[pct-l] Inflammation in the knees during PCT hike

[Jeffrey Olson]

Hi Andre:

Inflammation of the knees can have many causes.  However, one of the 
primary non-injury causes is tight hamstrings and glutes.  Yes, it may 
be the cause of your knee pain is tight buns!!!

I've been told this can happen to people of all body types, but is more 
likely to happen if you have large muscles - if you're a big or stocky 
guy or woman.  What happens is the tighter your hamstrings and gluteous 
maximi are, the more work your knees have to do they aren't designed to 
do.  I had this problem and went to a sports doc at the University of 
Washington who gave me two exercises that got rid of the problem.  A 
year later I was having foot pain, what I thought was plantar fascitis, 
and went back to him.  He asked how long I'd done the stretches, and I 
said about a month, and then before playing tennis and basketball.  He 
said that the cause of my foot pain was tight buns and thighs. 

It may or may not help to stretch, but won't hurt to try. 

The first exercise is to lie down on your back with your butt up against 
a wall, legs straight up.  :Your legs should be straight.  If they are 
not straight, move you butt back as many inchs as you need to straighten 
them.  It's ok to have a little bit of pain in your hams and butt, but 
not a lot.  You literally relax into this exercise and can feel your 
back loosen up as well as glutes and hamstrings.  Hang out and stare at 
the ceiling for five minutes or so, three or four times a day. 

The second exercise is a little bit more complicated.  Sit on the floor 
and cross one leg underneath the other so that the bottom of your foot 
tucks up against your butt. It should be fairly flat on the floor.  If 
it isn't, get a pillow and sit on it to do the exercise.  Take the other 
leg and put your foot flat on the floor on the top of your thigh side of 
the leg that's flat on the floor.  If you've got nice and loose leg 
muscles this leg that crosses over should be straight up and down.  If 
you have tight hamstrings and butt muscles, you won't be able to put 
your foot on the floor, let alone have your calf straight up and down.  
Do this three or four times a day, rotating right to left three times 
for each session. 

It takes about two weeks for the knee pain and inflammation to go away, 
if tight buns is your problem. 

Jeff, just Jeff... 

Andres C wrote:
> Anyone here experienced inflammation in the knees while hiking the PCT? 
> I know dumb question… but
> How did you deal with it? Take anti inflammatory pills and move along; stop at a town to have a doctor give you cortisone shot in the knee cap? 
> Am 25, but years of playing soccer and basketball, have taken a toll on my knees. Am pretty sure inflammation will be something I’ll have to deal with, either by taking pills or getting cortisone shots (if it gets bad enough).
> How did previous hikers deal with this type of injury?
> Is trying hiking 2,600 miles a good idea when you know your knees are bound to flare up?
>  
> dono.
>  
> Dre
>
>
>  
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