Please note: If you are currently in treatment, please continue to follow your physio’s advice. This blog post contains general advice & should not replace an individual treatment plan.
The Injury
The Cause
Remember that the knee is effectively a hinge between the hip and the ankle. It’s very rare that the problem actually originates with the knee itself.
Injury occurs when there is ‘mal-tracking’ of the patella in the femoral groove and a chronic stimulation of the pain nerves in the surrounding area.
The ‘mal-tracking’ may be due to a number of factors such as the alignment of your leg, and abnormal muscle forces. Poor strength and flexibility in the hips, hamstrings and quadriceps have all been shown to contribute to this problem.
However, training errors are the primary culprit. This can include an accelerated build-up of mileage, as well as excessive high-intensity cycling or hill work.
A seat that is too low, riding for too long in big gears and cleats that are angled inwards can overload the knee and result in injury.