Knee Pain?

[EagleFan]

Dipping into the well of FOFC experrience/knowledge again.

First, yes I am getting older (and it can really suck sometimes).

Last weekend was a busy one between housework and taking my oldest out to play some lacrosse to practice for her game. It seems that I did a little too much when outside playing. That evening I was walking and suddenly felt a stabbing feeling in my knee which buckled me under a bit. For the rest of that evening I felt a lot of pressure in the knee as I walked, at times almost like something was going to pop. I also felt a stabbing pain if I made any lateral movement. I pretty much stayed off my knee as much as possible that night and the next day it seemed fine and took her to here games (proud parent notice: in which the team did great and won both games).

The next day (Monday) the knee was sore and felt a little pressure in it.

It seemed okay on Tuesday and then last night I was bringing the last few heavy boxes over from our old place and felt that stabbing feeling again and the pressure came back. Again I stayed off it as much as possible last night (until the antler incident) and felt pressure as I was walking and avoided the lateral movement as much as possible.

This morning I feel the pressure still a little and a litle annoying pain but nothing like the stabbing pain.

Anyone had something similar?

Worst case scenario in my mind is that an operation of some sort is in my future. Best case is stay off it as much as possible and it goes away (something tells me that won't be the case, but that could be my inner negative Philly fan talking).

[duckman]

Sounds like you might excess fluid built up in the knee. Most of the time, rest and elevation and an anti-inflammatory will help alleviate the symptoms. If they continue, you might have to have the knee drained. I've had it done before. It's painful, but the knee does feel better once the excess fluid is gone.

[Coffee Warlord]

The buckling part would be the warning sign there. May have sprained/strained/tore something in there.

No swelling or bruising? (If not, more than likely more fluid like the duck said and less tearing).

[MacroGuru]

Any swelling in the back of the knee?

I recently experienced what you explained, but had a big knot at the back of the knee...it was a Baker's Cyst...look it up...They basically said the following

1) PT will help

2) They could lance it

3) Surgery to remove it

I went the PT route and it is gone...

[Marc Vaughan]

I'm 40, I play soccer three times a week (4-a-side team, 6-a-side team and a 11-a-side kickabout for a couple of hours on a sunday) .... I find my legs are taking a bit of a beating these days, to the extent that at some point I might have to drop one of the days at some point in the next year ...

Getting old sucks basically, I just don't find my limbs bounce back quite as fast as they used to.

I played two 11-a-side matches with SI on monday and its thursday now and my knees are still feeling it when I go up and downstairs, its not 'painful' - but its definitely noticable ...

[DataKing]

I had bursitis in both knees at the same time a few years back (boy was that fun), but what you describe doesn't sound like bursitis. There was no stabbing pain, just a steady one that increased the longer I spent on my feet. Sounds to me like you can at least rule bursitis out.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by MacroGuru

Any swelling in the back of the knee?

I recently experienced what you explained, but had a big knot at the back of the knee...it was a Baker's Cyst...look it up...They basically said the following

1) PT will help

2) They could lance it

3) Surgery to remove it

I went the PT route and it is gone...

Not noticing anything on the back of the knee.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

The buckling part would be the warning sign there. May have sprained/strained/tore something in there.

No swelling or bruising? (If not, more than likely more fluid like the duck said and less tearing).

Haven't noticed any swelling but then again I never seem to notice that unless it's really bad. Fluid may explain it, especially that feeling of pressure.

[Blackadar]

Where exactly is the pain in the knee? Inside, outside, from the knee cap, etc? When do you tend to feel the pain - walking up stairs, downhill or on most any surface?

The lateral instability suggests a ligament issue and not fluid, but the pressure suggests fluid - so maybe we can help with more info.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by Blackadar

Where exactly is the pain in the knee? Inside, outside, from the knee cap, etc? When do you tend to feel the pain - walking up stairs, downhill or on most any surface?

The lateral instability suggests a ligament issue and not fluid, but the pressure suggests fluid - so maybe we can help with more info.

The pain feels like it is inside (behind the kneecap). I don't notice much different on stairs or flat surface. That is where it feels more like a little pressure. When it is flaring up I notice it if I turn and there is lateral movement. That is when I feel a sharp pain and pressure (almost like something that is about to snap or pop). Once I feel that pain it then becomes sore upon walking (even straight and on flat surfaces) for a while.

A few times in the past I have had a "pop" in my knee. Almost like cracking your knuckles (though a lot more noticable jolt when it popped). That would happen once in a while on lateral movement (not a lot of times, probably could count the number of times on one hand). The pressure feels similar to that (though after the pop it would feel fine and the pressure would be gone) but this time there is pain associated with it. Before it was just pressure, then a pop, then fine. Now it's sharp pain, pressure, feeling like something is going to pop in a bad way, then pain and pressure for a while until I rest it a bit.

[EagleFan]

dola: Tried webmd but that always leads to the feeling that I have 6 months to live when reading anything from that site.

[Blackadar]

That sounds enough like a MCL/ACL type injury that my only advice is for you to go see an orthopedic surgeon. Maybe it is just fluid buildup, but if not you don't want to walk around on a shredded ligament for long. That just makes you a candidate for knee replacement surgery 5-10 years down the road and that's not a whole lot of fun.

Even if it is just fluid buildup, there's a reason why you're getting fluid in your knee.

[PilotMan]

You're old.

[wishbone]

About 8 years ago I was playing basketball and came down wrong with a lot of knee pain. The pain lasted more than a day so I went to the doctor. The doctor pulled and twisted and poked and prodded then said to give it a few weeks, it was probably a strain.
A month later it was feeling good and I went snow tubing. I took a spill and had a lot of knee pain again. The pain lasted more than a day so I went to the doctor. The doctor pulled and twisted and poked and prodded then said to give it a few weeks, it was probably a strain.
A month or so later it was feeling good and I played softball. On my first at-bat about halfway to first it popped with a sound that the 3rd baseman heard. The pain lasted more than a day so I went to the doctor. The doctor pulled and twisted and poked and prodded then said to give it a few weeks, it was probably a strain.
A few weeks later it was feeling good but I finally got smart. I went to the doctor and every time he touched it I yelped and pretended it hurt so bad I was going to wet myself. He ordered an MRI and we found out that the ACL was completely torn and had been for some time. The meniscus was also torn in several spots. I had an ACL reconstruction they took about a third of the meniscus out.

tl;dr Get an MRI

[terpkristin]

You're slipping, FOFC.

/tk

[EagleFan]

Still the same today but it has popped three times today. Making an appointment to get checked it checked out.

I jumped in here as soon as I saw TK responded. But alas.

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

I'm 40, I play soccer three times a week (4-a-side team, 6-a-side team and a 11-a-side kickabout for a couple of hours on a sunday) .... I find my legs are taking a bit of a beating these days, to the extent that at some point I might have to drop one of the days at some point in the next year ...

Getting old sucks basically, I just don't find my limbs bounce back quite as fast as they used to.

I played two 11-a-side matches with SI on monday and its thursday now and my knees are still feeling it when I go up and downstairs, its not 'painful' - but its definitely noticable ...

last weekend we went to dinner and my knee started to get sore just from being in the bent (sitting) position for two hours. Two days later I had a 2 hour drive and the same thing. FML. what total BS this growing old thing is.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

You're slipping, FOFC.

/tk

I figured you had an auto alert set whenever someone posted about any injury, much Fritz popping up whenever someone utters his name.

[CU Tiger]

Do you get a strong sense of relief when it "pops"

Could possibly be degenerative fraying of the meniscus.
I'm fighting a few of those now.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Do you get a strong sense of relief when it "pops"

Could possibly be degenerative fraying of the meniscus.
I'm fighting a few of those now.

A slight sense of relief. Though the pressure and pain comes back.

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Do you get a strong sense of relief when it "pops"

Could possibly be degenerative fraying of the meniscus.
I'm fighting a few of those now.

This was my first thought. Though it doesn't usually come on suddenly, I guess a lot of people don't think much on it until something exacerbates it.

Assuming there was no twisting or sharp force involved, I'd be suspicious of a ligament injury, but stranger things have happened (heck I dislocated my thumb in my sleep not too long ago).

Have you found anything that works for you? Have you tried supporting it a little with a sleeve brace you can find at CVS or Dick's? Does ice and/or ibuprofen help with the pain?

Anyway, sounds like you're going to see the doc which is probably the right call. He/She will probably pull and twist your knee a bit. My experience is that they almost always recommend some sort of PT, whether or not they also suggest an anti-inflammatory and/or MRI.

There's also a chance it's something like a cyst near the kneecap or a loose kneecap. Cyst they can remove, loose kneecap usually first line of defense is strengthening.

Good luck...
/tk

[Fritz]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

I figured you had an auto alert set whenever someone posted about any injury, much Fritz popping up whenever someone utters his name.

You rang?

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

last weekend we went to dinner and my knee started to get sore just from being in the bent (sitting) position for two hours. Two days later I had a 2 hour drive and the same thing. FML. what total BS this growing old thing is.

I'm finding this now myself - sitting during drives is mildly irritating for any length of time.

My knee turned out to be torn ligaments and I had physio for several months strengthening up muscles to take the strain, I'm back to running and playing footy but I get the impression they'll never be quite the same ...

I still get 'tweaks' sometimes going up and down stairs if I'm carrying heavy weights and sometimes when I turn fast playing footy I can feel it ... not 'painful' as such, just a reminder that I'm not as young as I think I am