Is this my knee Problem??

[Josh Calhoun]

hey everyone, my knees have bothered me for a while now. been training for my thru hike starting Feb the 16th. i have been trying to figure it out and i am wondering if this might be the cause. i have 3 shoes i wear on a regular basis. my run around shoes have the Orange superfeet in them " high arch". my hiking shoes has the Blue Superfeet in them " Low arch". and my work boots that i wear 8+ hrs a work day has no superfeet " no arch".

could this be a problem why my knees are always a little sore? maybe my body cant get used to all of the different postures of my feet?

[Pedaling Fool]

I doubt it has anything to do with footwear. People are too quick to blame equipment when they experience pain and discomfort. My knee pains, especially my right knee, are from too much cycling without proper build up, period. Yet, if I open a thread on a cycling forum asking the cause, so many people will metion bike fit, pedal "float" (clipless pedals), seat height, nutrition.... the list goes on. But the fact is it almost always comes down to simple conditioning, period.

Since I've come to this understanding I've focused in on how I train, not giving one consideration to my footwear or bike fit. And the only time I have knee issues is when I really over do it, which I do from time to time, despite the fact that I preach so much about taking it easy...I need to practice what I preach more often, but that's another thread...

[Chuckie V]

John is right. It almost always comes down to basic all-round conditioning. That said, footwear can certainly affect your knees and hips and so on, but usually this happens when wearing the same (wrong) pair over and over, which can lead to less overall adaptation and less strength in the feet, which in turn could place undue stress on anything above them. In other words, when a knee hurts, it's worth looking at other considerations than the knee itself. Are you overweight? Do you do any strengthening exercises or basic conditioning? Do you have bad pronation of the feet? A leg length discrepancy? Tight hips? Tight quads? Weak vastus medialis's? Have you suffered any sort of acute injury in the past?

Body parts never work in isolation and everyone has a "weak link" in theirs somewhere. The best recipe I've found for knees revolves around keeping the medial quadriceps strong and the lateral quads supple. Seated leg extensions can be a godsend, but they might also add to the risk right now. There are lots of factors to consider, but by strengthening any known (or unknown!) weak links, the knees will benefit, as John alludes to.

[leaftye]

Like the others said, it may be a muscle balance issue. Changing up your training occasionally should allow the focus to shift to other muscles and bring things back into balance. Tightness can do the same thing since it's often lopsided. Spending time on a foam roller and doing some yoga stretches should help you identify and fix problem areas.

[Drybones]

I dont know if shoes make a difference on the knees when walking but they did for me running. Knees used to kill me when I tried to run, finnally listened to the wife (rare occassion) and bought some good running shoes, knees stopped hurting. I will note that I have torn cartilage that I may, or may not have had at that time.

[Spirit Walker]

Overdevelopment of some muscles, underdevelopment of others can cause your kneecap to track wrong. One thing that can help knees get stronger and more balanced is to do various kinds of leg lifts - front, side, behind, etc. Stretching can also help. Are you doing a lot of stairstepping? That can put stress on the knees. Look up exercises for 'runners knee'.

[rocketsocks]

Overdevelopment of some muscles, underdevelopment of others can cause your kneecap to track wrong. One thing that can help knees get stronger and more balanced is to do various kinds of leg lifts - front, side, behind, etc. Stretching can also help. Are you doing a lot of stairstepping? That can put stress on the knees. Look up exercises for 'runners knee'.

It's those little stabilizer muscles.....they freaking hurt! http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ing-one-can-do

here's a good article that John Gault post in another thread, and while it doesn't deal with the knees specifically...it's a great article with some insight.

[Steve Jennette]

I read an article recently that said most "non-tear" (miniscus, ACL, etc) knee issues stem from ITB problems. Not sure how to spell it, think it is illio tibia band (?). I am just coming off such an injury, and they are nasty! After total rest for 3 weeks, then PT twice a week for a month, had to go to the "nuclear option" of a steroid shot before the thing finally settled down. I did learn that most of us ultra runners/hikers need to spend more time strengthening our glutes than we tend to do. And, of course, flexibility (especially hamstrings) is critical. Livestrong.com, Mayo's web site, and lots of other sites have great articles on knee and itb injuries. Good luck!

[Carl Calson]

i had issues with my IT Band while on the trail. basic stretches helped me out IMMENSELY.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliotibial_band_syndrome

http://www.itbs.info/html/stretches.html

[topshelf]

you should really look to consider eliminating all the different types of soles. Your foot only has one arch type, not three. This may cause your foot to step or pronate in ways not normal to your stride when you have the 2 improper soles in. This can cause your stabilizer muscles to get fatigued and then you increase pounding on joints, knees and shins. Dont be suprised if shin splints dont start to show up if things dont change.

Get the right sole for your foot type
Be sure to do a well rounded workout routine, give your lower body days off. or spend more days on a bike, or swimming in the pool.
Consider taking a joint supplement to help lubricate and repair tissue in your knees.

[prain4u]

you should really look to consider eliminating all the different types of soles. Your foot only has one arch type, not three. This may cause your foot to step or pronate in ways not normal to your stride when you have the 2 improper soles in. This can cause your stabilizer muscles to get fatigued and then you increase pounding on joints, knees and shins. Dont be suprised if shin splints dont start to show up if things dont change.

Get the right sole for your foot type
Be sure to do a well rounded workout routine, give your lower body days off. or spend more days on a bike, or swimming in the pool.
Consider taking a joint supplement to help lubricate and repair tissue in your knees.

I agree with this post--especially the part about eliminating the three different kinds of shoes with three different degrees of arch support.

I am also going to suggest something that I am surprised no one else has mentioned---GET THE KNEE CHECKED OUT BY A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL BEFORE YOU START YOUR THRU HIKE. Who knows--maybe you have a problem that can/should be corrected before you attempt to walk nearly 2,200 miles. (There may be a simple solution which will help make your thru hike successful and less painful).

[topshelf]

I agree with this post--especially the part about eliminating the three different kinds of shoes with three different degrees of arch support.

I am also going to suggest something that I am surprised no one else has mentioned---GET THE KNEE CHECKED OUT BY A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL BEFORE YOU START YOUR THRU HIKE. Who knows--maybe you have a problem that can/should be corrected before you attempt to walk nearly 2,200 miles. (There may be a simple solution which will help make your thru hike successful and less painful).

A DOCTOR??, ha. you really should have a full check up anyway

[ever4ward]

you should really look to consider eliminating all the different types of soles. Your foot only has one arch type, not three. This may cause your foot to step or pronate in ways not normal to your stride when you have the 2 improper soles in. This can cause your stabilizer muscles to get fatigued and then you increase pounding on joints, knees and shins. Dont be suprised if shin splints dont start to show up if things dont change.

Get the right sole for your foot type
Be sure to do a well rounded workout routine, give your lower body days off. or spend more days on a bike, or swimming in the pool.
Consider taking a joint supplement to help lubricate and repair tissue in your knees.

Get rid of the shoes altogether! Walk or run barefoot on nice grass to strengthen all of the back, leg and foot muscles naturally. Then buy the lightest most flexible hiking shoe that will work for you. Soccer fields and golf courses have really nice big grassy areas. The answer is yes, one or all of your shoes can cause knee pain. IT is most likely source of pain but not only possible source. Good luck!