I have been excitedly gearing up for the winter/spring swim season. But several weeks ago, at the tail end of a workout I was swimming some hard IMs and about 10 yards into breaststroke, at the snap of a kick, my right knee hurt like hell. I was unable to continue, and locking my knee was briefly impossible. The pain lasted about 10 minutes, then went away.
Today, it happened again, but worse. Same sudden grinding pain, but a few hours later I am limping and afraid that I may go down if weight lands on my right knee the wrong way. The pain seems to be seated below (that is toward the bottom of, but also underneath) my kneecap. I'm icing it, and I am hoping it will go away tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
Has anyone ever had this experience? I have never had a problem with my knees, ever. I'm 54, and so far no muscle/skeletal difficulties of any other sort. Both times it happened at least an hour into my swim, and both times it was when I was swimming especially hard.
I swim IM a lot in workouts, because it's fun, but I am not much of a breaststroker. My best strokes are fly and free. So laying off the breaststroke in practice would be an inconvenience, but not nearly so much as hobbling around.
I will welcome any anecdote, insight or guidance. Thanks.
After some online research, this sounds like what the knee pain folks seem to call "fat pad impingement," or "Hoffa's Syndrome." I'm hoping the latter will not result in my body never being found.
Impingement, anyone?
Hey Red,
I had some significant pain in both knees last year which, after seeing an ortho-dude, turned out to be bone on bone osteoarthritis. I'm 64 now. Got a series of 3 shots in each knee of Euflexxa (synthetic synovial fluid) last year and have had pretty good results, significantly less pain. I’d strongly suggest a visit to an orthopedist for a consultation before it gets worse since it won’t get better on its own, if it’s a similar condition.
Jim, thanks so much for your reply. Was beginning to think I was some bizarre outlier.
Your response was very helpful. I will take your advice in coming weeks. For pressing work reasons I recently put off the cardiologist AND the urologist, so I guess the orthopedist will have to get in line...
Recent workouts have been unremarkable, but there is still a sort of "trick" thing lurking in my right knee, and I have not swum breaststroke hard since. Clearly, appropriate medical input is needed. Nonetheless, it really helps to have a compatriot's experienced advice. Thanks again.
Hey Red,
I had some significant pain in both knees last year which, after seeing an ortho-dude, turned out to be bone on bone osteoarthritis. I'm 64 now. Got a series of 3 shots in each knee of Euflexxa (synthetic synovial fluid) last year and have had pretty good results, significantly less pain. I’d strongly suggest a visit to an orthopedist for a consultation before it gets worse since it won’t get better on its own, if it’s a similar condition.
I had never heard of "swimmers knee" until I hurt my knee while running a couple of years ago and was searching for some remedies online. In my case it was an MCL injury. It kept me from running for sure, but it also hurt like a mother when breaststroking. Among swimmers, it's most common, or usually occurs as a result of breaststroke (the kick).
www.physioroom.com/.../2swimmersknee.php
Dan
They talk about improper technique,and that surely is an issue,but even proper technique takes it's toll over the years.I think of swimming BR kick as like throwing a baseball, a motion that naturally puts unusual stress on a joint. for this reason I have established a "pitch count" for BR kick.I do about 60 strokes BR in warmup,starting slowly and then getting up to 200 pace.In the workout I never kick more than 85 BR kicks total(my ideal stroke count for 200 LCM).The rest of my BR swims are as BR pull/dolphin kick with fins. Also, for a month after my last SCM meet I will swim no BR kick at all,to let my knees "lie fallow."
I had never heard of "swimmers knee" until I hurt my knee while running a couple of years ago and was searching for some remedies online. In my case it was an MCL injury. It kept me from running for sure, but it also hurt like a mother when breaststroking. Among swimmers, it's most common, or usually occurs as a result of breaststroke (the kick).
www.physioroom.com/.../2swimmersknee.php
Dan
