Knee issue - your knowledge?

[bustedflush]

Right, for a few months now I have had a specific type of pain in my left knee, in a curve on the outside but inside (if you get my meaning..)
I am asking if any postie may be familiar with these symptoms:

Imagine you balance on one leg and look at the sole of your shoe without using your hands, so the outside ankle of rests across just above the knee of the other leg. I can do this fine with my right foot, but standing on my right leg and raising my left foot to look at the sole gives severe pain before I raise/bend it about two-thirds of the way.

Further to this, I frequently wake up during the night and wonder what has caused me to wake, then realize I have tried to straighten my legs in my sleep (I usually sleep like most in a sort of 'foetal' position) and my left knee won't straighten, and I have literally shouted in pain while straightening it out to lie parallel with the right knee/leg.

The irony is that I get little pain while there is weight on it, so walking isn't affected most of the time. When I climb steps which necessitate bending it near a right-angle the pain is noticeable. As soon as I take the weight off it and let my left lower leg 'hang' say while getting into the van I get a sharp knee pain until I put my foot flat to the floor.

I have endured this for a few months but it is getting bad now and I am taking painkillers every walk. I am going to ring the GP and get an appointment Monday because I feel there is something potentially serious here.

If anyone recognizes this (I know we ain't doctors but somebody may say "Ah! exactly what I had and it was....") then I'd like an idea please. It could be wear and tear, arthritis? ligament? Any opinions welcome. Thanks.

[datasaint]

Have you tried a knee brace? If you're considered overweight try and lose it as every extra kilo travels through your knee. See a podiatrist to make sure the footwear and/or the way you walk is not the cause.

PS I would lay off the painkillers as prolonged use can create problems of their own.

[bustedflush]

Have you tried a knee brace? If you're considered overweight try and lose it as every extra kilo travels through your knee. See a podiatrist to make sure the footwear and/or the way you walk is not the cause.

PS I would lay off the painkillers as prolonged use can create problems of their own.

No not overweight. I take different painkillers like ibuprofen one day, paracetamol the next then aspirin in a cycle as I know paracetamol and aspirin affect the liver and stomach lining respectively.

[k979aaa]

Right, for a few months now I have had a specific type of pain in my left knee, in a curve on the outside but inside (if you get my meaning..)
I am asking if any postie may be familiar with these symptoms:

Imagine you balance on one leg and look at the sole of your shoe without using your hands, so the outside ankle of rests across just above the knee of the other leg. I can do this fine with my right foot, but standing on my right leg and raising my left foot to look at the sole gives severe pain before I raise/bend it about two-thirds of the way.

Further to this, I frequently wake up during the night and wonder what has caused me to wake, then realize I have tried to straighten my legs in my sleep (I usually sleep like most in a sort of 'foetal' position) and my left knee won't straighten, and I have literally shouted in pain while straightening it out to lie parallel with the right knee/leg.

The irony is that I get little pain while there is weight on it, so walking isn't affected most of the time. When I climb steps which necessitate bending it near a right-angle the pain is noticeable. As soon as I take the weight off it and let my left lower leg 'hang' say while getting into the van I get a sharp knee pain until I put my foot flat to the floor.

I have endured this for a few months but it is getting bad now and I am taking painkillers every walk. I am going to ring the GP and get an appointment Monday because I feel there is something potentially serious here.

If anyone recognizes this (I know we ain't doctors but somebody may say "Ah! exactly what I had and it was....") then I'd like an idea please. It could be wear and tear, arthritis? ligament? Any opinions welcome. Thanks.

Go to your doctor.

[Fulham14]

See a sports injury specialist.
I used to work in sports.
Seen people of all levels pro sports to weekender with knee injuries can all be different reasons for injury or different causes.

Difference between sports injury specialist and doctor. In my humble...

Doctor will seek to get you off his/her books which could mean rest/pills/advice not to do something (which in your case could lead to ihr).

Sports doc - love sports look to get you back to doing what you enjoy.

Not saying you enjoy job but you need physical health to do job.

Might be in interest to visit someone with mentality of how we going to get this person back to doing what they want they want (in your case need) to do.

[Nondescript]

It's osteo-arthritis by the sounds of it, basically wear and tear of the knee joints. I've been getting the same pain myself for the past month or so, and my oppo suffers very badly from it, to the point where he walks like an old woman. I have the same symptoms he had when it first started about 12 years ago, so the choice seems simple - find another job or be prepared to become a cripple.

[wabbithunta]

Sounds like it's possibly an A.C.L. injury with cartilage damage.
I'd suggest an appointment with your GP and/or seeing about getting treatment/surgery.
And do it asap.


[Try this link and see if it can give you any help]

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/knee ... rders.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Knee Injuries and Disorders

Your knee joint is made up of bone, cartilage, ligaments and fluid. Muscles and tendons help the knee joint move. When any of these structures is hurt or diseased, you have knee problems. Knee problems can cause pain and difficulty walking.

Knee problems are very common, and they occur in people of all ages. Knee problems can interfere with many things, from participation in sports to simply getting up from a chair and walking. This can have a big impact on your life.

The most common disease affecting the knee is osteoarthritis. The cartilage in the knee gradually wears away, causing pain and swelling.

Injuries to ligaments and tendons also cause knee problems. A common injury is to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). You usually injure your ACL by a sudden twisting motion. ACL and other knee injuries are common sports injuries.

Treatment of knee problems depends on the cause. In some cases your doctor may recommend knee replacement.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

[Dozen]

I had something very similar, albeit less severe as luckily it seemed to heal up within a couple of weeks. It was a sudden sharp pain just below the knee, felt a bit like something had got twisted around and was digging in to a sensitive area directly below the knee cap. 95% of the time it was completely unnoticeable, and then all of a sudden if I moved it the wrong way it would be excruciating. I'm still unsure about exactly what caused it as I hadn't been in an accident of any kind. I personally suspect that it was from sitting too far back in the van and therefore having my "clutch" leg under more tension when extended, so I now sit further forward and haven't had the problem since. I also think what played a part was when loading or unloading the van, and having to sometimes reach in to the far corners of the van I would kneel on my left knee to reach further and in the process of lifting/dragging bags put too much weight on it. I'm a lot more careful now and if it happens again, i'll be going straight to the doctor this time. Good luck in your recovery, my advice is to echo others by saying you should definitely see a doctor!

[Gold Fox]

Get " Devil's Claw " from Holland & Barrett .... good stuff ... and it works.

[Soulazydll]

I had something very similar, albeit less severe as luckily it seemed to heal up within a couple of weeks. It was a sudden sharp pain just below the knee, felt a bit like something had got twisted around and was digging in to a sensitive area directly below the knee cap. 95% of the time it was completely unnoticeable, and then all of a sudden if I moved it the wrong way it would be excruciating. I'm still unsure about exactly what caused it as I hadn't been in an accident of any kind. I personally suspect that it was from sitting too far back in the van and therefore having my "clutch" leg under more tension when extended, so I now sit further forward and haven't had the problem since. I also think what played a part was when loading or unloading the van, and having to sometimes reach in to the far corners of the van I would kneel on my left knee to reach further and in the process of lifting/dragging bags put too much weight on it. I'm a lot more careful now and if it happens again, i'll be going straight to the doctor this time. Good luck in your recovery, my advice is to echo others by saying you should definitely see a doctor!

Sounds similar to a problem I used to have. Patella Bursitis. Inflammation of the bursa in the knee (pockets of fluid). Not much you can do just avoid kneeling on it. Mine cleared on its own after a couple of years.

[bustedflush]

Thanks for the replies thus far colleagues.
I will be seeing GP this week and will book the appointment tomorrow. I don't want to miss walking though as being P/T I am getting some good OT in at the moment but if it's a question of urgency and pushing hard is aggravating it my long-term wellbeing is more important than money.
I don't want to spend future years crippled as some have mentioned.

[Stormproof]

I had very similar symptoms.....mine was a tear on my lateral meniscus, which basically is a torn cartilage. If it is that, it does'nt repair itself and sometimes you need an op which I had.....now I have scar tissue and arthritis

[dvbuk55]

I had and still have a very painful right knee since I was 54. I injured it in work but didn't report it and like others on here thought it would get better. It didn't and I went to the Drs and a Specialist who was none specific originally but later said I needed a new knee but I had to wait until I was 60. Anyway in the 18 months I waited to see him the pain had largely gone but 6 years later I was at the stage where I couldn't walk with weight on the shoulder, I couldn't feel my leg below the knee. At its worst I couldn't even bear the duvet touching it, the weather plays an important part and I rarely suffer during summer and in winter I use Traxam gel to numb the pain, then I wrap a bandage round the knee where the knee brace is going and then the knee brace. The reason for the bandage is the Velcro fastenings slip and rub on your leg.

BUT best action is go to the Dr it's probably wear and tear but you should get it checked and dealt with - ultimately I waited so long it became impossible for me to deliver after 6 years

[General Mannerheim]

BUT best action is go to the Dr it's probably wear and tear but you should get it checked and dealt with - ultimately I waited so long it became impossible for me to deliver after 6 years

But at least it got you a job indoors brewing up and checking the Racing Post...every silver cloud and all that.

[dvbuk55]

BUT best action is go to the Dr it's probably wear and tear but you should get it checked and dealt with - ultimately I waited so long it became impossible for me to deliver after 6 years

But at least it got you a job indoors brewing up and checking the Racing Post...every silver cloud and all that.

Yes it did and I am going to complain about your attitude to old age pensioners who's over the hill, in pain, getting fat and retires next week