, It can damage your liver with chronic use.
Iv dealt with higher liver enzyme levels from the prescription meds i take for back pain. Docs warned me about effects early on
Im not a doctor, just a fellow traveler who has been to a place and done that, and absolutely don't want to see any of the wonderful Peregrinos put themselves in a position of far greater damage in the long term.
My point is the road will always be there, and beacon your days and nights like a light to the firefly, the burning drive to do, will overcome the pain of doing, up to the point of sacrifice of self. there are so many roads yet to travel... the sacrifice you make in the lonely hours are known.

I am amazed and struck with awe when i see the posts detailing the body being flogged on the road, when the spirit is being tested by time, distance and pain,
the mind willing a broken and battered physical being,
the mind aiding and abetting the spirit, to conspire against the body to force it to go one step further, in spite of, or despite the pain...
and then the body , for some... in absolute obedience to the will, going on to sacrifice itself to the idea
oftentimes to the detriment of itself.

im my most humblest of opinions
I don't think the Camino requires the ultimate sacrifice
I think the Idea of Camino only requires the willingness to try the very best a person can,
some as penance
some for peace
and many other reasons personal and dearly held

meet yourself half way.
be kind to yourself, those who need to see the inmost, secret "you" will

May your Road be ever Blessed