what's up with my knees?

May 4, 2005 9:47 PM

In the past couple of years, whenever I go to certain movie theaters, after the show my knees hurt a little afterward. They also feel a little precarious, like the ligaments are stretched out and they might just decide to bend backwards. What do I need to do to ensure that I continue walking on my own for the next 50-60 years?

The pain is not severe and goes away within a few minutes. For now. It seems to be just a little more scary each time. I am flat-footed. I usually try to wear arch supports. I'm not a runner, but I do enjoy dancing a bit.

A little googling has yielded information on pre-patellar bursitis (apparently caused by kneeling and/or the front of the knee being rubbed wrong, and I have been kneeling lately) and patellofemoral syndrome (PFS - kneecap sliding slightly to the side, caused by the way one's knees/legs/feet are put together). They seem to be vaguely related (descriptions of both refer to "housemaid's knee"), so please forgive if I've got them confused below.

The information I've been able to find about the bursitis -- also known as housemaid's knee -- seems mainly about acute flare-ups, mentions taking ibuprofen etc., and says it should go away soon. It always does, and that's great, but it's still alarming. What if it's worse in 25 years and I forget to pay attention when standing up after a show - will I fall and break a hip or something?

Info about the second condition, PFS, specifically mentions the syndrome's "theater sign" and says it may be noticed after getting up from a theater seat or by secretaries. It also refers to itself as "housemaid's knee" or "secretaries' knee", so maybe it's related to the other.

Treatment for PFS seems to consist of "Selective strengthening of the inner portion of the quadriceps muscle" . Does anyone know if this actually works? What about over the long term?

I'm in a show right now where I do a fair amount of kneeling, but I've been pretty careful about always using knee pads. Is this not good enough? And I was having the "theater sign" even before I was doing much kneeling.

I know if (probably when) I go to a doctor, I'll get sent for physical therapy and told a lot of vague stuff. Does anyone here have experience with a problem like this?

One more thing - my grandmother had both knees replaced, but I associated her problems with the fact that she was a bit overweight. I'm not (well, maybe five pounds, but not really).

posted by amtho to health & fitness (14 comments total)

The only comment I would make is that in both the short and long term, having strong muscles around weak or injured joints will provide some measure of protection. In case you want some futher reading, this is a pretty good overview.
posted by peacay at 9:59 PM on May 4, 2005

I haven't been to the cinema for about twelve years, in part because of this. I'm still walking - a lot. It's just cramped knees. You are most likely suffering from the same thing.
posted by TimothyMason at 10:27 PM on May 4, 2005

I don't think it's "cramped" knees, probably -- I neglected to mention that I'm only 5'3" tall; I'm wondering if part of the cause could be that when I'm in my seat, my feet don't sit firmly on the ground.
posted by amtho at 10:57 PM on May 4, 2005

We humans spend a fair amount of time sitting, other chairs leave you wobbly as well? At the first mention of theater seats, I just groaned.. I don't think I've ever been in a theater seat that was well designed, it's not just the seat height, it's the entire geometry and cushioning.

I had a form of bursitis for a little while, it consisted of a burning sensation and some pain in a rather indistinct location. The root of the pain seemed to be at the base, but it spread up both the front and rear side of my kneecap. It went away with time, hot/cold treatment, and ibuprofen, like any irritation. I don't recall any unsteadiness, or at least anything more than my body giving me a hint that I shouldn't put stress on it.

Staying flexible, and maintaining equilibrium in your muscles is the only advice I could offer from my experiences. I had a lot of hamstring problems, and my sports medicine doc told me it could have been partially caused by my disproportionately powerful quads. I could do 240+ lbs on leg extension, but only around 70 on curls, one part of my body could have been basically writing checks another part couldn't cash.
posted by Jack Karaoke at 11:27 PM on May 4, 2005

I think hypochondria should be more of a concern for you than any specific knee problem. Minor pains like this are really nothing to lose sleep over. I say this with the best of intentions, even if I can't help sounding like a smart aleck.
posted by randomstriker at 1:00 AM on May 5, 2005

Geeze that was helpful randomstriker.

Treatment for PFS seems to consist of "Selective strengthening of the inner portion of the quadriceps muscle" . Does anyone know if this actually works? What about over the long term?

Yes it works. The best treatment is specific quadriceps muscle exercises to improve the stability of the kneecap. Also glucosamine 1000mg's per day combined with any of the over the counter anti-inflammatories increases the health of the cartilage on the back of the kneecap and reduces the pain that inhibits the quadriceps muscle when you stand up from sitting. Provided you keep the muscle strong you should be fine. Try to choose chairs at home that place your knee at a 90 degree angle or less. Theater chairs are usually too low, they will cause you pain but no damage (unless you take to sitting in one all the time)

What if it's worse in 25 years and I forget to pay attention when standing up after a show - will I fall and break a hip or something?"

Keep strong and it won't happen. Watch your bone density studies after the age of 50. Walking is better than cycling because you need weight bearing exercise to maintain bone density.

Also make sure you have a high quality calcium and protein intake, such as whey powder.
posted by lucien at 1:49 AM on May 5, 2005

Ride a bike, it is great for strengthening the quad muscles and stabilizing the knee joint. Use low gears and spin high cadences. And stay out of movie theaters.
posted by fixedgear at 3:03 AM on May 5, 2005

I am about the same height as you, amtho, and have the same experience in movie theaters. I do think it is because our legs aren't quite long enough to comfortably rest our feet on the ground. It must put a bit of stress on our knees. It happens in airplanes, too, if I don't put my feet on my bag on the floor.
posted by naturesgreatestmiracle at 5:20 AM on May 5, 2005

I have read and recommend The Knee Crisis Handbook.
posted by MLIS at 6:33 AM on May 5, 2005

I've struggled with bursitis of the knee, and in my experience strengthening the muscles around the knees have made all the difference in the world. I did it by playing soccer, but biking or plain old boring running would probably work as well.
posted by trox at 6:49 AM on May 5, 2005

I have this too! I called it Movie Theatre Knee, didn't know others had the same problem. For the record I'm 5'3".
posted by agregoli at 7:39 AM on May 5, 2005

This might not have anything to do with it, but you might want to make sure you're wearing the right kind of shoes. I was recently breaking in a new pair of shoes that was a little bit too small, and my muscles seemed to tense up in my legs while I was sitting -- this made me seem a little stiff when I got up at the end of the film.
posted by mikeh at 2:53 PM on May 5, 2005

I'd try bringing something you can put on the ground to support your feet. They make supports for this purpose for business environments. I suppose a couple of phone books could do the trick.

A general strengthening program is always a good idea. Leg extensions are the key exercise. Cut out whatever it is that is causing you to kneel so much, and/or buy kneepads.
posted by Manjusri at 4:20 PM on May 5, 2005

Wow. Maybe it's height. I am 5'3" and hate going to movies (and long plane rides) because of the pain in my knees. I know I have arthritis, but long spells of sitting when my feet don't comfortably touch the floor just kill me.

It was so funny (read intriguing) to read other people at my (exact) same height with the same problem.
posted by thinkdink at 10:05 PM on May 5, 2005