Hi Everyone
Could someone please advice.
I do some light gym work and I am a novice at moutain hill climbing. My friend and I did a 10 mile treak around Pen-y-Fan Horshoe route in Brecon Beacons - there are four peaks and teh highes is PenyFan at around 2900 feet. I had a backpack on about 7-9 pounds in weight
Going up was fine apart from having to stop to get my breath and legs being heavy but made it and thoroughly enjoyed the trek.
I do not use any poles although seen a lot of people on this walk with them.
On the way down I guess I was using the same lead leg and looking back now after some reviews, I think I may have been bit heavy on the feet on the way donw, not sure.
I have never had any knee injury and as I say the ascent was fine. The problem began on the way down which is rather steep in that my right knee began to ache and it was aching initially on the outside. From what I have read, it sounds like it could be the Iliotibial band (IBT) problem)
Anyway I tried altering my lead leg, tried going sides ways but the pain was still there.
As time went on, the pain in the right knee was complete (describe later) it then began in the left nad knee starting at the outside.
The trek was 10.5 miles for 7 hours.

By the end, it was extremely painful to even walk down any descent, I was almost hobbling with the pain on every step. If I stopped and stood still, there was no ache or pains, it only began once I began to descend again, knee after knee!

The feeling of the pain was asif it was then inside, all I can describe it as a feeling of, one can imaging like to upside down capital T together, I mean as if its bone on bone with teh pain feeling radiating inside but started from the outside.

There is no swelling, no pain on the knee cap, no problem squatting or kneeling. If I press on the nobbly bit on the outside of each knee, I can feel a tender bit but not as painful as it was.

A few days later, I am as if nothing has happened apart from I can just about feel the slight pain beginning as I walk down a few flights of stairs.

On searching google, there seems to be a lot of comments on runners knee and painful knees on descending but they then talk about all these fancy knee problems that leave me stunned as to what my problem was

Would anyone have any idea as to what my problem was with my description. Any tips on what I can do to try to stop or minimise this from happening again?
Thansk in advance
PS thE views were fantastic as the weather was really good

Sounds like overuse. Give it a couple days rest then get back out there.

Thanks Norco
Do you mind explaining in what way overuse?

Is it something that will get better the more descent work I do or do you mean overuse as basically just gon eout there and done all this hiking in one go and so much pounding stress on the knees?

cheers

Hey Pauley,

I am an orthopedic Physician Assistant, and will do my best to help.

Number one, with no previous history of injuries and your pain disappearing within a few days, I would not get too worried. Your injury sounds minor.

Two, many very fit people who climb mountains have issues on descents. The eccentric contractions employed during descents are very tough on the body. It is difficult to train for this in the gym. Plus, if I read your post correctly, mountain climbing is new to you and you are not a superserious athlete.

Your problem sounds like a simple quad strain. I would not at this point worry about going to a doctor. Rest, stretch, and when you are totally pain free you can return to the gym. If the pain doesn't go away or gets worse, see a doc.

The best way to avoid this in the future is to do more hikes, preferably hikes that involve descents. In the gym, plyometrics involving eccentric contractions (think jumping off a bench and then jumping up into the air) are best. You can also do quad-centric exercises like leg presses, squats, and lunges; once you feel comfortable with those, you can work in a few sets of "negatives".

Hope this helps!

Hi gem trail
Thank you very much for taking the time to reply to my post and your advice. Cool you being in ortho.
Yes im not a superathlete and its the first time i have done any of this mountain walking.
Interested in you saying it sounds like a quad strain. Would this cause particularly the excrutiating pain i had in both knees. It felt as if bone banging on bone with each painful stride but initially started on the outside of the knee. Would quad strengthening help then?
I didnt have any walking poles just one stick from the woods.
Look forward to your reply
Best wishes

What I mean by overuse is going well beyond what the training of a particular body part can handle.

For example: If a person was running 5 mile per day every day for a month it would not be difficult for them to go and run 8 miles tomorrow. However if a person had not ran in 20 years(and lets assume they are still in good shape, say they swim 6 miles a day) it would be very difficult for them to go run 8 miles without finishing the run with a limp because they are not use to the impact.

Hiking is the same way. Basicaly it is just walking, but it is often on steep trails that are slightly angled one way or the other with lots of rocks. This requires the use of muscles that one might not use walking down a sidewalk.

As far as descents being hard on the knees, so is running. They are both high impact, but if one builds up the amount they do slowly the body should be able to adapt.

Ahh thanks for explaining. An excellent analagy and drives home the explanation.it makes sense now. I remember when i first did gym work my butt ached but the next few times it was ok...i see what you mean
Cheers mate

I agree it sounds like a quad strain. If your ITB is strained, you can do a simple stretch (that is a bit painful) to stretch it out.

Take a foam roller or nalgene bottle (foam is preferred because its softer). Put it on the floor and lay down on your side with the roll/bottle between your hip and the ground. Pull yourself upward so that the roll/bottle goes down your leg until its reached the side of your knee. This is where it'll probably hurt the most. Then push yourself down so that the roll/bottle ends up back between your hip and the ground. Do this a few times. It hurts but that's usually because its working.

I've had ITB stuff and its very painful. Ice also helps with ITB stuff, in case that's what you're going through. Good luck.