aicabsolut

With little to no change in my bike setup, I think I've injured my left biceps femoris tendon. Anyone else have this problem and know what I can do about it? Do I need to see an orthopedist about this or can I rehab it myself with a massage therapist?

I noticed pain at the fibular head after a few rides recently, and it started to get worse. I'm running Look KEO Sprint pedals with the grey cleats. I haven't really changed my training habits. I took almost all of July off, but I've eased back into a routine. It took at least 6 weeks for the pain to show up.

On one ride when it started to hurt and I had a fair amount of climbing to do before I got back home, I tried pointing my toe more inward to use other hamstring muscles more. That seemed to help. Since my cleat was near the replacement point, I think it had worn such that I was riding too toed-out anyway. I changed cleats and the first ride at an easy pace felt fine. I went a little harder yesterday and threw in some more hills, and the pain came back. I don't want to change my cleat position much if at all, because they had been fine in this spot since I put the grey cleats on in May (I used red at first). I had to make a lot of fine adjustments when I first put them on, because my foot or knee would ache from feeling like I was fighting against the pedal to rotate to a natural position until I got them right. I don't want to start that all over again.

I've had to get ultrasound therapy and other physical therapy for the peroneal tendons in the other leg before. I don't know a good doctor or physical therapist here (I've moved). Do I need to find them? Thanks.

acid_rider

I recommend you check out Andy Pruitt book called Medical Guide For Cyclists.

It could be the Q-Factor or cleat angles or cleat float. Could also be saddle height.

save10

All you need to do is get a 5cc syringe, a 25G needle, .25ml of methylprednisone and .5ml of 1% lidocaine. Draw it up and inject just lateral to the tendon at the bicipital groove.

v1k1ng1001

I was running last year and developed a nasty case of this. The best thing to do is sit out for a few months. Maybe you can pick up swimming or something?

redirekib

Sign me up Doc.

aicabsolut

I'm thinking I strained it by doing a difficult ride while too toed-out due to the cleat wear. I might try rotating the cleat to be more toed-in for a little while so that I don't engage that hamstring as much and see if I start fighting against the outside of the shoe.

I did much more difficult training in May and June with the same bike setup and no pain. No pain in August. That's why I think it relates to going too long on a cleat that was unevenly worn (my stop/start foot, with a lot of rides through traffic).

Now that it's screwed up, what to do? I don't swim (or run). That's why I bike. Cycling and horseback riding were pretty much the only land activities my doctor approved after an ankle injury. And even then, he advised that I not wreck or fall off.

Do the steroid injections work for tendon injuries? My last orthopedist (I've moved) kept refusing to give me shots. Wait..that didn't sound right.

v1k1ng1001

The only thing I've ever found to work is two or three months of rest. Tendonitis in your hamstring is annoyingly persistent and painful. It will keep coming back until you rest it thoroughly. Running is not advised but I bet Yoga will speed your recovery.

Modo21

How did you end up sorting this out? Im experiencing what sounds like a similar issue and am a bit devastated as I’ve yet to figure it out.

merlinextraligh

192 months of rest should have taken care of it

shelbyfv

IIRC they had to amputate. Check the Adaptive Cycling section.

zandoval 

Still a basic therapy would be steroid Injection, rest, compression, physical therapy modalities...

This is a pretty common injury of those who walk down hill. Its called "loosing your down". That's why in San Francisco you occasionally see people walking down hill backwards. Of course now days they do much stranger things in SF...