10 mile walk with painful knee

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I'm doing a charity walk next week and my knee has suddenly stopped working - lots of pain, sore to stand on and bend. I've had niggles in the past but this is much worse. Background is I'm in my fifties but very fit and healthy, a keen walker and had no qualms about the walk at all until the last few days - DH has suggested that I should pull out. But I think I can finish it with ibuprofen and a knee brace. AIBU? Anyone else been in this situation before? Thanks!

Get a really supportive elastic knee bandage. That should help. I often have a dodgy knee but with the bandage I can usually manage a good distance.

Is the walk on the flat or does it involve much ascent/descent? If it does then walking poles can help.

How challenging is the walk? I don't mean in terms of distance, but in terms of terrain - how much of it is on concrete? Are there any inclined surfaces? If it's a stroll on soft ground that is fairly level then I would be inclined (sorry no pun intended!) to push on through with a brace and painkillers. If not I would be worried about doing myself more of a mischief and would probably pull out and pay the sponsorship myself if it was affordable. Sorry to hear about your knee, I have perimenopause joint pain in my hips and it's the pits!

Thank you @5foot5. That's very reassuring and yes good idea I'll get a supportive elastic bandage. I have bought one but not sure its the right kind. It's all flat so should be ok without poles.

Thanks @Arlanymor it's all flat and mostly paved so I'm hoping not too challenging.

Sounds like you should be able to do it with a support then. Also there's no shame in not finishing if you find it too punishing, at least you will have given it a go. Good luck!

Hi OP, I damaged my Knee and pulled a ligament 5 weeks before a long trained for run a few years ago.

The best thing I did was go to the physio, who showed me how to tape it up. I managed the half marathon fully taped and swallowed some paracetemol half way around.

The taping was incredible.

Do you think you have inflamed tendons? Try ice and heat on it, alternating every ten minutes. Hot water bottle/bag of peas. This is what my osteo recommended.

Thanks @Ilovelowry I'm not sure I will have time to see a physio for taping but I will definitely look into that.

Alternating co codamol and ibuprofen got me through a 15 mile walk last weekend. I've been in absolute agony with sciatica which has left my back but taken over my leg now. Those two made the walk bearable.....I did pay for it the next day tho 😬

See if you can get some decent painkillers off your GP mine prescribed diazepam and codeine over the phone to get through the worst, be careful tho as you can end up doing more harm than good if you overdo it.

Lots of pain and hurts to bend sound like you should skip the walk. 10 miles could really fuck your knee.

Nope … mine started like that, similar age as well. I have 2 tears in my Cartilage, and a small one in my ligament, and waiting on surgery.

If you are starting with the same, and you do that walk .. no supportive bandage will work. You will be in pain, and make the situation worse.

look up Meniscus Tear

Thanks @ExtraOnions and @outerspacepotato food for thought.

Oh dear. It’s really not going to help your knee doing 10 miles on it. Think I’d agree with your partner.

I'd do it. Only 10 miles and on the flat? If you have walking poles, a knee support/tape and cushioned shoes/boots then I would be doing it if I were you.

But then I've run marathons on knackered and painful knees so I'm certainly not a sensible person to ask.

I recently had a burst cyst in my knee.

At my worst I could barely hobble the kids 10 minutes up the road let alone walk 10 miles.

How long until walk? Can you pull out last minute if you need to?

I'd suggest full daily dose of Ibuprofen for as long as you can before the walk. You need to take Ibuprofen as a "course" to really benefit from the anti inflammatory properties.

Get it checked out by a suitably qualified person before considering walking 10 miles on it. If they're happy you do it, maybe consider not taking painkillers - that pain is trying to tell you something.

Thanks all for the comments. I think I will try to see a physio this week for advice. But worried I won't be able to get an appointment but fingers crossed. I am tempted to do it but can pull out last-minute if I need to. I get the point about masking the pain with drugs - will have a think about that too.

I'd get to the bottom of why you're experiencing pain before embarking on ten mile walk.
You could do more damage.