Knee pain and stirrups

[rmh_rider]

matryoshka I will try this for sure. Thanks! That is really interesting on the manes going from one side to the other.

Peeps, et al

Find a chiro by word of mouth. I would suggest getting adjusted before your ride, then you will see if it works or if it is different. It may work it may take a few more adjustments. In my words: it depends on if you keep messing yourself up. As to whether you need to keep going back. Some pop right in, some that have been bad for a long time take more time and more adjustments to make it hold. I am not sure I have figured out what exactly I do to mess myself up and go out. If so I would quit whatever it is. It just doesn’t go off like a light bulb, but takes until night time or the next day or two for me to be in a world of hurt.

I do think my RMH horse and her gait IS helping alot. Her gait seems to loosen me up in my upper back. I am totally perplexed about this. Why. Who knows. As a longtime endurance rider and almost forever trotter, of course I am trying to troubleshoot and figure out why. It may have to do with movement. Trotters can wiggle at the walk and trot, but my gaited horse doesn’t have that type wiggle at the walk due to a lateral gait, nor a wiggle at a faster speed either.

Keep us posted. Oh the stirrups in the link AlfalfaGirl are really neat looking. What a great idea.

[matryoshka]

Chiro adjustments don’t necessarily hold, especially if the misalignment is long standing. Or, as in my case, the supporting muscles and ligaments have been damaged. You can cause your pelvis to go out of alignment just by resting one leg and letting the hip sag.

Chiro is great for finding out where your problems are and getting the biggies taken care of. Beyond that, it’s good to learn how to help yourself. There’s a guy here who posts occasionally about rider injuries–I’ll have to look up his web site (his user name is Medical Mike). It’s important to find out what excersises to do for your particular problem to keep yourself strong and healthy. Core strengthening exercises are essential for riders. We tend to lose core strength during pregnancy.

These days I can do most of the regular maintenance stuff myself; ie, scapula (over-use from being a trimmer), mid spine (injury from a fall), and pelvis myself. I go to the chiropractor when my back gets torqued by an unruly horse (my chiro is a sweet man who will fit me into his schedule when I get injured), and I go to an cranio-sacral guy for subtle adjustments on a regular basis. Because of this three-part plan, I’m in a lot less pain on a daily basis than I have been in 20 years.

I agree that it is best to find a chiro through a friend. They aren’t all the same, they don’t all listen to you, and some do adjustments that you adamantly do not want despite what you say. Talk to others who go to a chiro and see what they say.

[Equibrit]

Knee and foot pain are nothing to do with stirrups. It has more to do with correct saddle fit and where your body is carrying your weight. That is why SADDLE FIT IS SO IMPORTANT. But what the hell - drugs and equipment are a much easier answer.

[mzpeepers]

@Equibrit;4417645

Knee and foot pain are nothing to do with stirrups. It has more to do with correct saddle fit and where your body is carrying your weight. That is why SADDLE FIT IS SO IMPORTANT. But what the hell - drugs and equipment are a much easier answer.

Well, that was uncalled for.
Saddle fit is important? Duh! Really? Who’d have thunk?
Drugs and equipment are certainly not the answer to every problem but they can help and at my age with all the wear and tear my body endured over the years I’ll take any help I can get.

I’ll give the chiro route a go. Perhaps get a massage as well?

[Equibrit]

@mzpeepers;4406194

suggestions are most welcome.

It was called for.

[goeslikestink]

[QUOTE=Equibrit;4417645]
Knee and foot pain are nothing to do with stirrups. It has more to do with correct saddle fit and where your body is carrying your weight. That is why SADDLE FIT IS SO IMPORTANT. But what the hell - drugs and equipment are a much easier answer.[/QUOTE]

exactly and having the correct lenght of stirrups also helps and if you ride centrally position position position

[mzpeepers]

How did it happen that one moment I was asking about stirrups and the next I’m hearing that my saddle doesn’t fit, my stirrup lenght is wrong and my position must suck otherwise I wouldn’t have knee pain riding mile after mile at a sustained pace? :eek::lol:

I’m close to 50yrs old, I’ve been riding since I was 6, Did the jumpers for years, evented, did (and still do) dressage and do a bit of endurance. My back is out of whack (degenerative disc disease) so I’m even more aware of position because the last thing I want to do is screw up my horse. For the same reason, I’m a saddle fitting nazi. I’m also pretty sure that after well over 40 years, my knees are a bit worn, hence the stirrup question. I’m not opposed to chiro care, I had a very bad experience with a bone cruncher who sent me to emergency so I’m a bit leery but I’m happy to look into it more if it helps. Stretches before and after riding are part of my routine. Ibuprofen is my best friend, I don’t think that any amount of saddle fitting can change that but, hey, may be I’m just a whiner.

Thanks for the good input and the suggestions in terms of both stirrups and looking more into chiropractor care.

[matryoshka]

What I need from a saddle is for it to help me stay mounted after my right leg stops working. If I’m in the saddle enough, I have to grab that ankle with my hand to get my leg over the horse’s rump to dismount. So I need a saddle I can count on. I like a western fender to support the weak leg, and without turning my stirrups, my knees would be in agony from the torque. BTW, I won’t ride a horse in a saddle that doesn’t fit that horse. The question is whether the saddle that fits the horse will work for me given my issues.

So the right equipment is a big deal to those of us with restricted range of motion due to age or injury. A saddle can fit my conformation perfectly and still cause me agony because it does not support my bad hip. I know this because I had a saddle that fit me very well before I was injured. Now I can’t even look at it without remembering how bad it hurts to ride in it. As far as I’m concerned, dressage saddles are torture devices.

I’ve recently tried riding English again because I love the feel of those saddles, especially on a TB horse. My leg didn’t go numb, which was encouraging (I had a nice big knee block to keep the leg in the correct position–woo hoo!). The days of pain in my hip afterward were frustrating and disappointing. That’s the state I was in continually before I figured out what I needed from a saddle; ie support rather than comfort.

I agree that riding in a saddle that doesn’t fit can cause a rider unnecessary pain. But sometimes pain is inevitable, and then we look for equipment that helps ease the pain. I don’t like to take pain meds because they help me push past the point where I should stop, but if it is the difference between riding well and riding crooked because of pain, I’ll take the meds.

[BayHorseUK]

I’m afraid I don’t entirely agree that knee pain has nothing to do with stirrups. I severely damaged the cartilege in both knees 15 years ago and the best-fitting saddle in the world wouldn’t alleviate the pain that traditional stirrups cause me on hacks or cross country rides. Whilst I agree that alignment and saddle fit should be the first place to look, it’s not negligent to turn to a good pair of stirrups to accommodate existing injuries. In my case, I swear by HS Bow Balance Stirrups, which finally allowed me to ride out, if not pain-free then at least with a tolerable level of discomfort.

[system]

Hi

I have read your topic. What’s useful innformation for my job.
I do agree with you. Those are the most effective way
have a blessed day

[rmh_rider]

Hi Peeps and Matryoshk,

After mowing the pastures over the past week, I had to go to the chiro this morning. My right leg was a good inch longer than the left one. My pelvis was out, my neck was messed up too. All from being bucked around on the tractor for so many hours. Hey you lean under a branch, and the tractor seems to find a root, or a hole, or a rock, and it bounces you around.

I will email with you two off board. I am not comfortable publishing my injuries, and certain specific details.

Peeps make sure before any chiro touches you that you get an xray. That way he/she can see what is up, out or crooked. When the chiro initially xrayed me I had a low right pelvis (basically I was sitting on my right butt way more than the other one, thus I had ALOT more weight in my foot, and knee) then my spine curved to the left, and the neck went to the right to compensate and make my balance even out. I had many ribs out too. No I do not have scoliosis. No wonder it was difficult to impossible to touch the floor in all the yoga classes with the palms of my hands! Also I have not been able to do any sit ups either. Now I can. I am elated.

Either before or after the adjustments I take ibp, and I will ice whatever is sore. But not so much lately, I am trying to not to take any meds. I get very sleepy after the adjustment, kinda like a relief from the pain.

I ride english only. The leathers curve more easily. I also ride in a Solstice, which I have already mentioned before. Works for me. I also have two horses that both fit with my body very well. Not all do.

OBTW My lower back is rarely if ever is sore. Go figure. It was always my upper back where my spine curved, and my knee was horribly sore. I could barely walk at times. Even went to the ortho about it, he said drugs and ice. Then I started to get horrible pain in my left knee also. I was unconsciously trying to fix my body position when I rode. And all the time, it was a conformational issue on my part. Not the saddle, not the stirrups, not the padding, not my position. It was due to life. I am riding in the same exact saddle. No pain. So for me, it was not the saddle fit, nor the stirrups, nor my position. Nor was it my weight, or height, which is 5’5 and 140#'s - no lie. I am quite fit for a little old lady of 47! Whoops too much detail.

[Backstage]

I have limited knowledge of anything about knees, but for the last few years I found that I often had pain in my right knee while riding. Nothing extreme, just discomfort. I took up running over the summer and did a running clinic. During one of the early stretch talks, I learned about the IT band (it runs down the outside of your leg to your knee) and realized how tight my IT band was and that those stretches were by far the most beneficial for me - both in running and riding. It took me a few weeks to see the connection but when I’m running regularly (and thus stretching regularly, including my IT band), I don’t have hardly any discomfort in my knee. I have no idea if this is your issue, but something to consider. There are lots of IT band stretching and strengthening exercises out there.

[busterwells]

Okay, so I never thought about this until I read this thread…

I was having horrible knee pain last year, when I dismounted off my horse my knees would almost buckle underneath me and had some serious pain, it was horrible. Well in the last year, I have had no knee pain and have been riding more than I ever had. I attributed it to having a better position and seat. But now that I think of it, I did get a new saddle a year ago and wahlah, I have no more knee pain. Hmmmmmm, just dawned on me now!!! Maybe its the saddle.

[matryoshka]

rmh_rider, I’m 45. I can tell you that my aches have to do with mileage and injury rather than age. I’m more fit now than I was 10 years ago. I’ve also racked up a few more injuries. Drat!

busterwells, I have no doubt that the wrong saddle can cause problems for a rider. Glad your issues have worked out for you!