severe knee pain

Posted , 8 users are following.

chronic knee pain inner side ( <---- this is what i mean by inner side its like a backward letter c, pain is also located deep behind patella, and in my quad muscle as well as behind my thigh. knee is slightly swollen, tender to the touch, worsens when sitting in the car and sitting at my desk at work. i have to sit with my leg extended, the car becomes unbearable. pain started six plus months ago, becoming so severe it's hindering everyday activity. my primary doc thought it was bursitis, and did injections that initially helped. i went to ortho and was given a diagnosis of chondromalacia, and told my patella sits outside the groove off to the right. i did have my suspicions that i had chondromalacia; however, i suspect that i have something else going on and this is why. i have neurofibromatosis with a large plexiform neurofibroma on my left thigh and naturally i favor my right leg, due to the chronic pain associated with my nf i take a long acting pain med, and a breakthrough pain med daily. with that type of medication i feel if i had some minor knee issues i would not even be aware due to my medication, the fact my knee pain can get so severe it can bring me to tears and stop me in my tracks like it did this morning in the car tells me something big is going on and should not be ignored, in fact my body will not allow me to ignore it. i have only had a xray, ortho said to strengthen my quad and if in six months i'm still in pain he will order a mri. i want to get one now to see if this is what they suspect this="" is="" what="" i="" mean="" by="" inner="" side="" its="" like="" a="" backward="" letter="" c,="" pain="" is="" also="" located="" deep="" behind="" patella,="" and="" in="" my="" quad="" muscle="" as="" well="" as="" behind="" my="" thigh.="" knee="" is="" slightly="" swollen,="" tender="" to="" the="" touch,="" worsens="" when="" sitting="" in="" the="" car="" and="" sitting="" at="" my="" desk="" at="" work.="" i="" have="" to="" sit="" with="" my="" leg="" extended,="" the="" car="" becomes="" unbearable.="" pain="" started="" six="" plus="" months="" ago,="" becoming="" so="" severe="" it's="" hindering="" everyday="" activity.="" my="" primary="" doc="" thought="" it="" was="" bursitis,="" and="" did="" injections="" that="" initially="" helped.="" i="" went="" to="" ortho="" and="" was="" given="" a="" diagnosis="" of="" chondromalacia,="" and="" told="" my="" patella="" sits="" outside="" the="" groove="" off="" to="" the="" right.="" i="" did="" have="" my="" suspicions="" that="" i="" had="" chondromalacia;="" however,="" i="" suspect="" that="" i="" have="" something="" else="" going="" on="" and="" this="" is="" why.="" i="" have="" neurofibromatosis="" with="" a="" large="" plexiform="" neurofibroma="" on="" my="" left="" thigh="" and="" naturally="" i="" favor="" my="" right="" leg,="" due="" to="" the="" chronic="" pain="" associated="" with="" my="" nf="" i="" take="" a="" long="" acting="" pain="" med,="" and="" a="" breakthrough="" pain="" med="" daily.="" with="" that="" type="" of="" medication="" i="" feel="" if="" i="" had="" some="" minor="" knee="" issues="" i="" would="" not="" even="" be="" aware="" due="" to="" my="" medication,="" the="" fact="" my="" knee="" pain="" can="" get="" so="" severe="" it="" can="" bring="" me="" to="" tears="" and="" stop="" me="" in="" my="" tracks="" like="" it="" did="" this="" morning="" in="" the="" car="" tells="" me="" something="" big="" is="" going="" on="" and="" should="" not="" be="" ignored,="" in="" fact="" my="" body="" will="" not="" allow="" me="" to="" ignore="" it.="" i="" have="" only="" had="" a="" xray,="" ortho="" said="" to="" strengthen="" my="" quad="" and="" if="" in="" six="" months="" i'm="" still="" in="" pain="" he="" will="" order="" a="" mri.="" i="" want="" to="" get="" one="" now="" to="" see="" if="" this="" is="" what="" they="">

1 like, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • Posted

    You should not have to live with this pain.  You need and MRI now.  
  • Posted

    Hi so sorry you are in this kind of pain there is obviously something going on   Keep on demanding answers and like first comment you need an MRI it's yr right not in 6 months time,tell them would they like to be I this much pain with no diagnosis. Am l wrong in thinking you have not had TKR surgery yet ? Please keep us posted 
  • Posted

    Have u ever been diagnosed with bon on bone? The pain u r describing sounds like what i was going through?
  • Posted

    How many weeks post op are you and did you have TKR and where.

    I'm 10 weeks post op and I can hardly walk for the pain.

    I was ok in the beginning but not anymore

  • Posted

    this is discouraging.....10 weeks!  What does your doctor say?  How long did you do PT?
  • Posted

    The I've had 4 physio sessions and have attended an hours class 4 times. I have two more to go.

    To be honest I've been so worn out with pain and lack of sleep that I am too exhausted to do much physio at home. Depressed as well I think. I prefer to get in my car and drive to the shops. But that can be depressing because of lack of mobility.

    I'm constantly worried that I've got an infection in my knee. Or else I've started to get arthritis in the other knee and also my hip. These aches and pains weren't there before the op.

    Also I think having the op done on NHS Direct in a private hospital was a bad thing. You get substandard treatment worse than an NHS hospital. My surgeon isn't interested in any problems I've developed since the op. He just implies I should see my GP.

    I've been to A&E twice since the op and both times I was X-rayed- they said things were ok but I was walking better then but I'm still loathe to go back to A&E because it will mean another X-Ray- I would rather wait and see if this is part and parcel of the healing process. If I die I die!!

  • Posted

    I would be depressed too......but you must not give up. Four  sessions of PT is just a beginning and you will not get your mobility back if you stop now.  If you are in pain, you limp....if you limp you will screw up the opposite hip and knee.  Not a good scenario. I am appalled that your surgeon has referred you to your GP........this is NOT his field of expertise.
  • Posted

    Until you get that mri you are really at the mercy of a guess. Its sad they don't get you in and properly diagnosed so proper treatment, correct meds or, if necessary, surgery can be completed.
  • Posted

    Thank you for all your responses. My primary doc was who initially thought my knee pain was bursitis. I eventually started researching orthopedic doctors and made an appointment myself with a local well respected practice, I had one doctor do an assessment and said based on my xray and her assessment she was leaning towards some type of tear patella tear and my patella was off to the right, she did not throw out any diagnosis, and said she was smile I going to go over her thoughts with the surgeon to see if he agrees, the surgeon comes in and push on one part of my knee asked if it was painful, I said it was tender and he comes out with its your pilcla, his assistant said to him are you sure? Even with her patella being that far over? He was like yep. After that about 3 days later, I went for a second opinion in the same practice just different doctor that was recommended to me. That doctor scoffed at the picla diagnosis. He is who gave the Chondromalacia with patella misalignment diagnosis. He recommended a brace to pull my patella back in the grove and physical therapy. I have had no sugery on my knee.
  • Posted

    I just received a call back to my request I sent to the doctor who gave me the Chondromalacia with patella misalignment diagnosis for a MRI. His nurse said that was fine, and I should receive a call from the MRI place and I wound also need to make a follow up appointment to go over the results.

    Hallelujah they are listening to me. I told them not for nothing a MRI would be good to have even if he still wants me to do physical therapy to have a MRI prior and one after to see if I show any changes better or worse. I can tell you I'm 100% positive I have something major going on that this MRI will tell . we know our bodies better than any doctor and we have to be our own advocate when it comes to our health. I refuse to suffer and I'm sorry someone with severe pain that is causing everyday limitations needs more than just a xray. My thing has been what would it hurt to have a MRI to have a better idea of what is really going on. Even with Chondromalacia you need a MRI to know the grade it is someone with grade 1 is going to have a different treatment plan than someone with grade 5

  • Posted

    Sound like chondromalecia....get the Mri.....this happen to me and did my total knee...I'm pain free now...
  • Posted

    Hi Roxy

    I'm glad you are getting your mri, I know what you are going

    through. I had grade3-4 chondromalacia but only diagonsed

    after arthroscopy. Try do some exercise swimming or static biketo strengthen surrounding muscles. On bike if cant do full circle go as far as can back and forward and u will get right round.

    Rest it too ice and elevate. I did have to have a tkr. Keep us

    posted take care.

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