Knee pain

[ASG]

So about 8 years ago I dislocated my knee cap. Did physio, recovered, but the knee/muscles were never as strong as before and I've always had a bit of worry putting too much weight on it, like with trying to lift stuff or getting heavy things up stairs using that leg as the main weight bearer. Sometime I would get a bit of muscle pain, but nothing too serious.

 

It's been getting worse, though... In the last few weeks, I noticed that every time I crouched and got back up using that leg as weight bearer, the muscles just above my knee would complain. Nothing too bad at first, so I didn't pay much attention, but it seems to be getting a bit more painful...

 

And then today I feel things are just not right and not only when I put weight on the bent knee. It feels swollen. but it doesn't *look* swollen.

There is too much tension in the muscles above the knee when I bend them, like crossing my legs.

 

The best comparison in terms of feeling I can make is back to when I dislocated my kneecap and lost full range of movement. I would try to bend my knee and it just wouldn't happen, due to the muscle strain. Only now, it bends, seemingly full range...

 

Now, my question is... has anyone experienced anything like this?

If it continues and gets worse I'll go get it checked out, but I fear since there is nothing visibly wrong with it and it's not even that painful, I will just be told to take some ibuprofen. Which is fine, and I'll do anyway, but I'd kinda like to know the root of the problem and not just treat symptoms, but it seems unlikely I'll be referred to a specialist and I can't afford to go to a private one..

 

Any ideas??

[JDPT]

My suggestion and this is coming from someone who is currently dealing with two fractured tibias is to listen to your body and have and MRI done immediately. If you are compensating weight bearing knowingly or inadvertently, this is your body clearly indicating that there is something wrong.

 

 

I went close to a year with these fractures thinking they were soft tissue related when in reality I was beating on broken tibias. The pain became so intense that I decided to schedule an appointment to have MRIs done and that's when we discovered the fractured tibias. I've been shocking my body for the past two months with vitamin, calcium, glucosamine, and bone broth. I had a follow up appointment with the doctor after two months and it appears that I'm healing at a pretty fast rate, however, I still feel weak and wouldn't dare to go back to the gym yet.

 

 

You are the one dealing with the pain and all I can say is advocate for yourself and have this looked at immediately.

[Emilia]

The best comparison in terms of feeling I can make is back to when I dislocated my kneecap and lost full range of movement. I would try to bend my knee and it just wouldn't happen, due to the muscle strain. Only now, it bends, seemingly full range...

Honestly sounds too me like very tight quads. Strengthening exercise without keeping up with mobility (very common).

 

See if this helps Navy SEALs BUD/S | PREVENTING KNEE PAIN - YouTube

[Ninjainpajamas]

Depends on what kind of pain you are having, if it's severe pain then it's something that should be looked at and could be an injury, if it's only mild pain and then goes away it might just be the tightening and straining of those muscles, locking up on you.

 

In your case It sounds like muscle, but only an MRI could really see what's going on in there...they always do physical therapy first if it's something they feel is mild or manageable, but being that you never had anything done there and still have problems means you should see your doctor about it and keep seeing him until it's fixed and if surgery is needed to resolve it, or it's never going anyway.

 

I've had significant surgery on both of my knees and had to rehab them both considerably to get them back into shape, for me it's not something I've ever had to stop doing. My knees don't feel quite the same and on my right knee I get a mild burning, so I know there's something wrong there but MRI scans show up clear, but those are not 100 percent revealing of all issues as they once only showed a tiny tear on left knee which the doctor didn't think was that serious and then asked If I wanted him to go in there anyway to maybe find some scar tissue to clear out because I was persistent although reiterated that he was fairly confident there was nothing else going on and then he ended up finding a pretty significant tear because I was like hell yeah you should, I bet you'll find more.

 

So the right knee burns so I have to stay active on it more than inactive, I ride the sit-down bikes at the gym and increase the tension, as well as biking in general has always been a good activity, the rotation and motion isn't uncomfortable for me and I can control the friction on my knee. I'm not sure how great that would work for you but it's worth a try as there's a lot of weight bearing in running, swimming naturally is always good as well.

 

At home If I'm not going to the gym regularly I do lunges and other leg exercises I learned throughout my extensive experience being injured, also get some hand weights but only go far down as it feels comfortable then increase the depth. I can do a lot of things on my knees still, I can still run, walk, climb but I've got to condition myself for it keeping things moving, and unfortunately the right knee burns but in an area I know is not a muscle so I know there's some kind of injury/tissue there, if it's a muscle I can make it stronger, an injury however would need to be repaired, but by strengthening the muscles around the knee it has always decreased the pain...If I sit around, don't stretch muscles or keep the knees and muscles around them worked then it's way more uncomfortable for me, they won't just snap into place and start doing what I want them to, that swollen feeling you're getting is probably some mild inflammation which can be normal for post-op injuries but a sign of an injury that needs to be repaired.

 

I've also had an ankle fracture on that leg as well as a foot surgery for a nerve, but I honestly refuse to be slowed and stopped from these injuries. Also, if you have an injury or possible one, it's not like not doing anything is going to make it better...you might have to push it towards the breaking point where it needs to get treated or you know for certain there is a significant problem because the pain and discomfort will be much more significant, then at least you know you have a problem that needs to be fixed with surgery if possible, then you move on from there and won't suffer with any more issues or that issue...overall I'd say after my surgery and rehab, I get back on track quite strong and don't have a lot of problems, it's only this right knee which I injured later on but didn't receive any surgery for that I have pain with.

Edited March 8, 2014 by Ninjainpajamas

[ASG]

I'm pretty sure it's a muscle pain. As it is not *ON* the knee, but above it. And the strain/pain I feel is very much muscular.

 

The swollen sensation I had when I wrote this post has disappeared. And even that was not pain, more discomfort. The only pain I have is when trying to get up from a crouch, putting most of my weight on that knee.

 

I'll see if I can have a chat with the ortho who treated my knee when I dislocated it. He might have some ideas...

[Conners]

So about 8 years ago I dislocated my knee cap. Did physio, recovered, but the knee/muscles were never as strong as before and I've always had a bit of worry putting too much weight on it, like with trying to lift stuff or getting heavy things up stairs using that leg as the main weight bearer. Sometime I would get a bit of muscle pain, but nothing too serious.

 

It's been getting worse, though... In the last few weeks, I noticed that every time I crouched and got back up using that leg as weight bearer, the muscles just above my knee would complain. Nothing too bad at first, so I didn't pay much attention, but it seems to be getting a bit more painful...

 

And then today I feel things are just not right and not only when I put weight on the bent knee. It feels swollen. but it doesn't *look* swollen.

There is too much tension in the muscles above the knee when I bend them, like crossing my legs.

 

The best comparison in terms of feeling I can make is back to when I dislocated my kneecap and lost full range of movement. I would try to bend my knee and it just wouldn't happen, due to the muscle strain. Only now, it bends, seemingly full range...

 

Now, my question is... has anyone experienced anything like this?

If it continues and gets worse I'll go get it checked out, but I fear since there is nothing visibly wrong with it and it's not even that painful, I will just be told to take some ibuprofen. Which is fine, and I'll do anyway, but I'd kinda like to know the root of the problem and not just treat symptoms, but it seems unlikely I'll be referred to a specialist and I can't afford to go to a private one..

 

Any ideas??

 

I have had 2 knee re-constructions due to a dislocating knee cap and torn ACL. Both knees.

 

After my second knee re-con two years ago I went to physio and SEEMED to recover but my motion was very limited and restricted.. as you described it seemed swollen but didn't really look it.

 

I went and got it checked out by the surgeon 6 months later and he said there was alot of scar tissue build up and he would do a quick tidy up surgery. After that it was fine.

 

I recommend you go to an orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in knees, have it checked out.