# Pain on outside of knee



## WasabiCanuck (Apr 29, 2015)

I'm starting to get pain on the outside of my back knee. I'm sorry I don't know the name of that ligament. I ride regular so it is my right knee. Never had any pain in that knee before. I don't ride super aggressive but I have started doing small jumps on the groomers.

I have been riding the same stance all season, but this pain has started on my last 2 riding days. A guy at the local shop said this can happen sometimes if your boots are too stiff. I have soft boots and I've had them for a long time. The only thing that has changed is I have new bindings but I had this pain with the old bindings too.

It is a small pain now but I want to fix it before it becomes a bigger problem. I figure I need to adjust my stance but I'm not sure what to adjust, width or angle.

My angles are duck 15/-15 and my stance is pretty average width I think. I'm 5'11" BTW. Not sure how to measure stance width. Is it inside binding to inside binding? I'm guessing that my stance is too wide, I will narrow it next time out. I also might go to 12/-12.

I'm just wondering if anyone else had this problem and how did they fix it.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

We use center of bindings to measure. Try 15/-9 or something like that. The outer leg ligament is LCL.


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## WasabiCanuck (Apr 29, 2015)

So what is a good stance width for a guy 5'11"? I have shorter legs BTW. Jeans I wear usually have 30 inch pant length.


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## WasabiCanuck (Apr 29, 2015)

Argo said:


> We use center of bindings to measure. Try 15/-9 or something like that. The outer leg ligament is LCL.


I like to ride switch a bit so I want to stick to a twin duck stance.


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

WasabiCanuck said:


> I like to ride switch a bit so I want to stick to a twin duck stance.


Are you counter rotating a lot. is your pelvis inline with the board?


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## WasabiCanuck (Apr 29, 2015)

speedjason said:


> Are you counter rotating a lot. is your pelvis inline with the board?


No I don't think I'm counter-rotating. I can carve blues no problem and this pain is recent. It's freaking me out a little, that LCL ligament is still sore in my knee from Saturday. I gotta fix this fast.


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

WasabiCanuck said:


> No I don't think I'm counter-rotating. I can carve blues no problem and this pain is recent. It's freaking me out a little, that LCL ligament is still sore in my knee from Saturday. I gotta fix this fast.


Try different angles. Bigger or smaller.
I have always used 15 but I just started using 18 and its much more comfortable for me.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

WasabiCanuck said:


> I like to ride switch a bit so I want to stick to a twin duck stance.


Shouldn't matter. It will help alignment but not throw you off. Not sure where the myth of equal degrees makes the switch riding better comes from. Regardless of angle it is learned body mechanic's and ergonomics is for comfort.


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## Nerozor (Dec 2, 2011)

Not sure if I can speak for snowboarding, but for skwaaaaaaaaats, the wider stance, the more angle you would need in order to make the hip and knee's stay in correct and healthiest position. 
I'd asume its similar with snowboarding. 

Also try to walk more on your toes to strengthen ur legs/knee's. 
?


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## SGboarder (Jun 24, 2012)

Argo said:


> Shouldn't matter. It will help alignment but not throw you off. Not sure where the myth of equal degrees makes the switch riding better comes from. Regardless of angle it is learned body mechanic's and ergonomics is for comfort.


^^^ This. No point going full twin duck with equal degrees for somebody who hardly rides switch.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

Even if you ride switch alot, you don't need to have equal stance. You need to have the right stance for you and your body's alignment.


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## dave785 (Jan 21, 2016)

Sounds like it's the insertion point for your hammies.

Go to the gym. Get on the leg curl machine (the one where you lay on your stomach and have the weight on your ankles and use your legs to move the weight from your ankles to your ass). Put on a moderate weight (like 150ish?) do 10 reps and try rotating your ankles through different angles to see if that's what it is. If it hurts a lot then get some dancer's pads. 

If none of that hurts then do the exact same thing with calf raises... although those usually aren't at the back of the knee. Sometimes pain can drift away from the source though.

Try changing around the angle of your foot. I'm not talking about the +15/-15... I mean try having a different side of your foot as the contact point for the board. Look into "dancer's pads." You can buy them for $10 on amazon. You're probably scraping a tendon because you're too flatfooted with a wide stance. 


Disclaimer: this is all broscience.


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