Referred pain typically does not cause neurological changes such as weakness and decreased sensation. A radiculopathy specifically refers to nerve damage. The nerves that innervate your muscles and skin correspond to certain areas on your body. The saphenous nerve runs down the inner part of the knee and shin and across the top of the ankle. Pain may be felt on the inside of the knee, the patellar tendon, or the ankle.
Riders think they have a knee problem when actually it is the nerve.
The sciatic nerve typically causes problems at the piriformis muscle in the buttock, posterior knee, and the ankle. Once the sciatic nerve gets to the knee it splits into the common peroneal and tibial nerve which both supply the lower leg. Do not forget nerve runs through fascia and muscle and can get bound down in the tissue causing pain and loss of flexibility. Poor foot position and support can cause pain, which causes the body to move differently. Eventually the knee and hip become affected and then the back.