# Knee Pain



## arsenic0

So did my first day yesterday, it was epic...

But within an hour or two i started to get pretty bad pain in my knee's. I always tend to get it while snowboarding, i just have to make a cautious effort to keep my knee's bent and not so tense...but even doing that it started to hurt...
Obviously i dont want to ruin my knee's before im 30...so any ideas? I was thinking of picking up a supportive Knee brace at the pharmacy or something and putting it on.

It sucks to have to stop because my knee's hurt when the rest of my body isnt tired...im not sure if its something that will just slowly go away as i get back into the movements or not..god i hope so...


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## tomtom88

Picking up a knee brace isn't a bad idea, it could possibly alleviate any pain you have. I'd say it's worth the $5-$20 depending on what you get.


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## arsenic0

Thats what i was thinking..i mean i could just pop an Aleve or something every time before i go up....but thats not really good for you lol..


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## tomtom88

It also isn't helping the issue, it's hiding it.


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## boarderaholic

Are your bindings adjusted properly to suit your needs? I found that most knee pain typically happened when I whacked out my binding angles to something like 21/-18 or something like that at an obnoxiously wide stance for my frame. Try strengthening exercises as well, it's typically not the greatest idea to rely on a brace, seeing as it's more of a crutch than a proper tool. And the biggest thing of all, get that knee checked out, there could be something more going on than a bit of soreness.


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## Guest

I have a torn ACL in my right knee. I wear a $1500 knee brace when I ride. When it starts to hurt I usually resort to the Tylenol approach. Def not good for you, but sometimes you just do what you gotta do.


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## CaptT

Look into PT if you can...mine stresses that strong hips make strong knees.....don't mess around if you can afford to do something about it, you only have your body once.


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## YanTheMan

Definitely see a doctor about it. You never know, something could be wrong with it and it can only get worse. 
Other than that, supportive insoles may help, Several excersizes to strengthen your leg muscles (Things like single leg squats, working on technique and proper form without weight.) I agree finding a comfier stance may help. 

Do you ever get pain doing anything else? Hiking... long walks anything of the sort?


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## arsenic0

It could be my stance, i did adjust it a bit this season...trying to remember what i had it set too last season..doh...

And no i dont get sore knee's doing any other physical activity, walking, stairs, working out, outright sprinting..nothin..

I gotta mess with my stance some, maybe bring it in a notch as i am not riding totally whacked out angles..i think -12/9 or something like that...which is close..i remember riding -12/12 last year for most of the season..

Honestly i think it has more to do with not eating the bounces properly with my knee's, i am probably fighting it too much and putting pressure down on my foot rather than absorbing it all...its not a pain that sticks around either..or is bad enough i cant go on..within the minute or two ride up the lift its mostly better...it just snowballs eventually where i gotta stop for an extra few minutes...


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## Dano

I'd try a mellow stance angle, ie) +12/-5. Another thing may be your boots. I know with running shoes for example, after I put a certain # of Km on them, the cushioning starts to go and I get a pain in my left knee. I don't know if you're constantly stomping landings or riding hard, but if you have older boots and the cushioning in the soles has worn out, than it's your joints (ie. Knees) absorbing that repetitive shock. How do they hold up during regular exercise?


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## iKimshi

YanTheMan said:


> Definitely see a doctor about it. You never know, something could be wrong with it and it can only get worse.


Yea this is what I recommend. I remember during one game of my high school soccer games it felt as though I twisted my ankle and afterwards though I should just ice it. But after a while the pain and swelling didn't go away and the doctor told me I tore a ligament in my ankle. So definitely see the doctor if the pain is still there.


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## DC5R

IMO, go see a doctor and get it examined first. It won't hurt to have the reassurance nothing is wrong. Also, narrow down your stance so it's about shoulder width (maybe a little bit more). Last year I widened my stance out a little too much and I ended up with sore knees as well. Since then, I've been playing with my stance and found that a slightly wider than shoulder width stance *worked for me*.


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## NYCboarder

Just my 2 cents. Im in school for physical therapy. Knee braces off the shelf "OTC" may help. But it is not specifically designed for you. It is made for the general pop.

Also if you wear a knee brace often, It will eventually lead to increased instability in the joint over time. Also you will be come dependent on it and if you happen to forget it one day it may lead to a serious injury. 

Since it is the begining of the season the knee pain may be due to the fact that you have not been in this position for a whole year. I wear a knee brace when my knee hurts but I won't wear it all day, nor will I continue to wear it everytime i ride. Bc if it is a persistant problem you should see a doctor to see what is going on inside the knee.


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## Gnarly

It could be Iliotibial Band Syndrome or Patella Femoral Syndrome. Both can be aggrivated by having your stance too wide. Go see the doctor after you ride and he'll be able to tell if it's either PTFS or ITBS.


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## arsenic0

Yea i am sure its just me being out of shape, its literally not anything that is debilitating...it goes away just by not being strapped in going down hill..mostly just putting the pressure on it going downhill in the pow...

Even though it was short i did ride fairly hard on Thursday lol...i think i did like 7 runs in an hour off MHE...and with all that pow you couldnt stop me from going again lol.

Thanks for all the info!


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## Dano

Depending on how used your boots are, llike I posted earlier they could be getting worn out causing the knees to absorb more shock. Then again, it could be anything


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## danielle

Knee pain sucks. I have a runners knee in my right knee, it sucks. Go to a doc, a brace can help but do see a doctor, you need your knees to last a lifetime.


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## Burgerboy

It's been mentioned before but you really need to see a doctor and get it checked. If you do have something wrong with your knee it's better to catch it early and take action then to leave it until it becomes serious. I wrote my knee pain off as my being out of shape and now I've got torn cartillage and a small hole in the cartillage under my knee.


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## Guest

i've been getting knee pain lately from driving (right leg). it works itself over to snowboarding. i think it might be some degenerative issues what with me sitting all day in an office and then coming home to sit on the couch the rest of it. might not be the same thing as you have, but you could have an early onset of arthritis and swelling. though i'd chalk it up to be like me and not getting any kind of exercise on the knee for extended periods of time.


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## carsbybigd

I get that also[pain in the knee while driving]It begins on the outside and back of my knee.I was told I have a bit of arthritis in it also[I just injured it...sprain at work so doing the PT is helping] Good Luck....do see a doc then worry about the stance/boots.


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## clubmyke

Could be a number of things. Would suggest looking at your stance. 

If you are bow legged - check into canted bindings (made a world of difference for me).


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## visibleinks

This is an older thread but simliar to my story. Snowboarding has been hard on my knees. I've had knee pain off an on for 2 years. I really thought it was from me getting old (I'm 33) but I had my first day on a mountain last week and my knees were really bothering me. Plus gym stuff has been really bothering my knees as well. (basketball, boxing, cardio, weights)

Saw my doctor (currently have insurance which is a great thing) She said I have runners knee (even though I don't run). Basically I have pain walking up and down stairs. And very loud cracking/popping sounds. 

She've having me do physical therapy (I start next week) - and she wants me to get custom orthotics made (foot inserts). I'm going to lay off snowboarding for a bit while I try to get my knees in better shape. Also I think I'm going to narrow my stance (it seems to help my knees).


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