Is my knee injured?

August 12, 2011 2:06 PM

Knee problem filter: I have just started noticing a slight problem with my left knee. It feels like a dull pain in the joint and is worse when i walk and move my leg up and down. I do a lot of spinning, elliptical and walking. I am 26 years old and female. -Is this serious? Should I see a doctor? -Is there anything I could do to make it worse? Types of activities I should avoid? -Any home care remedies that would help? Thanks! I appreciate your help!
posted by Equiprimordial to health & fitness (9 answers total)

See a doctor who can tell you exactly what the issue is and what to avoid; someone who specializes in sports medicine would probably be a good bet. My dad tells me that if he had looked into vague knee pain twenty years ago, he wouldn't have the knee problems he does today. It might be something really simple and correctable, but I wouldn't ignore it.
posted by corey flood at 2:10 PM on August 12, 2011

If you can see a doctor for free and conveniently, then do it! If you're American... well, sorry. heh.

I know exactly how you feel.

I do a lot of running, biking and other athletic things, and I went through this about a year ago. A nagging pain when I put it under pressure, particularly biking. It turned out that I'd just strained the muscle a bit, and after a month or two it went away on its own. My knee is great now... I didn't do anything differently. Just listen to your body, and don't push it too hard doing things that hurt it.

If you don't recall actually injuring it, and you're taking care of your joints, then from what you've described I'd say you're in the same boat I was, and you'll be okay. Just keep an eye on int.
posted by Stagger Lee at 2:12 PM on August 12, 2011

(Try different seat heights and settings for spinning and eliptical. I had a very annoying knee pain that went away entirely when I raised my bike seat and started biking in a broader variety of gears.)
posted by Frowner at 2:27 PM on August 12, 2011

Previously, my very similar question from a few months ago. I did go to the doctor, and it ended up being referred pain from my hip. I'm not at all suggesting this is the case with you, but it is worth getting checked out. Physical therapy is what made it go away in my case.
posted by desjardins at 2:27 PM on August 12, 2011

(Try different seat heights and settings for spinning and eliptical. I had a very annoying knee pain that went away entirely when I raised my bike seat and started biking in a broader variety of gears.)
posted by Frowner at 2:27 PM on August 12 [+] [!


Good catch.

Seat height. Your leg should be almost fully extended at the bottom of your rotation.

That's very important. But I stand by what I said anyway, a pulled muscle may only bother you when riding, biking can put a lot of strain on that muscle group.
posted by Stagger Lee at 2:42 PM on August 12, 2011

Home remedies: Ice your knee after exercising. (fill a styrofoam cup with water and keep in your freezer). Take Aleve.
posted by Obscure Reference at 3:46 PM on August 12, 2011

When I had recurring knee pain (that started out mild and was worse each time it came back) I eventually saw a physical therapist for a single session. He figured out what was wrong (my IT band and butt muscles were too tight and it was messing with my knee) and gave me two exercises to do daily. It was such a simple fix and I haven't had any knee pain since. I would definitely recommend seeing a physical therapist -- no point letting it get worse and suffering through it when it might be something very easy to deal with.
posted by ootandaboot at 4:15 PM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

Seconding ootandaboot's suggestion -- you can also see a sports massage therapist for that kind of work. I have occasional pain similar to what you describe in one of my knees and it's caused by a tight IT band. A good massage therapist can work on it, or you can do it yourself with a foam roller.
posted by telegraph at 8:02 PM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

Concur with ootandaboot and telegraph. I've recently been suffering from the same issue. When I crabbed at my chiro about it, he asked if I had been doing a lot of walking (I had been), then prodded along my IT band and TFL.

Once he scraped me off the ceiling, he suggested using either a foam roller or a hand held massager (I prefer the massager, personally) on the IT band and daily stretching for the TFL. This page explains the TFL and the stretching.
posted by MissySedai at 9:24 PM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]