Mystery pain behind knee?
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hi everyone. (Btw I'm new to this forum).
For the past several months, I've been dealing with lingering pain in the back of BOTH legs (behind the knee). It started out gradually in my right leg, and a few weeks later, my left leg began to hurt as well. Whenever I extend my legs, I feel this persistent, aching sort of tension in the area. It's mostly fine when I'm sitting or bending my knees, but it hurts a lot when I'm standing (especially in the morning). The pain hasn't been getting significantly worse over time, but certainly isn't showing signs of improvement or recovery either.
I first went to an orthopedic doctor who gave me anti-inflammatories, but those had no effect. Eventually, I got an X-Ray and MRI, and he said everything looked normal.
After that, I went to a physical therapist, who noticed that I was flat-footed but also couldn't determine anything wrong with the area behind my knees. He gave me some general exercises to do, but none of those would alleviate my pain.
Finally, I saw a rheumatologist, who also didn't really discover anything wrong. She mentioned that I might have very mild hyperextension, but wasn't definitive about it and couldn't come up with an actual diagnosis.
I've tried various methods of stretching, foam rolling, massage, skin patches, topical creams, etc. ... but none of them have helped.
This has really been bothering me over the last few months - not only the consistent pain, but also the fact that I have no idea what this condition is. I'm a high school baseball player at risk of missing the upcoming season since it's extremely hard for me to sprint, move laterally, and pivot my legs. And this whole time, my parents have been blaming me for running up the medical bill. Whenever I complain about it, they always tell me to "just deal with it" and stop being "mentally weak."
I'd really appreciate any ideas or suggestions in regard to what the problem might be, what other kind of doctor could help, or simply how to relieve the pain.
Thanks.
0 likes, 4 replies
lynda49844 GreenStar423
Posted
Have you tried ice and elevating the leg, or trying a knee support? I assume varicose veins and tendonitis have been ruled out? Is the leg swollen?
GreenStar423 lynda49844
Posted
Both legs look completely normal, no apparent swelling or varicose veins. I read about hamstring tendonitis online and do think some of my symptoms seem to match. However, none of my doctors even mentioned anything about tendonitis and they didn't determine anything through the MRI or physical exams. I've tried a knee compression brace but all that does is make the area even tighter after I take it off. As for icing and elevating, I've tried that too, but not consistently. Do you think it would help if did that a few times a day for a week or so?
lynda49844 GreenStar423
Posted
If it is Tendonitis icing should help. Try icing 4 times a day for 30 minutes at a time if you can. Make sure you have something between the ice and your skin to prevent freezer burn.
Another thing you could try is Turmeric, very good for inflammation. I had a pain in my hip after being knocked off my bike 20 years ago. It was x-rayed and I was told it was arthritis. 5 years ago it was so bad I went back to my GP practice, saw a new doctor who referred me to a musculo-skeletal clinic where I was told it was probably gluteal tendonitis and referred for an ultrasound guided injection. It turned out that my tendon was full of holes, frayed, very inflamed and completely worn out. I was advised there was little they could do to help other than injections when it became unbearable.
The injection I had didn't do much and then a friend suggested Turmeric. Desperate to find some relief I began taking 3 x 500mg daily and 5 days later could walk without pain. Since then I take 2 daily and it keeps the pain manageable. I soon know if I forget to take it. One word of warning is to check with a pharmacist if you take any other medication as it may conflict. People on anti-coagulents shouldn't take it as it does thin the blood. I had to stop taking it 14 days before my surgery too.
Deigh GreenStar423
Posted
It seems that you are investigating every thing that could help without any answers. I have bad pain behind my knees, however, I have this pain because of bilateral knee replacement. One thing that I did notice was that the pain at the back of my knee was triggered by muscle tightness elsewhere, such as muscle around the ITBand , as well as from sciatica. Perhaps your pain is triggered elsewhere and reflected at the knee. Don't give up in trying to get help to figure this out as pain that is not from an obvious reason is not always easy to figure out.