Preventing a knee injury

PrettyPaisley · #1 04/11/13, 09:49 PM

This is going to sound really odd so hang in there with me.

I have a hitch in my left knee. There is a catch on the inside part of my knee that I feel a few times a day as I am standing up. It could be when I step out of my car and turn to take a step, or when I get up off the milk stand, again as I put down my foot and rotate my body to begin to turn in the direction in which I am heading.

It hurts. And it pops. And so far I am able to correct myself before it goes further than a pop and a burn. What I'm worried about is falling apart to the point that one day I won't be able to stop myself in time and it will pop all the way.

Is there some way I can correct this knee issue before I really mess up?

joebill · #2 04/11/13, 10:05 PM

Probably, yes, but you'll need a doc or phisical therapist to tell you how. Shame, but that's how it is......Joe

Laura Zone 10 · #3 04/11/13, 11:06 PM

If you have insurance.......get an MRI.
It could be a torn meniscus, which is super easy to repair.

bjgarlich · #4 04/11/13, 11:07 PM

I suggest a chiropractor. Sounds like something is out of kilter :-). Get a recommendation from someone you trust tho - not all chiropractors are good.

PrettyPaisley · #5 04/11/13, 11:14 PM

Ugh. I was *REALLY* hoping to skip the whole doctor thing and just do something at home like push ups or drinking water while standing on my head.

Off to google MRI.

Laura Zone 10 · #6 04/11/13, 11:30 PM

I have had 3 knee surgeries.
1 major, 2 scopes.

My 'hitch' was damaged cartilage and bone fragments.
If I planted my foot and turned, it would drop me.
If I hyper extended my knee it would drop me.
If I ran on a surface that was uneven (like the yard) it would drop me.

Finally went in and had the MRI.......it was a hot mess.
Bone fragments chewed all my cartilage up....they had to clean all the junk out, drill holes in my bones so that they would bleed and leave scar tissue....and that is my 'cartilage' now.
That was also 14 years ago, so technology is totally in your favor.

Don't put off going to the doc.

jwal10 · #7 04/12/13, 12:04 AM

Get to the doc. A good sports doc can manipulate the knee and tell you the problem. BTDT. The bad knee is my good knee because it was fixed when I was younger. As you get older you get smarter, RIGHT. I didn't go when it started bothering, put off going to the doc and it eventually did more damage to the "good" knee, making it my bad knee, now....James

78Parrothead · #8 04/12/13, 12:08 AM

At a bare minimum get a good brace for it. That won't make it better but it should help in mot causing more damage until you decide which doctor to see.

hippygirl · #9 04/12/13, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laura Zone 5

I have had 3 knee surgeries.
1 major, 2 scopes.

My 'hitch' was damaged cartilage and bone fragments.
If I planted my foot and turned, it would drop me.
If I hyper extended my knee it would drop me.
If I ran on a surface that was uneven (like the yard) it would drop me.

Finally went in and had the MRI.......it was a hot mess.
Bone fragments chewed all my cartilage up....they had to clean all the junk out, drill holes in my bones so that they would bleed and leave scar tissue....and that is my 'cartilage' now.
That was also 14 years ago, so technology is totally in your favor.

Don't put off going to the doc.

My right knee has been scoped twice (same problem as yours). The doc said both of my knees would eventually have to be replaced, but we should wait as long as possible before replacement.

In the meantime, I have to be very careful...limit climbing steep slopes/inclines, no squatting, and no kneeling on my knees. If I do any of those, my knees swell terribly and hurt BAD for days.

geo in mi · #10 04/12/13, 06:47 AM

Shannon,
I'm not a doctor and this isn't medical advice, but if this were happening to me, I would be looking at the shoes I'm wearing, loads I'm carrying, and anything else that might be a sort of repetitive stress type of injury, imbalance, or irritation that could be happening. Maybe something like wearing high top work shoes, using a dollie to carry water buckets, rearranging my house and work areas to reduce steps---etc, etc, etc. could give some relief.

'Course, I wouldn't refuse to see a doctor, especially if I
didn't see any improvement.

geo

Cindy in NY · #11 04/12/13, 07:31 AM

You need to go see an ortho sooner rather than later. I've had multiple knee injuries and surgeries. Waiting, hoping the pain will go away usually does not work!

One thing you can do while you wait for your appt is single leg lifts (unless they cause you more pain!). No matter what I have done to my knees, this has always been a recommendation. It strengthens the ligaments on the sides of your knees.

foxtrapper · #12 04/12/13, 07:43 AM

Things that are torn lose in a joint and cause popping and pain don't usually get better on their own. Nor do they usually respond well to braces or icing and such. While those things can work well on inflamation and the like, they don't deal with mechanical damage.

Understand that things like an MRI are wonderful tools, but they don't show everything, and certainly not always clearly or understandably.

Can you live with a "hitch in your getalong"? Sure, our forbearers did it. They also had no choice. We can do the same though if we chose. Can surgery or the like help? Probably. Not always, not necessarily guaranteed. And depending on your insurance, it can be incredibly expensive.

7thswan · #13 04/12/13, 07:53 AM

Try takeing large dosages of glucosamine for awhile, it does take time to build up in your system so don't give up. It just might help you, and help with your other joints if they are slowly going bad.

Big Dave · #14 04/12/13, 08:30 AM

Had knee surgery, scoped and scraped. It is good for now. I do not use a car as they are to low. SUV or Pick up truck.

Alice In TX/MO · #15 04/12/13, 08:59 AM

Yup, ditto all the above. Cartilage damage. Orthoscopic cleaning out may help. Better shoes may help.

Welcome to that time of life.

Rita · #16 04/12/13, 09:45 AM

Doing exercises to strengthen the muscles that hold the knee in place would be a good thing to try. The quadriceps are good ones to work. I have two bad knees and I can feel an improvement after I have exercised.

TNHermit · #17 04/12/13, 10:05 AM

If ya wann do it at home to see. Start taking some Gleatin (knox), calcium, There is also a Womans Forumla called RENEW-IN. Kinda pricey but cheaper than doc. Has all four of the glucoseamine ,haulirc acid,MSM,Chondrotin formula

I just recently started taking Natro Bio for Leg Cramps. (Vitacost) which have been a huge help

And one more thing that helped tremendously was going from a 11D shoe to a 12/1/2 4E 577 New Balance shoe. Feet always felt cramped and not only did it fix my feet it took a lot of pain from my knee.

PrettyPaisley · #18 04/12/13, 10:16 AM

That time of life! NOT FAIR!

I was thinking about a brace and a supplement. My mom has kness issues (and I inherited a chink in my hip from her, as did my sister!) and she has managed to stave off surgery at 64. But I KNOW she makes it worse still wearing high heels all the time. My standard shoes are now muck boots, flip flops and non-skid loafers at work. Probably not that much better than high heels in the support department.

I will look into a supplement, leg lifts and a brace. I was wondering if something to lube the joints would work; I'd read about gelatin as well.

Thanks for the tips. Mentally I am not aging well ... no matter how often I remind myself it's better than the alternative!

farmwoman59 · #19 04/12/13, 12:21 PM

The hurt, pop and burn - all three words jumped out at me when I read the OP. That's exactly how mine started and is today. It's arthritis. One scope to take care of some bone spurs helped a bit - then - but the eroding cartilage is still progressing.

bluemoonluck · #20 04/12/13, 12:27 PM

Yeah, you at least need to get it looked at and diagnosed by an ortho (get at least a regular MRI, a contrast MRI if you can talk the doc into it)...then you can decide what to do from that point on.

I blew out my shoulder when I was 16 riding a horse...it never was right, but I ignored it. Then I injured it again in my early 30's, and it just got worse and worse until I moved wrong one day and couldn't move my neck or EITHER shoulder. Finally broke down and had a contrast MRI done, and found that I had some serious damage done to it. Gave in and had the reconstruction surgery AND did 1 year of PT and 6 months of therapeutic/medical massage therapy afterwards, but because I waited so long to get it done my shoulder will never be the same - I have decreased range of motion and I'm at high risk of reinjury

If I had just sucked it up and had it looked at when I was a teenager, I'd likely be just fine right now. It's my left shoulder, which means that I can no longer handle my own dogs in the show ring (I'm not supposed to even hold a leash in my left hand, because one wrong move and I'll rip my shoulder back out again). And I'm not supposed to lift anything that weighs more than 20 pounds either, for the same reason. All because I'm a stubborn cuss who buried my head in the sand for 18 years and ignored the chronic pain in my shoulder.