Orthotics for cycling

[Yellow Fang]

It looks like I have runners knee again. I spoke to a someone from my club who seems to know quite a bit about it. I don't think she's a qualified physiotherapist, but she works at a physiotherapy centre where she helps treat people. She said, my ITB is tight, while one of the adductors on the other side of the knee has wasted. She told me some exercises. I wear orthotics in my running shoes, but I wonder whether I should wear them cycling. I think my knee bends slightly inwards when I cycling. I wonder whether orthotics would stop it doing that and force me to exercise the adductor more. I find using gym balls, foam rollers, and doing knee strengthening exercises a chore. Eventually I stop doing them and the injury comes back. If I could exercise the weak adductor while cycling, that would be great.

 

[MontyVeda]

knowing bugger all about fizzyohferrappea, when you say "I think my knee bends slightly inwards when I cycling" ... do you have clip-on pedals and how is it set up on the affected knee side?

 

[Baggy]

They probably won't help strengthen your adductors, but they might help your ITB and will help keep your knee in alignment through the pedal stroke.

I've recently started using off the shelf Spesh insoles and wedges to help an ongoing knee problem (I have orthotics for running and walking - overpronation is my problem) and they do seem to be helping. Cycling insoles and wedges control the pronation from the ball of the foot, my foot no longer feels as if it's sliding outwards and my knee isn't falling in towards the top tube.

 

[Broadside]

Adductors! The bain of my life for the past 5 weeks. I strained one of my small adductors at the top of my leg after a couple of long rides so I have been off my bike completely and it is doing my head in. I don't know precisely how I did it but I think it is a combination of factors and I am currently having physio to try and sort it out.

I have flat feet and my clipless shoes have very little in the way of arch support, I think it is this and the fact that my glutes need to be stronger has overworked and finally strained my adductor; when standing my knee bends and points slightly inwards. I got fitted for some orthotics last night so I am waiting for them to arrive.

With a 'good' leg the adductor shouldn't be doing a great deal of work apart from stabilising a bit of lateral movement. The point of my ramble is that I don't think you will improve adductor strength a great deal through cycling, you would be better off doing specific adductor strengthening exercises.

I've got some Theraband from the physio which is like a big piece of elastic, I put this around my knee and anchor it outside my knee then pull the leg inwards, this activates the adductor. You can achieve the same thing by sitting with the inside of your knee against a table leg and pushing your knee against it, though people might think you're a bit weird!

 

[Yellow Fang]

I hate messing about with strips of elastic and gym balls. Gym balls take up too much room. I'd rather have some straightforward exercise I can do. Maybe I'll give the table leg exercise a go.

 

[screenman]

Why not have a chat with Adrian Timmis.

 

[Yellow Fang]

They probably won't help strengthen your adductors, but they might help your ITB and will help keep your knee in alignment through the pedal stroke.

I've recently started using off the shelf Spesh insoles and wedges to help an ongoing knee problem (I have orthotics for running and walking - overpronation is my problem) and they do seem to be helping. Cycling insoles and wedges control the pronation from the ball of the foot, my foot no longer feels as if it's sliding outwards and my knee isn't falling in towards the top tube.

Interesting, I may have to invest in a pair of those too.

Why not have a chat with Adrian Timmis.

Who is Adrian Timmis?

 

[screenman]

Ex TDF rider.

http://www.cadencesport.co.uk/bikefit.php

 

[bennydorano]

Interesting thread, I went for my feet scan the other day, Orthotics due in a few weeks. Doc told me you'll know if they are going to help you within 6 weeks, put them in your walking shoes, cycling shoes, slippers whatever.

 

[Yellow Fang]

My knee seems to be getting somewhat better. I've put the Scholl arch supports in my normal shoes, which I use for everyday commuting. They come with three settings. You get two sets of plastic inserts. Setting 1 is the orthotics with no plastic insert, setting 2 is with the yellow insert, and setting 3 is with the pink inserts. They're slightly uncomfortable when walking. I put one set of old Dr Foot orthotics in my SPD shoes and I cycled 65 miles on Sunday. I seemed to suffer less of a reaction than the last longish cycle rides I've done. I've also been doing some adductor exercises, mainly standing on the bad leg and bending the knee so that it hovers over the other side of the little toe. I haven't been exercising as much though.