Velo…is it your knee that’s feeling sore
Posted on 24th October 2017 at 12:02
Velo Birmingham took place on the 24th September…a fantastic event and great for this city to host.
I’m sure there were plenty of people after with achy leg muscles as well as a sore neck or back but one very common issue that cyclists report is the issue of pain in and around the knee-cap. “Patello-femoral pain syndrome” or PFPS for short often presents with an achy sensation underneath or around the knee cap.
There are many reasons for why this can happen ranging from an imbalance of power and/or control of the muscles that sit at the front and back of the knee cap, to limited flexibility of the muscles that run from the hip to the knee, to limited ankle mobility and in particular with cyclists an incorrect bike set up.
Physiotherapy certainly has a role to play in helping with this issue. After a functional and biomechanical assessment helping to get some of the stiff muscles and joints moving better with some hands-on work should provide some quick short-term relief. However, getting the right programme of rehabilitation exercises, that help to progressively load the knee is the real winner in this situation. This is not a quick process and can take a minimum of 6-12 weeks to get right.
If you often get achy knees after or during cycling, it sounds like you need to get on top of this before it becomes a more consistent, chronic problem. Reaching for the foam roller on a regular basis is not the long-term answer!
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