Can't find whats wrong with my knee!
After looking through this site & others I can’t seem to find exactly whats wrong with my knee!
The pain is on the medial side of the patella and around the edge of the patella.
I can squat ok butgetting down the stairs & running is a nightmare.
The pain came about 2 weeks ago at the end of a long run.
Also the pain only usually hurts within a certain angle as it doesn’t hurt when my legs fully straight or fully bent (as in pulling my heel to my bum).
It hurts mostly when walking or running and hurts as it becomes the trailing leg and I bend the knee to return it to the front. Kicking my heels to my bum also hurts alot.
Like I said, squatting and putting weight on the leg doesn’t hurt neither does pulling or twisting the knee hurt in any way.
I’m thinking of some sort of petello-femoral pain and I’ve not run for 2 weeks now concentrating on stretching and strengthening the VMO muscles incase of a muscle imbalance and the pain has gone away but I can feel it as a niggle if I do try and do a few heel-bum kicks.
I’ve always been active and never had any problems with my knee before. I stretch and warm up/down before/after exercise and a neutral runner.
It kept me out of last weekends Sheffield 1/2 marathon which was very frustrating, any ideas?
Craig…
10 comments
mikew
Patella tracking problems respond very well to taping. This pulls the patella away from the painful spot to allow strength training. which along with stretching and massage can sort it out more permenantly.
Biomechanics such as foot abnormalities also have to be addressed.
Check out the site for more information on how to tape the patella.
Robjones450
Hi,
Sounds a bit similar to mine. I’m a runner and got knee pain on the outside of the knee at the end of a run.
Anyway I got it sorted by LOTS of stretches especially the hamstrings. Also, if you wear a strap don’t buy a complete knee strap as they are too bulky to run in. Instead buy a PATELLA strap (like Seba Veron of Man Utd wears). This is just a thin strap that goes round the knee under the kneecap. It is not bulky, easy to run in and sorted out my chrondomalecia. They are very cheap and worth a go – but rest and stretch first.
If you are a neutral runner and don’t pronate then you are OK – if not then consider othortics.
baseballchick
I’ve been seeing a physio for the last 2 weeks with petello-femoral probs and it’s basically just the same thing: strengthen the VMO, stretch and massage the ITB. Then there’s extra stuff like hamstring exercises and glut med strengthening, so it’s all stable when I go back.
The cut-out knee brace is useful, or alternatively, do what I do and tape it up – directly across the anterior of the joint, pulling the patella medially.
To redleg: if the orthopedists aren’t taking it seriously, try going directly to a physio. Lots of specialists would rather cut you up than go the rehab route, and physios know what they’re doing.
redleg
I too suffer a very similar condition in my left knee, however, my pain is medial and extends into the upper calf and accompanies a constant clicking in the knee. Two orthopedics do not seem nearly as concerned as I ( they obviously do not understand the runner mind set ). Anyway, after fluid removal, cortisone injection, and MRI…I am not much closer to being able to run again and the ortho says MRI does not reveal any “real” problems that warrant any further investigation. Any ideas for the suffering runner?
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Redleg
appgirlclimbs
Could be Chondromalacia patella, which can be remedied early if caught. More stretching and strengthening of muscles around the knee will most likely clear up the problem. I think I’ve heard it called “Runner’s Knee” as well. A lot of women get chondromalacia patella because of our hip to knee ratio. Imbalance in muscles around the knee can pull patella out of the groove too. It can cause erosion of cartilege and cause scarring, which can exacerbate the problem. See a doctor or several if it persists for longer than a couple months.
wanjiru
ksheehan
Could it be loose cartilidge or other “junk”? It sounds similar to what is going on with my knees. I tore the MCL on one knee in January, but that is pretty much healed. That knee in particular has pain trying to bend my knee all the way up. I think that I have some meniscus tearing and plan to have an MRI soon to see what’s up in there!
fox
hey all,
sounds like it could be a tracking problem with the patella, and sounds like your on the ball with stregthening the vmo, mabey try a knee brace with a patellar cut out, so you knee cap pokes through and is forced into the right tracking pattern, dont get a bulky one, neoprene should do fine, as you not protecting other parts of the knee, just trying to get the patella moving properly!
the pain on the outside of the knee (lateral) sounds more like itb, check some of those posts for good advice!
jj
sarah_g91
Hi,
Same here, that sounds similar to what I’ve been suffering from if I run any kind of distance.
It’s not painfull if it’s straight or if bent, but just at a certain point as I walk or run, and also if I cross my legs that can bring it on in the leg that’s on top!
When you say Medial side, is that the outside? That’s where my pain is!
I was thinking it might be the IT band. But I wouldn’t know.
I am lucky, because I am not a runner, so it doesn’t really affect me, I am just curious to know what it is. For years I just thought it was Arthritis.
So yes, any ideas would be good.
Sarah.
clodagh
Hi Craig, I am particularly interested in your problem because i am suffering the same problem so I hope someone can answer your post. good luck Craig