Knee pains

[iBozz]

OK, I don't know my fibula from my tibula from my aorta from my molar from my fundamental orifice, so forgive the non-technical description.

I had a sudden excruciating pain in my left knee whilst walking today - I've never had it before and I don't recall tripping, stumbling or twisting either before or at the time. In fact, I noticed nothing in the walk that might cause any problem at all.

The pain was to the top of the kneecap to the right (looking down) in the "soft area" between the kneecap and the hard bone(s) which run down the inside of the leg. The pain lasted about 10 minutes during which I could barely move.

Some 20 minutes later, it did it again, this time with slightly less pain, but what pain there was was not as localised - it affected the same area to the upper right of the kneecap but also seemed to spread down the two tendons behind the knee. This lasted about 5 minutes.

Since then I have had the odd twinge - painful but not stopping me walking.

What has happened? What has caused the pain? Should I worry and do anything about it, such as see a GP, or is it just a one off something caused by a mistimed yet unnoticed step or somesuch? I take 600mg ibuprofen tds for osteoarthritis and, rarely, 50 mg voltarol prn for an intermittent hip problem so the pain broke through those.

And when I say walking, it was a gentle daily 2 mile shopping stroll to the local village, not a serious "walk".

Or am I reacting like a hypochondriac?

[Mule]

Could just be a trapped nerve.

[diablos]

Sounds like Aids.

[iBozz]

Sounds like Aids.

I don't think so, diablos, as it is a well known fact that all the recognised literature on Aids agrees that, provided one has been in a lifelong monogamous relationship with a pickled dead sheep and sex only takes place on alternate Tuesdays whilst both parties are wearing balaclavas and flippers, Aids cannot be caught.

I just hope they're right or I could be in deep trouble.

The trapped nerve seems the likliest of the two suggestions, so thanks Mule - if it recurs during the next fortnight or so I shall pay my first visit to my GP for over ten years - that'll startle him!

[diablos]

I don't think so, diablos, as it is a well known fact that all the recognised literature on Aids agrees that, provided one has been in a lifelong monogamous relationship with a pickled dead sheep and sex only takes place on alternate Tuesdays whilst both parties are wearing balaclavas and flippers, Aids cannot be caught.

I just hope they're right or I could be in deep trouble.

The trapped nerve seems the likliest of the two suggestions, so thanks Mule - if it recurs during the next fortnight or so I shall pay my first visit to my GP for over ten years - that'll startle him!

Hey i'm no doctor you've outed me

[Matas]

I had a similar situation late last year. Sudden pain in my left knee, though mine was behind the kneecap, slightly off to the left. Sounds like a similar pain though. I was at work at the time so tried to just let it go, and suffered for about a month with it on and off, and in the end was sent to a doctor, and after the preliminary exam he reckoned I had damaged my miniscous (probably spelled incorrectly) but after an mri the following day it all came clear, it was explained to me as internal bruising and I had two weeks laid up with some painkillers, though i cant remember what they were called.
I reckon I knackered it whilst cleaning tanks on the ship, as I am a bit uneasy with heights and they are deep buggers and was a bit overzelous to get off the ladders and rattled my knee off of every bloody rung, though it took a few days to materialise.

Hope my experience is some help for ya.

[Gel]

Or it could be housemaids knee.

Not calling you a girl or anything, that's what its called, if the paid is localised above the kneecap.

[iBozz]

I'm not sure that I recall falling down a ship's ladder, Matas, but it is an interesting theory. However, I can't recall doing anything that might account for such bruising either but I suppose that I could have banged into something and been too preoccupied with something else to notice.

Housemaid's knee is an interesting one too, Gel. If I recall, the hypochondriac Harris (in Three Men in a Boat), when explaining to his doctor what was wrong with him said that it would be quicker to say what was not wrong with him: he didn't have housemaid's knee! Maybe I'm the exact opposite to Harris in that that is all I have got.

I hope!

It seems much better at the moment with only an odd twinge so I guess that whatever it was, or is, I'm on the mend. No need to trouble my quack in the forseeable future!

Thanks for the responses.

[knee doc]

Housemaids knee is a mis-alignment of your knee cap which can cause a stabbing pain or just swelling. Rupturing your ACL can also be painful but not usually excruciating. Cartilage damage can also be painful as it can split, fold over and get trapped between the condyles (the upper thighbone(femur) and lower shin bone (tibia) ) if you still have discomfort your GP can perform a quick test to make sure its not your ACL, as for Housmaids or Cartilage that would have to be examined further.