Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with knee

Why does my knee hurt at night?

sarajane — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:09:33 -0800

Yet another knee pain question. This time while sleeping. I've had pain in my right knee for a couple of months now. Finally went to the orthopedist last month, who basically told me that I weigh too much (yes, I do, at 300 lbs) and it would continue to hurt until I lost some weight and to take Aleve and glucosamine. He did take xrays and I do have a small arthritic spur in that area. The pain seems to emanate from just below the kneecap on the inside of my knee and that area is quite tender when pressed upon. Needless to say, I wasn't thrilled at the prognosis of having to wait a few months for relief, while I lost some weight.

I am fully willing accept 85% of the pain is due to my excess weight and I am working on that, however the pain continues at night when I am sleeping, often waking me up. I do sleep with a big pillow between my knees to cushion the inner knee area.

Anyone had anything similar? Should I get a second opinion? Yes, I do know YANMD.

Ah hurt mah knee. Please hope.

the littlest brussels sprout — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:52:39 -0800

Yesterday I started having sudden sharp pain and stiffness in my left knee, above and around the kneecap. I suspect I injured it doing squats and lunges (with bad form) the night before. Could it get better on its own, if I rest for a few days? Or should I see a doctor (and what kind)? Details:
- It only hurts when I bend it, e.g., if I am sitting in a chair or walking down stairs. It does not hurt when I walk, or go up stairs.
- I had exercised around 5 pm, but my knee seemed normal until around 10 am the next day.
- I'm in my mid-twenties and otherwise healthy.
- I'm a dedicated exerciser. I have worked out 30 - 60 mins on most days for the past decade. Normally I do not do lunges or squats because of tight quads, but I have been incorporating them into my routine over the past month or so. I don't think I know how to do them properly; no matter how I try, it always feels wrong.
- Right now I am wearing an ace bandage, icing it frequently, and trying to keep it elevated as much as possible. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation -- right?)

My big question is:

1) What's the likelihood this will clear up on its own if I baby it for a few days or a week? How long can I wait before seeing a doctor, and what kind?

My auxiliary question is:

2) Since it doesn't hurt when I walk, is it okay to walk as my primary exercise routine while healing? Or will that prevent healing, and why?

I know you are not my doctor. And I have browsed previous AskMes, but feel a little overwhelmed. Please hope me.

Knee pain above and to the outside of my kneecap

Popcorn — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:58:36 -0800

Knee pain concerns: I have a small pain that feels like it is coming from the upper outside of my left knee. I've had this issue on and off for a long time and it doesn't prevent me from doing anything, but it has me worried. I'm in my mid 20's and am a pretty hardcore mogul skiier and I do lots of mountaineering. I'm unable to see a doctor for a few months and I'd like some insight into what this might be.

The pain seems to happen when I am extending my leg under load, for example, when I'm climbing stairs. It also comes up when I'm riding a bike. I've never had any major knee injuries but this feels like it is gradually increasing over time. Sometimes, when I'm running up stairs I get a little twinge and I have to stop running up stairs for a day or two before it goes away. When this happens in the middle of a multi day climbing expedition I can still continue but I have to be a little gentler on the knee. So this is not debilitating pain, I just want to make sure I'm doing everything possible to preserve my knees.

Looking at this picture, It feels like the LCL but I'm not sure. If you are looking at my left knee from the front, the pain is at about 2 o'clock, about 1-2cm (radially) out from the edge of the kneecap.

So I'd like some attempts at diagnosis, is this a tendon problem? Cartilage? Muscle? (I know this is frowned upon here, but I'm not able to get proper medical attention for a few months and I'm going to be climbing a mountain soon) Also, some advice about what I can do to prevent further damage. Would a brace help? If so, what kind? Are there exercises or stretches that would help? Currently I try to stretch the affected area by pulling my heel up to my butt. Seems to help.

Also, for many years I think I was riding my bike with the seat too low and I get a feeling that this is related.

Thanks!

Help me unlock my knees, please.

sarajane — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:19:20 -0800

Help me unlock my knees, please. I've been having knee pain off and on for the last 6 months. It gets much worse during seasonal changes, like right now. Yes, I am overweight and losing that weight and exercise will certainly help that, but I need some help right now.

I find that due to the pain, combined with my general klutziness, I tend to walk and stand with my knee locked. If I concentrate, say, while walking the dogs, I can manage to remember to unlock my knee, during my stride, when I walk, but I'm having a hard time remembering to unlock it while I stand and perform other tasks, like cooking, laundry, etc.

Any suggestions? Yes, of course, I know YANMD.

Awesome shoes that don't make my knee hurt! Please!?!

roxiesmom — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:50:23 -0800

Best shoes for a P.E. teacher with a bad knee. I am a P.E. and am on my feet all day (obviously, lol). I have had 3 knee surgeries on my left knee, one for a torn ACL, the second was for torn Meniscus (have no Meniscus on Lateral side of my knee), and the last for to remove my Medial Meniscus and repair my ACL again.

This makes things difficult in finding shoes, I need shoes that are not going to hurt my knee and not make my feet hurt. It seems as though I can find some that do not hurt my knee but never some that do not make my feet hurt.

Since I am a P.E. teacher the shoes need to be sporty shoes (tennis shoes). Any suggestions on the best brand/style of shoes that would be good for my bad knee. I have already tried to expensive Dr. Scholl's insert at Wal-Mart and they make my knee hurt. I currently have Adidas brand Micro-bounce shoes.

I have no insurance so I can't go to a foot doctor or anything like that. But I should have insurance within the next year if that matters.

Will Kaiser health insurance pay for a knee brace? Subsidize it?

jstef — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:25:13 -0800

Will Kaiser health insurance pay for a knee brace? Subsidize it? I had an ACL operation two years ago (two replacements, actually) while insured by Aetna. My doctor told me the insurance would help pay for a functional brace, but that I should wait a few months to let my muscles grow again.

Two years later, I have insurance with Kaiser, and I am only now returning to full activity. Do you think there's any chance they'll help subsidize the cost of a CTi brace or equivalent? Will this prior condition not be covered? Anyone have experience in this department?

Thanks!

I can never think of a good title to my questinos. Sorry.

Brandon1600 — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:57:11 -0800

I need help with creating a plan to diagnose a possible alignment problem with my right leg what I can do do fix it. I have always had a funny way of walking. I tend to lean forward and walk closer to the front of my feet than the back. It is not a perfect heel-to-toe movement and it makes me bounce. I am very self conscious of this and when I am in public I try to walk normally, resulting in a burning sensation on the bottoms of my feet. Think of when you were a little kid and you had to walk around the shopping mall all day and your feet hurt. My feet make an L-shape when I am standing still; my right foot clearly turns out more than the left. Another way of saying this is that my knee does not line up with my foot.

I used to run and work-out a lot. I ran the Kona Marathon about four years ago and at about mile twenty, my right knee felt like it was going to come unhinged. It was a strange kind of pain so I walked the rest of the way. I also noticed when I did squats that my right foot would turn out (heel inward) and I would have to reposition myself.

So.

I think the first thing to do is get a doctor's opinion. I don't normally deal with doctors and I can't say I really trust them. What kind of doctor should I go to? What sort of tests and procedures should I expect?

If I end up having to get surgery, what is the most effective way to pay for it? I have crappy insurance now, and I am going to be a full time student starting in January. Should I go out of country?

I am not sure what information about me would be relevant to figuring this out but:

I am 28 years old, American, employed until December with basic health coverage, well within weight standards and generally healthy, and a military veteran.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

ACL Surgery Advice Please

swngnmonk — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:35:49 -0800

Going in for ACL replacement in a few days - what can I do between now and then to prepare for the next few weeks? So I'm going in for surgery on Wednesday to replace my right ACL, which I tore a couple of months ago. I'll be getting a cadaver ACL.

I'm looking forward to having a functional knee again, though I know that's 4-6 months from now. What I'm worried about is the next few weeks. I've read the previous questions posted, and I'm pretty clear on the idea that the week or two after surgery are going to suck. Doc is installing the cooling device & I'll be spending time w/ one of the devices that moves my knee for me as well.

I'll be staying with my dad and his GF for the first 2-3 days after, but then have to return home, where I live alone in a walkup duplex. So I have to deal with navigating stairs, and I need to get around. I have a stubborn streak, I'm lousy at asking for help, and I believe I can get anything done if required. But I realize I'll be gimpy as all hell, and I need to accept that I'll be limited in mobility for a while.

So, with all that: What made your life easier during your recovery period? If you had to do it over again, what would you do in the days leading up to it to make life easier afterwards?

Thank you!

What kind of ACL graft did you get?

hybridvigor — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:44:08 -0800

Did you get ACL reconstruction surgery? I would like to know as much about your specific experience and graft choice as possible, to help me decide on mine. I am a 29 year old female in fairly good shape. I completely ruptured my left ACL one month ago playing soccer, as well as tore the meniscus and sprained the MCL. I am in PT right now, and will probably get reconstruction surgery for the ACL, definitely for the meniscus tear. I am reading all these journal articles about different graft advantages and disadvantages, and, don't know what to choose. Ideally, I would like to hear from you if you have had all 3 types of graft and can tell me exactly the pros and cons of each. Realistically, I'm not going to find that (very unlucky) person. So:

(a) how long was it between your injury and your surgery? did you do PT before the surgery? in retrospect, do you wish you had gotten the surgery sooner or later?

(b) what type of graft did you choose (allograft, patellar tendon or hamstring)? how long has it been since your surgery, and what advantages and disadvantages have you found related to your specific graft choice? Hamstring/patellar pain, etc?

(c) post-surgery, what do you wish someone had told you?

(d) post-surgery, how long were you useless? (I have a job in which I can sit on my butt all day at a computer, but if I'm in a lot of pain, I will still be mentally useless and unable to do it.)

Thanks. Any information is appreciated, *especially* as relating to specific graft type experiences. I'm trying to defend my PhD this semester, and this is a much unwanted roadblock. Even a week or two of not being able to work might be enough to make me miss the defense deadlines.

What was your experience with a torn meniscus?

leslies — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:35:31 -0800

So my husband tore his meniscus months ago. Finally got an MRI confirming it and we're wondering what people who've had a meniscus repair can tell us about their experiences with surgery and rehab. He tore it playing soccer but luckily did NOT damage his MCL or ACL. We've known lots of people who've gone through the not-fun of an ACL repair and are hoping that dealing with just the meniscus will be a less lengthy, less painful rehab. He doesn't plan to go back to soccer but hopes to be able to run and hike again. Don't know yet whether he'll be getting a repair or (partial) removal so would appreciate hearing about your experiences with either. If you know a great knee guy in Ann Arbor that would be great too!

Anterior knee pain in both knees - 21 years old

Xeract — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:02:21 -0800

I'm 21 and for the last 10 months or so I've been having knee pain above both kneecaps. The pain isn't confined to a point but instead spread over the area above my knee caps, and occurs whenever I bend the knee with weight on it. I've been to a surgeon who wants to do an arthroscopy but he doesn't know what the problem is and hence doesn't know if it will do any good. Has anyone had a similar kind of pain and if so how did you solve it? And could it be plica syndrome even though the pain is above the knee and in both knees? I've played soccer all my life, as well as various other sports including squash and cricket. Te pain started though about a month after I started taking up jogging seriously. It came on one day and I immediately stopped running and haven't done any since. I have played the occasional football match and the pain usually gets better as the game goes on only to get worse the day after.

I have stretched every day for at least 6 months - including hamstring, calf, quads, gults and hip flexors. I tried quad strengthening for about a month and it did make an improvement only to then get worse again. At the moment I am strengthening my external hip rotators but yet to see any difference.

I have got orthotics from a podiatrist to help with my over pronation, and I have tried physical therapy. I'm desperate for a solution so surgery seems attractive as a "quick fix" but I've never heard of someone having knee surgery and making a full recovery, so I'm scared of having an arthoroscopy at only 21.

I've tried relative rest for extended periods of time but it doesn't seem to make a huge difference. I also went through a few weeks of icing every day and taking ibuprofen - no difference.

While searching on the internet I came across a condition called plica syndrome which sounds promising but it seems like you can't tell if it is that unless you get an arthoroscopy - and even then it may be missed. Does anyone know how you can self diagnose this problem?

Does anyone have any experience in these kind of problems and how to get over them?

Thanks

Right knee prehab for a 19yr old vegetarian

BritishGas — Wed, 06 May 2009 10:43:05 -0800

Advice following recent knee injury (inc. ACL tear)? Hi,

I am 19yrs old and I have just returned home from a ski season in Whistler, BC. On my 105th day on the slopes, my right ski juddered violently whilst stopping. It turns out I badly injured my right knee, and will have to have surgery if I am ever to return to skiing...here is the break down from the MRI I had in Canada;

1) Complete tear of the mid ACL
2) Large kissing bone bruises / osteochrondral injuries bilateral tibial femoral compartment
3) Subchondral infraction lateral femoral condyle
4) Other ligaments intact
5) Lateral meniscal tear
6) Large join effusion with complex partial rupture of a Baker's cyst.
7) Partial tear of the popliteus

As I am back in the UK I have to now wait a few weeks to see a consultant about my knee.

In the mean time, I was wondering if you could give me some advice as to what I should do to get my knee in the best condition possible before surgery.

Also, I am a vegetarian, so any dietary advice to aid my recovery would be very welcome.

Thanks,

BritishGas.

Man was not meant to run, I swear.

OrangeDrink — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:17:09 -0800

YANAD filter: Knee Edition I know this is one of the most obnoxious questions, because a doctor can really help you and self diagnosis for knees is notoriously difficult, but the problem is I'm unemployed. Super unemployed as in Ramen and worried about rent unemployed. So, obviously, I don't have a lot of money, and no insurance. Going to a doctor simply isn't an option for a few months.

That said, here's the deal. Was running using the couch to 5K program from CoolRunning.com, and was on the sixth week. Two or three days after a run, all of a sudden my knee is killing me. It doesn't swell, but it hurts like a mofo if I have it bent. I sit out for a few days, then run again. It still hurts, so I cut back my running distance, etc. Doesn't help. So I stop running entirely, and haven't ran for over a month. It doesn't hurt much now, but prolonged sitting time with my knee bent still irks the knee. It feels best when stretched straight out.

The pain is specific - it really feels as though there is a muscle/tendon on the top of my knee, on the inside side of my patella that has been bruised or snapped. That is, the tendon feels like it's located on the left side of my right kneecap, on the top of my knee. If I do the Quadricep Stetch, I can't go very far because the pain gets very acute. I pronate and use insoles and have good shoes. It seems strange to me, because nothing happened on the actual run or anything. It just started to hurt. I've read everything on AskMe and CoolRunning, and Google, etc, but this doesn't sound like Runners Knee or IB Band Syndrome to me.

I'm fine with continuing to run if this is just going to hurt, but I'm scared of doing permanent damage. Does this sound like an injury you've experienced? Am I screwed without a doctor's assistant?

On my knees!

Ambrosia Voyeur — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:16:37 -0800

How do knees stay healthy? I'm a young woman with healthy knees. At least, I think so. They never hurt. Though, lately, probably because I'm heavier presently than I like to be, they get stiff sometimes, or even go "pop" a little. This when I've been sitting Indian-style or curled up some other way for too long. Nothing that I think is too worrisome, and I've been chalking it up to reduced flexibility commensurate with reduced range of motion or "fat thighs." But it has me thinking...

My question is really pretty general: What can I do to keep my knees healthy? What are the knee-dos and knee-don'ts? I love my knees, I love to hike and bike and... WALK with them. Yeah that walking, it really rocks my world. What should I know to make sure they stay functional as can be for another 80 years?

Of course, I know one thing is: Lose weight! (So please don't everybody say that, agggghh.)

Straps are so much less dorky!

dame — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:57:53 -0800

Patellar tracking correction: Knee strap or brace? Which brand is best?

Is this the beginning of the end of the line for my knee?

dancinglamb — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 13:11:37 -0800

Anybody have experience with early onset osteoarthritis (specific to knee)? I recently lost about 85lbs and have been working out twice a week with a trainer since late November. I've always had some crepitice (crunchy sounding knees) going on, but it started to progress into pain and swelling about a month and a half ago.

I finally gave in and went to see an orthopedist who immediately thought it was torn cartilage and wanted to do cortisone injections along with an MRI for confirmation. I wasn't so keen on the cortisone without a definitive diagnosis, so held off on that. Well, the MRI came back clear for any torn cartilage, but he said that I am showing evidence of orthoarthritis. I'm 38 (will be 39 in October). He drained the effused fluid from my knee and did one cortisone injection.

His suggestion was to do a series of three Orthovisc injections. My gut (before doing any research at all) was to not do it. After reading some studies showing little to no efficacy after the shots, I'm even more inclined to not do it. I talked to a couple of friends that are Physical Therapists at Kessler Institute and they said that for every one patient they see who hyaluronan injections work, they see four more who receive no benefit.

It just seems that there aren't many other options in store. Maybe PT? Live with it and hope for the best?

I'm thinking that I might try and get a second opinion at Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC, though from looking at their site and their Hip and Knee Center, it seems that they're more surgical-centric than I think I need at this point (the orthopod I saw told me that I will likely need a replacement at some point, though wasn't willing to peg a time frame).

Can anybody shed some light on this for me? Anybody have similar experiences?

Thanks!

Help my bike return the love

polyglot — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:13:17 -0800

Questions of bicycle pain/comfort and perhaps where to buy a new-old one in Perth. Lots of text & occasional squeamish details, sorry. While in California in 2001 I bought a Cannondale Bad Boy Rigid that it turns out is probably too small for me. I used it heavily in Ca (3 months) but only very lightly since I moved back to Australia. I've now moved to Perth where there are excellent bike tracks everywhere so I've taken up riding again in a big(ger) way and done about 300km in two weeks. The problem is that that 300km (mostly 55-75km rides from Northbridge to Fremantle and back) has hurt me pretty badly in a couple of ways, all in the last 100km.

First problem is that I seem to have gotten carpal-tunnel syndrome overnight: the bike has straight handlebars that I would typically rest my palms on, so my wrists are bent back and the pressure goes right on the heel of my palm. In hindsight: not cool, even though I have gloves. I read Sheldon Brown's whole website yesterday, starting with that article.

I had bar-ends on a previous bike that would give me one more hand position - is it worth getting something like that again or should I try something more like drop-bars? The handlebars are already about 12cm lower than the seat so I'm not sure I want to go much/any lower as it will mean more weight on the hands, even if the wrists are not bent and pronated. Can my trigger-style gear levers be transferred to drop-bars? Brake levers too? What are those things you rest your forearms on called and could I put them on my current handlebars?

Second problem is that when coming back from my previous ride, my right knee gave out: significant what-felt-like-tendons pain in the outside-front corner of my knee as I was climbing a hill, so I did the last 15km mostly one-legged. Putting load on the knee while bent (e.g. getting out of a chair) when I got home hurt. A bit of Nurofen and a rest and the knee feels fine 2 days later but it scared the hell out of me and I don't want a repeat! Yes, my seat is at the right height.

The pedals are platform things with toeclips/straps on the front. I'm very conscious of keeping my feet straight in them and using good pedaling form and have never had knee pains even on previous 100km rides through the Adelaide Hills. Would cleat/clipless pedals help me here? I hear conflicting guidance from "it's the only way to go because they keep your feet straight" through "get (this brand) because they have 15 degrees of float for natural ankle angles" to "cleats are crap, you should just use platform pedals and let the feet fall where they naturally do". Does this sort of pain sound like a technique thing or a doing-too-much-too-fast/overuse injury? Background: I do a fair amount of weightlifting including squats so high loads are not a problem, but pedalling for 6-8 hrs/week (~20,000 reps!) every week is quite new to me.

Third thing is the seat. It's a big padded "comfy" thing (probably designed for women, given that the back of it seems too wide) which my reading now tells me is a bad, bad thing. I invested in some padded bike shorts that helped a LOT, but there's still some, uh, folding & pinching of the perineum that becomes painful after about an hour that I'd very much like to avoid. Any recommendations on seats? Are the leather ones that Sheldon raves about reasonably available here in AU? Is there any particular trick to wearing the bike shorts, i.e. does one wedge the padding right in (to make sure nothing in one's undercarriage is creased) before sitting down?

So: I can get new pedals (if the collective cycling wisdom of mefi says that's a good move) and a seat easily but I suspect the major problem is the handlebars and that's probably the most expensive bit to do, particularly if it results in a very uncomfortable geometry. I'm not unfit but nowhere near bike-racing fitness, am heavy (lots of fat and lots of muscle) and I suspect that a very low aggressive racing posture won't really agree very well with me.

However, I would like to go faster, of course. If that means I should be on a more road-racing style bike then that's OK as long as it's not uncomfortable but I don't really want to make a huge loss in selling the bike I've got. So the final part of my question is: do I cut my losses on a bunch of stop-gap mods (pedal, seat, handlebar) to my existing bike and just changeover to a different, better-sized bike? I think that is probably the right answer but of course money is the problem. If I were to change bikes, it'd have to be to a good second-hand one as I'm not prepared to drop $2-5k on the newest carbon hotness. And I don't want to move to a new bike and then have to make a similar level of modification that I would to my existing one. I don't want to move down a level of quality, which means I guess I want something like a 5-10 year old Al bike with 8- or 9-ring ultegra on the back and perhaps a 105 triple front - but please feel free to make better or more appropriate suggestions. What does such a thing cost and what can I expect to get for mine (excellent condition)?

As I've only recently moved, I have no idea where the GOOD bike stores are in Perth. I bought a bunch of needed componentry from Fleet in the CBD and they seemed reasonable if not particularly enthusiastic... but I would like to know if there are any good second-hand bike places with keen staff who ride regularly. Likewise bicycle swap-meets - know of any in Perth?

your thoughts and detailed suggestions appreciated...

Down Time for Knee Surgery?

dancinglamb — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 06:40:12 -0800

What is/was your experience with knee arthroscopy (torn cartilage repair) and how long was your down time? I saw an orthopedist yesterday and was tentatively diagnosed with torn cartilage in my right knee (he wants to confirm it with an MRI next week). When discussing potential arthroscopic surgery to correct it, the orthopod mentioned that there was no period of non-weight bearing. Only two days of crutches, then a week of 'a lot of pain', then two weeks of 'some pain'.

About twenty five years ago (Christ, I'm getting old), I had three arthroscopies previous to a reconstruction on my left knee. I seem to recall about three weeks of complete non-weight bearing each time, along with a whole lot of holy-fuck-this-hurts-level pain.

I mentioned this to a girlfriend of mine yesterday who had cartilage surgery a few years ago and she thought she had about two weeks of NWB, and major pain, too.

Is this surgeon delusional or has technology advanced that much in a years?

How do I know when it's time to see a new orthopaedic surgeon?

rollbiz — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:48:46 -0800

How do I know when it's time to see a new orthopaedic surgeon? Here's the deal: I dislocated my patella about five weeks ago, and before it relocated it bounced around and caused some trauma to the surrounding area. Went to the ER and then went to an ortho surgeon who was recommended highly to me. First he thought I had ruptured my patellar tendon because I couldn't (and still pretty much can't) lift my leg up from my knee to my foot, i.e. if I'm sitting and I were to try to lift and straighten my leg it won't go farther than a few inches.

MRI showed (according to him) that my tendon is not ruptured. My knee was drained and I've started therapy, things are progressing OK except that I still can barely lift my leg. I went to see him for a follow-up two days ago, and he mentioned for the first time that a bone fragment is present which may be limiting my motion, and that there is a small chance I'll need surgery to remove it.

I guess in general, I am feeling like I don't know enough to either determine if my original diagnosis (therapy will make it all better) was made carefully, or to know if this guy is actually paying much attention to my condition.

Has anyone been in this position before with a similar injury, and at what point (if any) did you seek a second opinion?

Twisted my ankle and now my Knee Hurts after I go running?

complience — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:27:25 -0800

Twisted my ankle and now my Knee Hurts after I go running? I was involved in a small road accident on my bike last month and I badly twisted my Ankle.

I completely rested it and it has more or less completely healed and is pain free with complete movement.

I've started running again (my favourite hobby) however I've noticed the Knee on the side I twisted my ankle is very very painful and stiff for days afterwards.

Do any budding physios understand what might be going on, and have some excerises I could try to help it?

stupid computers, always cutting things short

Lucinda — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:49:12 -0800

Question for those of you who have seen "Knee Deep": My recording cut out - how much did I miss? (spoilers inside) The last thing I saw was Josh Osborne standing on the deck of one of the houses that was being built in the development that was once his father's farm. The camera was pulling away, wistful music was playing, he was staring into the distance.

Was that it, or did I miss any sort of epilogue?

(It doesn't look like it's scheduled to be on again any time soon, or I'd just re-watch it.)

chronic knee pain

Anonymous — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:40:12 -0800

My husband has been seeking treatment for chronic knee pain (both knees) for a couple years now. His GP, who rarely spends more than 4 minutes talking to him, has:
-- prescribed Tylenol 3 and ice, which do alleviate the pain
-- taken x-rays, which showed nothing wrong
-- decided that the muscles around the knees must be weak and sent him to physiotherapy, and the exercises they gave him have had no effect after several months
-- told him to go to an orthopedic surgeon

My husband feels like the doctor has no idea what is wrong and is just grabbing at straws. He says the pain, while bad, is not serious enough to require surgery and therefore does not want to see the surgeon. He also doesn't want to have x-rays again because he's already had them once. He feels the whole thing is a waste of time, but neither of us can come up with a better idea, besides doing nothing, which means living with the pain. He's very busy with work and doesn't have time to spend half a day in an orthopedic surgeon's office, only to be told they can't find anything wrong or want to do surgery that he doesn't want.

The knee pain started after he became mostly sentient, following a couple years of good fitness where he was weight training regularly. He ran track in high school. He is now 40 and weighs about 180 lbs., approx. 6' tall. He has orthopedic inserts in his shoes after a large corn (or something; a big lump on the ball of his foot) was causing him to walk funny, which combined with muscle weakness likely started the knee pain.

Is there anything else he can do? Changing GPs would be risky, because he might not be able to continue getting the Tylenol 3. Doctors around here are extremely paranoid about prescribing narcotics, and some refuse to do it at all. His current GP gives him the hairy eyeball every time he asks for a refill. Is the orthopedic surgeon really an orthopedic specialist, able to explore the problem more fully and offer alternatives, or are they strictly focused on surgery (i.e. the advice would be either "surgery" or "not surgery")? Why would he need a second set of x-rays? Would rigorous strength training in the legs help?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

throwaway email: mrsbumknees@gmail.com

there are air bubbles rising to the top inside my knee. wait, what?

krautland — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:35:16 -0800

there are air bubbles rising to the top inside my knee. wait, what? for the past three days I have had the distinct impression that there are air bubbles rising to the top inside my knee. you know how it looks when air bubbles rise to the top in a bathtub or cooking pot? it feels just like that. they rise usually three at a time, sometimes five, and continue with few interruptions for minutes. this is not painful but it's the strangest sensation I have experienced to date. it's as if you are being tickled from inside.

this is occurring on the inside top of my left knee. judging from this wikipedia diagram we're talking about the femur region of the knee.

I have previously had an MRI, xray and physical examinations over a mysterious painful sensation in my knee. climbing stairs was painful and bending the knee past a certain point produced a distinct popping sound. the latter still happens but I am currently pain-free. (I'm a runner and running does not seem to be a problem at all since I am not bending the knee far enough to encounter this problem during sessions.) no obvious damage has ever been diagnosed but I avoid squats these days and feel somewhat more fragile than I used to.

so, hivemind. I am stumped as to what might be the case and quite frankly I'm weary of yet another trip to a GP that ends up in nothing because they can't find what's wrong. any thoughts on what could be the issue with my knee or what kind of attention I should ask for?

snap crackle pop

Evangeline — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:07:04 -0800

My knee is screwy. Help! For a couple of years my right knee has been grinding whenever I walk upstairs, but lately it's gotten louder. Also, it's started popping out of place at seemingly random moments. I don't guess it's truly dislocated, but there's a definite shift, then a sharp pain, then it's fine again. But wait, there's more! At night I'm waking up to intense pain that seems to start in my outer right thigh above my knee, and shoot through my knee to about halfway down my calf.

So what kind of doctor should I be seeing? An orthopedist? A physiotherapist? Could anyone recommend one in Manhattan?

Thanks all.

Help me find a knee PT in San Francisco

names are hard — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 21:36:27 -0800

Help me find a physical therapist (especially for knees) in San Francisco. I just moved here from Massachusetts, where I saw a knee doctor who told me I need to get physical therapy for some ligaments in my knee. Walking and biking on these hills ain't helping me neither.

Does anyone know a good knee-specialist? I mostly want to start a program from strengthening and straightening my knee. A plus would be someone not too far from Hayes Valley, but I can get downtown pretty easy, so that would be fine.

Thanks!