Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Knee pain from hiking: trekking poles

I know this topic has been discussed here before, but I hope those of you who had knee pain helped by trekking poles can help me.

I have been hiking for 20 years and the accumulated pounding on the knees is starting to take its toll. I'm 39, but after a hike of 15 or more miles over steep terrain I inevitably get really bad knee pain. When I'm going downhill the pain is a tendinitis type of pain with a sharp, terrible pain every time I take a step. I just suck it up and hike with pain, sometimes really awful pain. Doctors have never been able to treat it, besides telling me to wear knee braces, ice the knee and do stretching. They say it's chronic tendinitis and that the human knee isn't designed to take the pounding from hiking. That's not much of an answer IMO.

I've tried trekking poles but they are next to impossible for me to use. A machinery accident I had in 1992 made it so my left hand is missing the thumb, forefinger and most of the ring finger. So gripping a trekking pole is next to impossible for me. Without a thumb, you can't get a solid grip. However, in the past 3 months I've been practicing with holding the poles and using them on flat surfaces. I haven't tried them hiking yet. I guess if I practiced over the winter I can train myself to use at least one staff or pole.

My question is, I know trekking poles work by taking the pounding off your knees. Have any of you had significant knee pain over many years that lessened or disappeared with the use of trekking poles? Are they really as good as the "hype?" Also, have any of you had knee replacements? Maybe that's an option.

Dear Cakie, I also have knee pain and I would not be able to enjoy hiking if it were not for my hiking poles. They are almost like an extra pair of legs. I also wear knee braces. I've tried all sorts including the velcro wrap with the hole for your knee. Even the gentle support of an ace bandage is helpful but the easiest to use and also the least ****y looking are those velcro bands that you tighten around the leg under the kneecap. Sometimes the most comfortable way to use the poles especially going down a steep hill is to cup the top of the pole (ski pole type - not cane handle type) in the palm of the hand and put a lot of weight on the pole. I'm sorry about your left hand, but even one pole will make your hiking more enjoyable. Also, my 90 year old uncle has had 2 knee replacements and he's spry as a goat. You may be too young to get one yet. I hope you will learn to use the poles and enjoy many more years of hiking.

Cakie-

you should be able to use trekking poles by tightening the wrist strap so that it bears most of the weight and thereby takes the strain off of your fingers and thumb. If that doesn't work, try using a velcro strap to help hold the pole. You should be able to figure out something that works. Since poles take several pounds off of every footstep, it should help your knees. If you don't want to pay for trekking poles, just experiment with some ski poles to see if it helps you.

cakie

have you tried those knee straps that go just under the knee caps? these apparently put mild pressure on the patella tendons and helps alleviate strain. i used them for whitney and had no knee stress.

it may be your knees are too far gone for these to help on steep terrain but maybe for milder nature walks they could help.

Cakie - I also have knee pain and know exactly what you are talking about. When it flares up, it feels like a nail through the front of the knee just below the kneecap. I have done a number of things that have helped including poles. My pain has been greatly reduced, but I don't know how much is due to poles and how much to everything else. Here is everything that I do to relieve the pain:

1. Stretch the thigh and hamstring muscles daily.
2. Strengthen the thigh muscles with the exercise bike. The nice thing about the bike is that the knee is under less pressure compared to the leg press.
3. Take glucosamine 3000 mg. daily.
4. Before hiking, take 2 Alieve. Alieve lasts longer than Advil or Motran.
5. Use 2 poles.
6. Wear Cho-Pat straps on both knees.
7. Take short steps on the downhill. No more bounding downhill.
8. Ice the knees when the hike is over. Ice is your best friend.

I saw an orthopedic surgeon. His diagnosis was synovitis. That is, the thin synovial lining of the knee joint is inflammed due to overuse. The goal is to surpress the inflammatory response. He also x-rayed the knees to rule out arthritis.

Good luck!!

I'm sure I'm going back to the very simplistic things, but I figure I'd bring these up just in case...

* Increase distance and elevation gradually over time. (Just like a runner)
* Do exercises to increase your quad and hamstring muscles - squats, if you can do them without pain, are fabulous - otherwise look up ways to strengthen your legs (front and back - it's important to be balanced to reduce the pressure on the knees).
* Cross train - give your hiking muscles a break and strengthen others. I do martial arts and run (and running does indeed use the muscles differently)
* Hiking poles are fabulous - I like the suggestions for velcro - or ask a sports store or your doctor how you can better adapt them.
* Try to pack lighter - wear lighter boots... Anything you can do to reduce weight will help the knees.
* And my least favorite - when your knees really start to hurt, rest. I have managed to avoid knee injuries from hiking for a while (first time I did Whitney I was in agony) - but due to accident in a martial arts class, I damaged my knee again recently. I think my family is about to shoot me, but I am managing to stay off my leg as much as I can, using ice, and Advil (1200 mg), and in another day or two I will slowly start my exercise program again.

I'm presently seeing a sports medicine physical therapist for my right knee. I had just climbed 5 peaks in Nevada over a 6 day period of time when I made a misstep on some moving talus and felt sharp stabbing pain in my right knee. Now, I had been wearing a Cho-pat strap as I had been having pain in that same knee for a good part of the summer but the Cho-pat strap held the pain in check. When I got home, I had the knee checked out and found out I had a medial minicus tear but not severe enough to require surgery. My PT is having me do exercises that will strengthen the muscles, ligaments and tendons that protect the knee as well as the ankles.

Both Richard and Tucker offer good advice and I will apply a couple of the things they suggest in my own situation. I can tell you this, without trekking poles, I would still be up on that mountain because they made all the difference in helping me to drop over 3000 feet over terrain with no trail and mainly talus. I never leave home without them but knee problems can really take the pleasure out of hiking.

I've done about 100 peaks in the past 16 months including Shasta, Hood, Boundary, and the like so hiking and climbing is all I care about doing. I broke my hand while climbing the MR in August and had to turn back just below Iceberg Lake but at least I could still walk. The knee can stop you completely so seek the proper medical advice and start making whatever effort is required to protect and strengthen them. I'm 64 and I plan on doing this another 20 years but I want to have healthy knees, that's why I'll always use trekking poles. Good luck in your efforts.

Cakie:

You might want to investigate the type of pole with a T-handle or even a tall ice-axe. The grip on these are more dependent on the palm of the hand than the thumb. I also find that in many cases, they are even more supportive since it is more like gripping a bannister and you can apply leverage with the palm/whole hand.

I, too, find poles take the stress off the knees.

Hope you find a solution.

Thanks to all of you for your helpful and thoughtful suggestions.

I always wear knee straps, either Cho-pats or the other type that is black and compresses the patella. They helped a great deal over the years and enabled me to hike without significant pain, though always a little pain.

But ever since I did back to back Whitneys in August, my knees just never recovered. I think I did too much, though I've done back to back Whitney hikes over the years when I was younger.

I will really try to use the techniques suggested here in order to master the trekking poles. Thanks to all.

Try taking Glucosamine and Condrotin. They're available at most drug stores.