In Knee-d of Advice

June 5, 2017 11:07 AM

You are not my doctor. But my doctor hasn't really helped so here we are. Is it troubling that when I stand up after sitting down (let's say for 30 minutes) my left knee is really wobbly?

Since the beginning of this year I've noticed that I'm extremely unstable when I get up to stand after sitting down for even just 15 minutes. My left knee can't seem to get itself straight and when I walk I have to be careful about bending that knee or putting weight on it until it's straightened out. Is this normal? I also feel a pain sometimes when it's bent. Like when I'm sitting down and then I stretch my legs out I can feel it's not aligned correctly. Occasionally now when I straighten my legs I can hear that popping sound you get when your knuckles get crack.

When I'm standing up again and walking there is a pain. And I do notice because the other does not feel this way AT ALL. When I went to see my general care doctor about it she gave me some knee strengthening exercises but how can that help when I already do yoga (so both sides are working here) with some of these exercises already incorporated in it. When she examined me my knee was straight and bent and she poked and prodded and came to the conclusion that I'm fine. Is this really fine? I'm only in my late 20s and I just want to make sure I'm not ignoring a potential problem here, especially since my other knee is just fine. I would go back to the doctor but I'd prefer to not waste another $40 just for her to tell me no, you're really fine.

So - is knee instability normal?

posted by driedmango to Health & Fitness (10 answers total)

Have you had some accident or injury, or has it just built up? Just a guess, but it could be cartilage damage. I had similar symptoms which turned out to be ligament damage requiring surgery, but I had a very obvious and painful knee-wrenching sports injury as the cause. Even so, my doctors initially, and wrongly, put it down to cartilage damage.
posted by wilko at 11:34 AM on June 5, 2017

If you were not happy with the advice of your general practitioner, my suggestion would be to see an orthopedic surgeon, since they are specialists and will probably be able to narrow things down pretty quickly. You should probably try the exercises to see if they help. Also try to remember if you had any acute injury incidents, particularly if you heard a popping sound. (IANAD, but I've had a lot of knee things.)
posted by Comrade_robot at 11:34 AM on June 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Not sure if I can see anyone else for it since my insurance is an HMO plan. Also want to add that some but not all of the exercises are movements that I'm already doing either in yoga or on my own.
posted by driedmango at 11:52 AM on June 5, 2017

A physical therapist would also be a good choice as a second opinion (or maybe in addition to another MD). With regard to the benefit of the exercises when you're already doing yoga, yoga is not a cure-all for body weaknesses/injuries. My PT, who is also a yoga teacher, laughed when I said that people have been recommending yoga for my back problems, and said it's great for people who are already flexible/not injured and tailored lessons from the right teacher *could* help others, but it would likely hurt me more if I did it. You want to be under the guidance of someone who is helping you address the specific physiological weaknesses/injuries/whatever causing this, not just putting you in certain positions along with everyone else in the room. I forget the technical terms, but strength is a different issue than stability and is addressed somewhat differently, and a good PT will be able to help you find the right movements to deal with whatever the specific deficit is.
posted by quiet coyote at 11:56 AM on June 5, 2017 [5 favorites]

Best answer: Agreed that you need the personalized care of a physical therapist. I'm in PT for knee issues right now and I found out that I walk and sit wrong! I would call your doctor back, tell her you're still in pain and that you want a referral to PT. I don't know why she would need to see you again for this. It's not like you're asking for oxy.
posted by AFABulous at 12:05 PM on June 5, 2017 [4 favorites]

Best answer: I see your actual question is "is it normal?" No. Especially not in an active 20 something.
posted by AFABulous at 12:06 PM on June 5, 2017 [6 favorites]

Another vote for PT consult. This is probably a no-brainer for them, along the lines of a set of muscles that gets weak easily and could be strengthened using this set of nonintuitive exercises. Or cruel things like standing on a balance ball for X minutes. I've had two different sets of bits get out of whack and be fixed by a round of (real, couple times per week for a few weeks) PT. I'm a couple decades older than you are, but I had a shoulder issue in my 20s as well, again fixed by PT (exercises and advice on posture, etc.)
posted by acm at 12:38 PM on June 5, 2017

I've had very good service for joint issues with sports medicine specialists rather than GPs. I'd echo the recommendations to look for someone with more experience and knowledge than a family doctor.
posted by bonehead at 12:40 PM on June 5, 2017 [2 favorites]

Just call in and ask for a referral to a sports medicine specialist. They may make you see the GP again, which is no big deal. Just tell the GP that the exercises were already part of your regular routine and that the instability and pain are interfering with normal activities. Sports medicine is where it's at for knees. Most practices where I live have excellent PTs on staff, so one-stop-shop.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 12:42 PM on June 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: No, your knee issue isn't "normal," but I'm not surprised to hear that a HMO in a certain geographical area (based on your posting history) is having you start with the most conservative treatment. In order to work within the HMO system, I recommend doing all the exercises as prescribed for a period of time (maybe a month? (unless things are getting worse)). During this month, make a diary of the details (when you did the exercises, when you did yoga, when the incidents happened, pain levels, etc.) In addition, you might want to confirm that there aren't certain habits that are aggravating your knee (e.g. certain shoes, yoga exercises). At this stage, follow up with your doctor. It's likely at this point, you can get a referral to PT, which will probably be yet more strengthening exercises.
posted by oceano at 2:20 PM on June 5, 2017 [1 favorite]