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Date: 01 Jul 2006 06:25:23
From:
Subject: Confusing knee pain
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I have pain on the side of my knee cap. The inner side. It hurts most
when I go up and down stairs and when I sit or stand up.
It does not hurt when I walk.
It started when I bent to pick something up and must have twisted my
knee slightly. I got a sharp pain and it's bothered me ever since. If
I twist the knee while sitting, stairs, etc I get another sharp pain.
One dor says it's probably a torn meniscus. The other says it
probably chondromalacia patellae. Neither will authorize an MRI
because it just isn't bad enough.
The doc that says it's a torn meniscus says to do leg lifts at knee
with light weights. Other doc says that will do more damage than good.
The doc that says it's a torn meniscus is the only one that has
actually examined my knee. He has rotated, pressed and bent it and
said that pain from chondromalacia patellae is usually at front of knee
cap and feels more like a deep pain. My pain is on the side and can
easily be felt by slight pressure.
The other doc diagnoses via my description of the pain. Not his fault
- I am unable to travel to him at the moment. He says I should get PT
but I don't want to do that without knowing for sure what the problem
is.
Do my symptoms coincide with a torn meniscus? I've looked on the web
and the stairs and sitting part sound like chondromalacia patellae, but
all the rest does not.
Jeez, I'm confused. I wish they'd do an MRI but they won't
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Date: 01 Jul 2006 18:54:39
From: Dan Stumpus
Subject: Re: Confusing knee pain
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<googlemail2003@yahoo.com > wrote
> One dor says it's probably a torn meniscus. The other says it
> probably chondromalacia patellae. Neither will authorize an MRI
> because it just isn't bad enough.
> Do my symptoms coincide with a torn meniscus? I've looked on the web
> and the stairs and sitting part sound like chondromalacia patellae, but
> all the rest does not.
>
> Jeez, I'm confused. I wish they'd do an MRI but they won't
Rather than get all bothered about a definite diagnosis (and subsequent
hi-tech intervention), you might just want to rehab yourself. I've known
people who did the surgery and the rehab from it took longer than
I was diagnosed with a small tear in the meniscus (no mri, or definitive
scope procedures done).
Of course the dor wanted to operate. Instead, I iced the knee daily,
walked, got some better running shoes, and gradually rehabilitated it. Took
about a year to get back to my full training load, but I could run some on
soft surfaces within a few weeks. After a year I could run hard on pavement
(although I avoid this whenever I can). Now, 10 years later, I have
absolutely no problems, and I run 70-80 miles/week all year 'round.
My advice: resist the siren call of surgical intervention.
Have you iced your knee (2-3 minutes x 3 several times per day)? That can
really speed up healing.
Does it hurt when you jog? If so, stop and hike if you can do that without
pain, or switch to another exercise. Generally my philosophy is do what
ever exercise you can without hurting the injury, and gradually phase in
your normal workload in such a way that it's pain-free.
-- Dan
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Date: 02 Jul 2006 06:00:53
From:
Subject: Re: Confusing knee pain
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Yes, I ice my knee about four times daily.
Actually I'm not a runner. I posted to this board because I knew this
is where I'd find people with the most experience with knee problems.
I'm a swimmer. I also walk. Neither of these activities bother my
knee.
Did you knee hurt when you sat down, stood up or did stairs?
Dan Stumpus wrote:
> <googlemail2003@yahoo.com> wrote
>
> > One dor says it's probably a torn meniscus. The other says it
> > probably chondromalacia patellae. Neither will authorize an MRI
> > because it just isn't bad enough.
>
> > Do my symptoms coincide with a torn meniscus? I've looked on the web
> > and the stairs and sitting part sound like chondromalacia patellae, but
> > all the rest does not.
> >
> > Jeez, I'm confused. I wish they'd do an MRI but they won't
>
> Rather than get all bothered about a definite diagnosis (and subsequent
> hi-tech intervention), you might just want to rehab yourself. I've known
> people who did the surgery and the rehab from it took longer than
>
> I was diagnosed with a small tear in the meniscus (no mri, or definitive
> scope procedures done).
>
> Of course the dor wanted to operate. Instead, I iced the knee daily,
> walked, got some better running shoes, and gradually rehabilitated it. Took
> about a year to get back to my full training load, but I could run some on
> soft surfaces within a few weeks. After a year I could run hard on pavement
> (although I avoid this whenever I can). Now, 10 years later, I have
> absolutely no problems, and I run 70-80 miles/week all year 'round.
>
> My advice: resist the siren call of surgical intervention.
>
> Have you iced your knee (2-3 minutes x 3 several times per day)? That can
> really speed up healing.
>
> Does it hurt when you jog? If so, stop and hike if you can do that without
> pain, or switch to another exercise. Generally my philosophy is do what
> ever exercise you can without hurting the injury, and gradually phase in
> your normal workload in such a way that it's pain-free.
>
> -- Dan
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Date: 03 Jul 2006 03:50:40
From: Dan Stumpus
Subject: Re: Confusing knee pain
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<googlemail2003@yahoo.com > wrote
> Did you knee hurt when you sat down, stood up or did stairs?
I recall noticing it most when crouching and sitting on the floor with legs
crossed, asian style. I think there was a touch of pain climbing stairs at
first.
As Karl says, give it time.
I advise against pain killers (advil, etc). They cover up the pain, and
they lower the inflammation response. Both things are bad. The first will
cause you to use your injured knee too hard, and the second will retard
healing. Keep icing.
-- Dan
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Date: 02 Jul 2006 17:48:38
From:
Subject: Re: Confusing knee pain
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It's been several months.
Thanks anyway.
At some point I will try to insist on an MRI so I can get a true
diagnosis. I really don't want to start getting PT without knowing for
sure what the problem is. I've learned the hard way that PT can
sometimes cause a lot more harm than good.
Karl Schendel wrote:
> In article <1151760323.278829.216780@m79g2000cwm.googlegroups.com>,
> googlemail2003@yahoo.com wrote:
>
> > I have pain on the side of my knee cap. The inner side. It hurts most
> > when I go up and down stairs and when I sit or stand up.
> >
> > It does not hurt when I walk.
> >
> > It started when I bent to pick something up and must have twisted my
> > knee slightly. ...
>
> How long has this been going on? I used to have something like this
> happen to me occasionally when I used to run with the dog. (He would
> dart sideways just as I was landing. Duh. I don't run with him any
> more.) If it's been less than 6 weeks, I'd say just ride it out.
> Ice AND ibuprofen might speed up recovery. It might take 8 or 9
> weeks to heal, and you may not notice any improvement until almost
> the end of that time.
>
> If it's been longer than 8 weeks, with no improvement, it must be
> something different and I can't advise you.
>
> Karl
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Date: 02 Jul 2006 16:53:14
From: Karl Schendel
Subject: Re: Confusing knee pain
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In article <1151760323.278829.216780@m79g2000cwm.googlegroups.com >,
googlemail2003@yahoo.com wrote:
> I have pain on the side of my knee cap. The inner side. It hurts most
> when I go up and down stairs and when I sit or stand up.
>
> It does not hurt when I walk.
>
> It started when I bent to pick something up and must have twisted my
> knee slightly. ...
How long has this been going on? I used to have something like this
happen to me occasionally when I used to run with the dog. (He would
dart sideways just as I was landing. Duh. I don't run with him any
more.) If it's been less than 6 weeks, I'd say just ride it out.
Ice AND ibuprofen might speed up recovery. It might take 8 or 9
weeks to heal, and you may not notice any improvement until almost
the end of that time.
If it's been longer than 8 weeks, with no improvement, it must be
something different and I can't advise you.
Karl
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