i have a sore tendon

August 22, 2007 5:49 PM

i often get soreness at the back of my knee, almost every day. what do i do?

ill put it all down in fact form, make of it what you can:
- i get stiffness, mostly at night, at the central back of the knee where the tendons join the hamstring
- it is not painful, just uncomfortable like a mild cramp, and sometimes more severe cramp
- when it is worst, if i sit with the left leg extended and stretch over the leg i can slowly feel the tings as the tendons extend
- my left foot is bigger than my right
- my dad is elderly but gets what i interpret as the same issue
- i used to do a lot of cycling and when i stretched a lot i still got stiffness there
- i don't smoke
- if i walk a lot it comes on strong at night
- i don't drink enough water during the day

posted by edtut to health & fitness (3 comments total)

My mom has something similar. While you should go see a doctor and get your own diagnosis, hers was diagnosed as a Baker's Cyst.
posted by BuddhaBelly at 6:37 PM on August 22, 2007

Except for feeling the "tings as the tendons extend," I've had similar symptoms that turned out to be superficial blood clots (not deep vein thrombosis).

Most likely, it's not a blood clot, but I really recommend getting it checked out and having an ultrasound to rule out a clot. The swelling in one foot seems a bit problematic.

IANAD, but I've had 2 minor clots (it turns out I have a hereditary condition called the Factor 5 Leiden mutation that makes me more likely to clot than the average Joe) and my symptoms sound similar to yours.
posted by altcountryman at 7:55 PM on August 22, 2007

See a doctor, obviously, because clots can't be ruled out until you do.

But then, if that checks out, you may have to cast about for an answer because it could be so many things. I have sciatica that sometimes presents in a similar matter, and it's very frustrating because what feels for all the world like a problem in the back of my knee is just freaky nerve activity, which means there's not a damn thing I can do about it, though icing my back where the sciatica originates will sometimes help. I would say see your GP to rule out anything time-sensitive, and then maybe get a referral to a sports medicine specialist.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:19 PM on August 22, 2007