knee pain

[dreamlifeawake]

I have never had knee pain and my knee gave on the last hour from st jean pied de port to roncesvalles… This was yesterday. I walked 6k today and decided to rest to give it a chance to recover. Any advice appreciated! It hurts on the downhill!

 

[Robo]

Yep, downhills are where the damage occurs.

Seek medical help. Get a professional opinion.
It could be many things.
Maybe move forward to Pamplona to do so.

We can all share our various injuries and how we coped, but that is meaningless really.
We have no idea what your specific problem is.
And 99.5% of us are not medical professionals.

I could tell you how I manage knee pain,
But your particular injury needs to be checked by a professional.

I would suggest seeing a Physio (Fisio) in Pamplona.

Don't stress.
Many of us get injuries, and with the right 'professional' diagnosis and management continue on.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

If the pain is located on the far side of the affected knee, try wrapping a bandana around the knee in that area to see if that possibly helps.
Edited to add that @Robo above gives some good advice.

 

[trecile]

If the pain is on the outside of the knee it could be IT Band syndrome. This happened to me on the descent into Zubiri in 2019. I had no history of knee pain, and it came on suddenly. A peregrina in my albergue that afternoon suggested that I Google stretches and self massage techniques for IT Band syndrome. I'm happy to report that a few simple measures did the trick. Especially the self massage.

It has happened to me s couple of times at home - always when I start the descent after a long climb. After doing stretches and massage it's always gone away quickly.

 

[t2andreo]

I had chronic knee pain for my first five Caminos. I usually wore elastic support knee braces on both knees, applied Voltaren ointment each night before going to sleep and each morning, before starting out. I also learned to take Arthritis Strength Tylenol (Paracetamol) BEFORE I started walking each morning, because I knew my knees would start to hurt in an hour or so, so I took the pain medication in advance of the need. This got me through the walk on most days.

FYI - I obtained my knee support braces at a farmacia. They recommended a style and measured my knees for a proper fit.

If your pain is not a simple sprain or related to the stress of walking, do see an orthopedic doctor as soon as possible. All of the suggestions above are very good.

I would personally recommend that you start with a visit to a farmacia in Pamplona ASAP. Ask for direction to the nearest Centro de Salud - health clinic. You might also ask the pharmacist for a referral to a physiotherapist - as others have suggested.

You will find that pharmacists in Spain are closer to a Physician's Assistant. Their skill abnd knowledge levels surpasses that customarily found back in the US.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[dreamlifeawake]

If the pain is on the outside of the knee it could be IT Band syndrome. This happened to me on the descent into Zubiri in 2019. I had no history of knee pain, and it came on suddenly. A peregrina in my albergue that afternoon suggested that I Google stretches and self massage techniques for IT Band syndrome. I'm happy to report that a few simple measures did the trick. Especially the self massage.

It has happened to me s couple of times at home - always when I start the descent after a long climb. After doing stretches and massage it's always gone away quickly.

thank you!!! it is in the back of the knee just below the crease…. I have been icing and elevating. Do you mean on the outside on the side of the leg?

 

[trecile]

thank you!!! it is in the back of the knee just below the crease…. I have been icing and elevating. Do you mean on the outside on the side of the leg?

My pain was on the outside one the side. Not the back of my knee.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

My pain was on the outside one the side. Not the back of my knee.

Same for my son when he started out on the AT. It was on the outside of the knee; the IT band. Another hiker mentioned using the bandana tied around just above the knee, and it helped him a lot.

 

[dreamlifeawake]

I had chronic knee pain for my first five Caminos. I usually wore elastic support knee braces on both knees, applied Voltaren ointment each night before going to sleep and each morning, before starting out. I also learned to take Arthritis Strength Tylenol (Paracetamol) BEFORE I started walking each morning, because I knew my knees would start to hurt in an hour or so, so I took the pain medication in advance of the need. This got me through the walk on most days.

FYI - I obtained my knee support braces at a farmacia. They recommended a style and measured my knees for a proper fit.

If your pain is not a simple sprain or related to the stress of walking, do see an orthopedic doctor as soon as possible. All of the suggestions above are very good.

I would personally recommend that you start with a visit to a farmacia in Pamplona ASAP. Ask for direction to the nearest Centro de Salud - health clinic. You might also ask the pharmacist for a referral to a physiotherapist - as others have suggested.

You will find that pharmacists in Spain are closer to a Physician's Assistant. Their skill abnd knowledge levels surpasses that customarily found back in the US.

Hope this helps.

Tom

thank you!!! I appreciate it! I have an osteopath at home who recommended stretches and taping and will see how it feels tomorrow toward zabira. I am planning to take the road and if it is too uncomfortable will skip it altogether… It feels like a simple strain and is not excrutiating but of course I don’t want to compromise the whole walk to do this small part!

 

[dreamlifeawake]

Yep, downhills are where the damage occurs.

Seek medical help. Get a professional opinion.
It could be many things.
Maybe move forward to Pamplona to do so.

We can all share our various injuries and how we coped, but that is meaningless really.
We have no idea what your specific problem is.
And 99.5% of us are not medical professionals.

I could tell you how I manage knee pain,
But your particular injury needs to be checked by a professional.

I would suggest seeing a Physio (Fisio) in Pamplona.

Don't stress.
Many of us get injuries, and with the right 'professional' diagnosis and management continue on.

View attachment 157402

thank you!!! I will see how it feels tomorrow after rest and see someone in pamploma although I still have the idea of walking there… But I know to listen to my body

 

[Lleslie]

If the pain is located on the far side of the affected knee, try wrapping a bandana around the knee in that area to see if that possibly helps.
Edited to add that @Robo above gives some good advice.

I gave myself quite a chuckle reading Chrissy's suggestion as I thought she said a banana!!! - had to re read it, but thanks for the laugh

 

[JMac56]

Are you using hiking poles? They can take a lot of pressure off the knees if used properly. Buen Camino.

 

[nevinmann]

I have never had knee pain and my knee gave on the last hour from st jean pied de port to roncesvalles… This was yesterday. I walked 6k today and decided to rest to give it a chance to recover. Any advice appreciated! It hurts on the downhill!

Are you using hiking poles? They can take a lot of pressure off the knees if used properly. Buen Camino.

work on your thigh muscles and tendons. they hold the knee joint in alignment and when weak or inflamed, they may be causing instability. Also, try a band below the knee to add stability. Maybe a wrap that grips above and below the knee. Please report results.

 

[dreamlifeawake]

work on your thigh muscles and tendons. they hold the knee joint in alignment and when weak or inflamed, they may be causing instability. Also, try a band below the knee to add stability. Maybe a wrap that grips above and below the knee. Please report results.

thank you! I ended up seeing a dr this morning because my calf got enflamed and hot. She seems to think it is just the calf muscle with the possibility a bakers cyst burst though my symptoms are mild for a bakers cyst rupture. Another day rest and may bus to zubiri to skip the downhill and go slowly from there shipping my pack for now….

 

[t2andreo]

Relax! Let your body heal. Santiago will still be there when you finally arrive.

The journey IS the destination - enjoy and savor the journey. For most of us, it ends far too soon.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[dreamlifeawake]

thank you! I ended up seeing a dr this morning because my calf got enflamed and hot. She seems to think it is just the calf muscle with the possibility a bakers cyst burst though my symptoms are mild for a bakers cyst rupture. Another day rest and may bus to zubiri to skip the downhill and go slowly from there shipping my pack for now….

Relax! Let your body heal. Santiago will still be there when you finally arrive.

The journey IS the destination - enjoy and savor the journey. For most of us, it ends far too soon.

Hope this helps.

Tom

It does help… Even if I have to come back to finish!

 

[David Tallan]

I have never had knee pain and my knee gave on the last hour from st jean pied de port to roncesvalles… This was yesterday. I walked 6k today and decided to rest to give it a chance to recover. Any advice appreciated! It hurts on the downhill!

If you don't have poles, I would definitely get poles at your first opportunity. I didn't in 2016 and really regretted it. Some people find taping the knee helps (although if it is the calf instead of the knee, that will likely affect the taping advice)..

 

[dreamlifeawake]

If you don't have poles, I would definitely get poles at your first opportunity. I didn't in 2016 and really regretted it. Some people find taping the knee helps (although if it is the calf instead of the knee, that will likely affect the taping advice)..

thank you! I have poles and I think they are the only way I made it down! I will start walking slowly today and tape my knees. I strongly suspect a baker’s cyst that ruptured at this point so started in the knee. Also shipping my bag today and have a whole bunch of stuff I will ship to the end once I reach pamploma…

 

[Texas Walker]

I will throw one thought in that hasn't been mentioned. (Only because I had to come home early this year, after doing 1/3 of the Camino walk we had planned.) I got into problems because *I wasn't drinking enough water.*

I became pretty much unable to walk. Had to taxi to the train station in Caceres, then taxi to sleeping place from Atocha in Madrid, then taxi to airport on the correct day and ride in wheelchairs through all the airports. After getting home, spouse remembered what had been done in his HS years as a runner and had me elevate my sore leg above my head and keep it there. This, though miraculous, was only a partial fix.

When I finally got into the PT (Physio) office, the boss assessed me as "tendonitis and coming onto bursitis." Also informed me that I had the hamstrings of an 80 year old. Put me onto hamstring stretches immediately, 3x daily, and various strength exercises for the legs, variations of leg lifts in large part, which though I am done with my visits to the office I'm still doing. And all or most of this was because I allowed myself to become dehydrated.

I concur with the suggestion to get stretches instruction. And use the timer in your cell phone! Those first stretches he gave me were 5 minutes each, one straight for the hamstring and one spread out they called "gracilis." (I'm doing that one for both legs, to keep in reasonable balance.) 5 minutes is a long time, but it's worth it for the continuing improvement. I'd never be able to do the whole 5 minutes without using the timer.

BC

 

[dreamlifeawake]

I will throw one thought in that hasn't been mentioned. (Only because I had to come home early this year, after doing 1/3 of the Camino walk we had planned.) I got into problems because *I wasn't drinking enough water.*

I became pretty much unable to walk. Had to taxi to the train station in Caceres, then taxi to sleeping place from Atocha in Madrid, then taxi to airport on the correct day and ride in wheelchairs through all the airports. After getting home, spouse remembered what had been done in his HS years as a runner and had me elevate my sore leg above my head and keep it there. This, though miraculous, was only a partial fix.

When I finally got into the PT (Physio) office, the boss assessed me as "tendonitis and coming onto bursitis." Also informed me that I had the hamstrings of an 80 year old. Put me onto hamstring stretches immediately, 3x daily, and various strength exercises for the legs, variations of leg lifts in large part, which though I am done with my visits to the office I'm still doing. And all or most of this was because I allowed myself to become dehydrated.

I concur with the suggestion to get stretches instruction. And use the timer in your cell phone! Those first stretches he gave me were 5 minutes each, one straight for the hamstring and one spread out they called "gracilis." (I'm doing that one for both legs, to keep in reasonable balance.) 5 minutes is a long time, but it's worth it for the continuing improvement. I'd never be able to do the whole 5 minutes without using the timer.

BC

Thank you!!! Yes its funny how sinple things are what we really need most. Fortunately have had a fellow pilgrim insist I drink a lot and just woke up early, read your message, and drank more!

I felt I was improving and had a couple good days though slower shorter stretches and it got worse again yesterday. Found an amazing masseuse that worked out a lot of the tightness in my legs (and some energy behind it) as well as scolding me for not stretching properly. I was ready to take a week off and visit a friend in barcelona and then continue even if it means not finishing this time to give my leg a chance to heal. But will try walk today and see how it goes.

I did get a compression sleeve with a hole for the knee and it gave me false confidence that I think made it worse yesterday. Definitely learning to listen deeper to my body.

In pamplona which is a slow start but know its perfect and feeling so restored by the donativo albergues with their loving volunteers and guests.

And again thank you so much for sharing! It is making me take this more seriously.