Knee pain issues anyone?
 

The past couple weeks my right knee has been a bit painful to the extent I have been limping and supporting myself as much as possible to keep the weight off that leg.

As far as I know there was no incident that happened to cause this issue, although I did hurt that same knee a couple years ago but it wasn't anything that I sought medical attention for - the pain went away after a few weeks on it's own.

So - I was thinking of getting an X-ray of my knee for diagnostic purposes. There's a place here that will X-ray it and provide a report and the X-ray on a disc.

There's also an orthopedic doctor in town who can X-ray it in house.

I'm hoping whatever the issue is - it will go away with just some basic rehab....but without knowing what is causing the pain - it's hard to know.

I have been taking some Ibuprofen (Advil) and Naproxen sodium (Aleve), plus ice, heat, and just trying to rest the leg - which has helped.

I realize that pain in the knee can be caused by a variety of things but wanted to throw this out in case anyone has gone through something similar and would like to post their thoughts.

I talked to a buddy of mine who went through this and after getting his X-ray it was discovered he has 2 ligament tears and a small cyst and the doctor told him he could either rehab it or have surgery - he elected to rehab it and after a month the pain went away. That's what I am hoping for.

Had knee pain for about six months turned out to be a torn meniscus no idea how I did it Tuesday had surgery just sitting at home now rehab

You have to ask yourself, does it hurt in just one area, when I move it a certain way, when I straighten it, etc, etc, etc. If it were me I would have waited maybe a day or two then see the knee specialist and have them do the xrays or mri or ultrasound and figure what to do. You did not mention how old you are and if you are getting older then that can play a big part in it.....bone on bone issues!

My knee replacement surgeon said ice if it swells anywhere, heat pad for just pain and my tens machine twice a day if needed. My knee was rebuilt from hip (mine) bone in 1970 and lasted until 2010 when I got a nice man made one but I still get tendon pain some times, etc, etc.

BTDT, had surgery a couple of weeks ago

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1443910276.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1443910279.jpg

I had the same thing earlier this year. My knee cap (and areas around it) had swollen up pretty bad. I would wake up in the middle of the night with immense, sharp, stabbing pain. Ice helped as did a brace. I went to an specialist my doctor recommended for 'sports injuries' and after an X-Ray and MRI ($ ouch), he determined it was Patellar Tendonitis and some other syndrome. The fatty tissue behind my knee had taken a bad impact which caused all the surrounding tissues to become inflamed, pinch nerves, cause more pain, etc.

6 weeks of physical therapy three times per week and I've never been better. It aches from time to time but stretching and working the joint helps a lot.

You've got the right idea with next steps. Typically physical therapy/rehab helps with keeping the muscles strong and reduces risk of more trauma. If you've torn ligaments and require surgery it's a whole 'nother ball game. I wish you a speedy recovery either way.

Two things I recommend: Do all the diagnostics you can but don't let them cut to "have a look" with endoscopy. Sounds easy but always risky to operate. If there is nothing acute seen in xray/mri etc., WAIT. A lot of stuff goes away with time ...

G

+1 on this. I went to a physiotherapist when I got if I remember right movie goers knee. She printed out some exercises to do and I followed them to a t for a few weeks. Problem now gone. Cheaper and less painful route than surgery.....

Cheers, Guy

I had meniscus surgery about ten years ago. The doc told me I had the beginnings of arthritis.
Now my knee hurts all the time. I think knee replacement is in my future.

My knees have been making more noise when I stand up. In my case I have been spending more hours at my drum kit working on double kick drum rudiments. I figure it comes with the workout.

How old are you guys? I'm 48 and for most of my working life so far I have jobs that were notorious for giving you bad knees.

I am 69 and have been fortunate in having virtually perfect knees. I walk a lot. My weight is normal for my height namely 173 lbs. Just lucky I guess.

Thanks for all the posts and input so far...it's greatly appreciated!

My heating pad has really done wonders to relieve some of the pain! It's the kind you pop into the microwave for a few minutes to heat up.

I'm 61 years old and never had any joint issue before nor other major health issue...hopefully this will turn out to be something I can just rehab.

31 here. Too young for failing joints.

Mine was getting so bad that it would click/crack with every... single... step. Every now and then something would get dislodged and I wouldn't be able to move it; I had to sit down, lift my leg, and kind of shake it back and forth to get it to move right again.

Plain xray may not tell much. Can see gross bony abnormalities and the bony changes of arthritis. Plain X-rays cannot directly see meniscus, ligament and tendon injuries. If pain is persistent I would get an Mir so you truly know what is going on. Then decide if rest, rehab or surgery is indicated. Make an informed decision.
Gary

The surgeon that did my shoulder had a xray machine in the back office. Kinda cool as it was private practice, and he did not share offices with other md's. My insurance does not require authorization on x rays. They will give you a CD right after the images are taken, and a report to follow within a couple business days. Same with Mri's, and ct.

Any swelling?

If you know a good athletic trainer, they know the differences between ACL/MCL/Meniscus just by feel.

Baz, as much as you are probably crawling around, your knees probably need some attentions. Get knee pads if you don't already use them. Ask around for the best knee guy you can find and have him do some scans. And yes some PT may fix it, but if a doc says you need surgery, don't put it off. Your knees are pretty vital parts of your legs!

Just a reminder to get a second opinion before any surgery, mate.

Please keep us posted. I think some of us are in the same predicament. ;)

_

Baz,

I've had good luck smearing Icey Hot on my knees when they hurt. I think it works by being an irritant that brings blood to the area, which seems to be helpful for the pains I get.

Wash your hands real good after putting it on- you don't want to touch any sensitive parts with the stuff by accident, like your eyes or...

That is exactly what happened to my right knee. Torn meniscus. It's painfull when it locks up.

I had knee surgery when I was in college, and it has bugged me on and off ever since.

90% of the problems faded away when I was swimming regularly- Building strength with no impact.

what kind of pain?

does it hurt going up or down stairs? any crepitus (the clicking)?

man, i hope it isnt Gout. good luck. in my experience, an x-ray shows very little to help diagnose knee pain. my doc said it shows, bone spacing..whatever that means.

THis.

Ive had problems in both knees, couldn't drive, couldn't get down the stairs, moved like a 90 yo.

Both times it was tendon, ligament muscular, both times fixed with some deep manipulation and specialist exercises. Good as new with a maintenance stretch and exercise regime.

Baz- find a good Osteopath - they do soft tissue and skeletal- before you go down the surgery route. They seem to be very good at diagnosis, and they will send you off on the surgery route if you need it.

Similar to what happened to me. I had run all my life until an IT band injury and it appeared to be meniscus tear.

It flared up in late 2012 after the Festival of Speed in San Diego. I was taking photos and doing a lot of kneeling. I could not walk or get up for two days due to the pain. After eating a ton of Motrin I finally got to my GP who recommended an orthopedic surgeon.

This surgeon got the pain under control and did all the diagnostics on my knee.

What turned out to be the solution was the surgeon's insistence on a detailed evaluation by a Physical Therapist.

After four months of PT, some shoe arch supports the old nagging knee pain has disappeared. I found the PT worked for me. The surgeon did detect a minor medial tear but said it would heal as the joints all worked out.

Now it is my dang back.

Family history of arthritic problems. PT, meloxicam- only short term.

Quick update......

First - THANK YOU to all who posted responses. I will keep all of this useful info on hand going forward.

Second - sorry for those who have or am suffering from knee issues. I never thought having a knee issue would impact my lifestyle so much - man it really does!

Third - after a weekend of rest and some rehab efforts...the knee/leg is feeling much better and I even got some work done this morning without any big issues. I'm going to try and take it easy this week and see what happens before going to any medical provider.

I will keep you posted with any further developments - I may have dodged a bullet sorta-speak.

Again - my thanks for your input and supportive posts!

I have had complex meniscus tears in both knees. One I had cleaned out by arthroscopic and the other calmed down on its own.

The x-ray provides as noted, bone spacing and/or compartment compression. It will show how much or how little cartilage you have left between your knee and leg and whether you are bone on bone. That's where I'm at, but the pain amazingly according to my Dr is not really that bad for me.

Usually when you are getting comfort from heat, it kind of points towards arthritis which is pretty common once past 50.

Good luck.

About 4 months ago I was advised that, due to arthritis in both knees, they should be replaced. Since that time I've lost about 15 lbs and I can't tell you how much the pain has subsided. I am planning on taking more off.
FWIW, if you are a bit heavy, consider taking off that weight & it may be the answer.

Had a meniscus surgery on left knee about 15 years ago. Messed it up at my second autocross.



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1359240874.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1359240915.jpg





I have a torn meniscus on right knee now according to MRI.
I will not get it cut, as I now believe it leads to bone on bone and ka-nee replacement. Cortisone and PT are my friends.

Believe it or not a cortisone shot will lower the temperature of the skin on my knee about 7 degrees.

Get an MRI, find out what the problemo is, and then figure out what to do about it.

It is advisable to have surgery as early as possible. I completely replaced my left knee in 2014, and I still want to know why I waited so long for two days after the operation to have fewer knees than before the operation. Just be sure to follow all instructions, including physical therapy, and never ignore it.

There are so many different parts of the knee that can have pain.

This thread is just a few years old. I think Baz's knee issue is long gone or he's learned to live with it.

Wow - my 7 year old thread shows back up!

Well FWIW my knees are doing just fine and I never needed any doctoring aside from just doing what I could at home.

Now there are also CBD products to help with joint pain, but I'm happy to report I haven't needed any for quite a while now.

That old adage...use it or lose it. Riding my bike almost every day!

I my left knee has recently given me some grief and it was never the trouble maker the right one had been.
It seems that I was keeping my foot too square to the ball when golfing and that flaring it out to the left a bit limits the rotational force on the lead knee... Golfers knee. Apparently the second most common golf injury.
My right knee has been pretty clicky recently too... That one has a couple of skiing injuries in the past.