UKC

So with the weather so bad, i ventured inside to train today. Was working a route on about a 40 degree overhang.. with a really close in heel hook, which you have to pull really hard with, and almost rock up on to. It feels really desperate, and involves a lot of flexibility in your hips to allow the heel to be weighted.. In the process of going for the next hold, my knee makes the most horrid popping/crunching noise.. felt as if my whole lower leg had shifted/twisted.
So I fall off.. swear a lot.. but i can still walk on it - but it is swelling up good and proper now.. flexion and extension of the lower leg at the knee is not painful, but any form of twisting is a no go, the whole joint now feels very unstable...
Has anyone else experienced such a pain in a heel hook position? any idea what it could be and how long until it feels strong again... any tips on how to avoid it in the future would be much appreciated..

In reply to boulderingwannabe: sounds like it might have dislocated then went back in again on it's own - might be worth a quick xray to be safe?

hope you get better soon, whatever it turns out to be.

In reply to Adders: wowsers.. now thats not a reply i was expecting.. have you experienced it too?

In reply to boulderingwannabe:

I've 'popped' knees in similar ways to this several times. It hurts. If it swells a lot, it may be that the sinovial fluid has leaked out of the sack it lives in (Housemaid's knee). This in itself wasn't that painful. Not sure on the best plan for your particular injury, but I will say that it is quite likely to happen again unless you are careful and build it up to strength slowly (may take several months).

In reply to Monk: thanks for the reply.. i have felt something similar before but nothing as bad as this... am icing it now - and its getting stiffer by the second!

In reply to boulderingwannabe: bf had a dislocated knee after rocking over at indoor wall - but you could see his facing teh wrong way then it popped back into position 10 seconds later.

I'm no doctor so i am more than likely wrong at diagnosing yours mate.

In reply to Adders: eugh.. that sounds horrendous... mine remained facing the same way luckily hopefully good old rice treatment will see the recovery quick.. but may get it checked... thanks again for your reply.. i hope yours is fully recovered now!

In reply to boulderingwannabe:

I know it's tempting to rest and use it, but honestly do go easy on it. Mine happened several times within a couple of years. Now I have learnt what it feels like when it is about to go, and how to avoid it (for example I avoid really deep egyptians on that knee), but it has never been the same since I first did it. May be worth getting it checked by a sports physio.

In reply to Monk: i will do thanks again...

In reply to boulderingwannabe:
With knees I have heard that if it swells up straight away it's pretty serious and you need to get it checked out.

In reply to boulderingwannabe:

I have had problems with ligaments in my knees, not sure if its the same treatment but I rested for around 3-5 days taking pain killers and biofreeze, and slowly started working it again.

Best advice go see a quack or physio, they generally know what they are doing! And don't push it so hard next time; learn how far you can push it!

In reply to glasto_mudd: wow you took bio freeze.. must have tasted awful! Thanks for the advice everyone, will be up to the docs 1st thing in the morning...

In reply to boulderingwannabe:

If your knee swells following an injury it is often a sign of an internal trauma to the joint. In your case, a possible meniscal tear. If you press along the inside of your knee joint is it painful? Best bet if it is feeling unstable is to go get yourself an MRI (Not that expensive now days), or atleast have it examined by an experienced physiotherapist. Unfortunately, don't always trust your local GP with musculoskeletal conditions.

In reply to boulderingwannabe: I had a similar incident about 3 months ago. Loud pop from knee when climbing, no pain but swelled up later. Probably a cartledge or meniscus injury.
Best to get it checked out and seek professional advice.

In reply to boulderingwannabe: seems to be a few others out there that have done this too.. sat infront of the telly now with ice pack.. will be heading to docs in the morning.. thanks for all the comments today - slightly sadistic but makes me feel slightly better that im not the only one to have done this climbing.. guess for a while - i'll be working on my campusing!! cheers everyone.. merry christmas!

In reply to boulderingwannabe:

<THREAD HIJACK>

I bust my knee a while back while crashing a BMX (drunk...) and with the cold weather it's got worse, I'm going to see a physiotherapist after Christmas but until then can anybody tell me whats up with my knee?

with my leg straightened my right knee cap can move much more freely than the left (the right knee is the bust one). Pain seems to come and go but it hurts more when I put pressure on a bent knee e.g walking down stairs (opposite of a normal meniscus tear).

In reply to psykx: you sound a bit like me - hoping the population of UKclimbing can solve an injury.. we both know that the professionals are the way forward... as words can't heal it any quicker sadly!! Yours does sound like a cartilage issue.. hope it feels better.. you could be like santa and take the chimney instead of the stairs - until you see your physio!!

In reply to boulderingwannabe:

(I'm a bit of a geek)

I've looked it up I think it's Patellofemoral Stress Syndrome (Runner's Knee) as I have had tight hamstring and calves for years, I've recently let yoga fall by the way side and I have all the other symptoms, if stretching three times a day over Christmas works I'll let you know.

In reply to boulderingwannabe:

have you seen this www.yourdiagnosis.com

In reply to psykx: Thanks.. i'm always dubious about those sites though!!

In reply to psykx:
Is this a serious reply if so complete rubbish. See a good physio first-up. Sounds one of, or possibly more, of the terrible triad.

In reply to boulderingwannabe: does not sound like you have dislocated the knee sounds more like ligament damage as you still have flexion and extension and it feels unstable as the ligaments stablize the joint, i would go and see a doc or a physio of some sort
good luck mate

In reply to woodybenwood:

the mcl & Lcl are the ligaments on both sides of the knee. the mcl being the most common of the two which are injured

Google kneeguru , good site with alot of info .

In reply to boulderingwannabe: sililar thing happened to me before while laybacking but foot was in a horizontal break with a massive whip crack noise. There was a big pop and my lower leg was hanging flimsy at a jaunty angle, i tried to moved it and it popped back again but felt really weak and floppy. Climbed a bit more the ret of the day, but carefully. After a day or two of keeping an eye on it, it was back to normal.
Now i sometimes (very rarely) feel twinges in my knee on big awkward egyptians and odd groove moves and know to go careful.
i hope its the same thign!