Please help diagnose knee problem

Is there a bump behind the bad knee?
....thehick

Jack said:

Age 61. For past 12 months, pain behind one knee prevented squatting
(like a baseball catcher) but did not prevent daily jogging, leg
curls, or leg extensions.

Condition worsened last Wednesday after doing a set of leg curls and
while trying to do leg extensions. Pain now prevents daily jogging on
flat surface. Pain primarily upon flexion of knee. Going downhill
or down steps is worse than going uphill or up steps. Able to slowly
jog up steep driveway hill but with some discomfort. Discomfort in
semi-flexed position after 10 minutes of driving car. Sometimes sharp
pain upon arising after sitting. Sometimes a clicking feeling when
picking something up from floor. No pain in front of knee, patella
area. Knee does not feel unstable like a 3rd degree ligament tear.
No pain at rest. Knee feels best after sleep.

Opinions, if you please. If I have to give up the daily run, they
might as well shoot me. Thank you, Jack

I think it would be better for a Doctor to diagnose. I would suggest and
Orthopedic. Sounds like a torn or worn Meniscus to me.

Gregg

"Jack" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Age 61. For past 12 months, pain behind one knee prevented squatting
(like a baseball catcher) but did not prevent daily jogging, leg
curls, or leg extensions.

Condition worsened last Wednesday after doing a set of leg curls and
while trying to do leg extensions. Pain now prevents daily jogging on
flat surface. Pain primarily upon flexion of knee. Going downhill
or down steps is worse than going uphill or up steps. Able to slowly
jog up steep driveway hill but with some discomfort. Discomfort in
semi-flexed position after 10 minutes of driving car. Sometimes sharp
pain upon arising after sitting. Sometimes a clicking feeling when
picking something up from floor. No pain in front of knee, patella
area. Knee does not feel unstable like a 3rd degree ligament tear.
No pain at rest. Knee feels best after sleep.

Opinions, if you please. If I have to give up the daily run, they
might as well shoot me. Thank you, Jack

Diagnosis is best left to a doctor. That said ...

Knee worse down stairs than up is classic chondromalatia patella or
Runner's Knee. Causes vary but patella tracking is usually what's at
issue. Patellar tracking gets messed up for a variety of reasons and
therefore treatments vary. Among the things you can try, in the order
I'd try them.

1. Lay on your back and do pretend bicycling motions, leading with the
heel and fully straightening the leg. Try to work up to several sets of
10 reps throughout the day (one morning and one evening if you can't
make more time than that) and eventually try to work up to more than 10
reps at a time - 50-100 would be good. The goal is relaxed, fluid
motion - think about the old cyclist's adage to "pedal circles." Go for
smooth and relatively rapid movement.

2. Give up on leg curls and leg extensions entirely, period. Learn to
squat instead. There are many ways to squat, e.g., staying flat on your
feet at the bottom or coming up on your toes instead, wide or narrow
stance, with and without weight, etc. The goal is to squat deeply, with
full flexion of the knee. One could write a book on the subject of
squatting and people have done just that. Google "hindu squat" and try
that style for a starter. It will feel very foreign to you as a runner.

3. Consider imbalances of strength and/or flexibility as they relate to
patellar tracking. Be sure your hamstrings are well stretched and your
quads as well. Stretch your calves, too.

4. Try sitting on a table or firm chair and doing leg extensions but
without any weight, using the very end of the motion, i.e., don't bend
the knee more than 30 degrees (not 90 like you used to), and pause for a
second or two at full extension unless that's painful.

You asked for opinions - you got mine for free and that's about what
it's worth. 🙂

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com

"Steve Freides" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
<snip>

Now there's a name I haven't seen here in some time!

cheers,
--
David Hirsh, director
www.absolutelyaccurate.com
Southern Ontario's Summer Race Series!

SwStudio said:

Now there's a name I haven't seen here in some time!

Thank you. Do you like to see me dance in my hot pink tutu?

Steve Friedes "The Tiny Ballerina"

Steve Freides said:

Diagnosis is best left to a doctor. That said ...

Knee worse down stairs than up is classic chondromalatia patella or
Runner's Knee. Causes vary but patella tracking is usually what's at
issue. Patellar tracking gets messed up for a variety of reasons and
therefore treatments vary. Among the things you can try, in the order
I'd try them.

1. Lay on your back and do pretend bicycling motions, leading with the
heel and fully straightening the leg. Try to work up to several sets of
10 reps throughout the day (one morning and one evening if you can't
make more time than that) and eventually try to work up to more than 10
reps at a time - 50-100 would be good. The goal is relaxed, fluid
motion - think about the old cyclist's adage to "pedal circles." Go for
smooth and relatively rapid movement.

2. Give up on leg curls and leg extensions entirely, period. Learn to
squat instead. There are many ways to squat, e.g., staying flat on your
feet at the bottom or coming up on your toes instead, wide or narrow
stance, with and without weight, etc. The goal is to squat deeply, with
full flexion of the knee. One could write a book on the subject of
squatting and people have done just that. Google "hindu squat" and try
that style for a starter. It will feel very foreign to you as a runner.

3. Consider imbalances of strength and/or flexibility as they relate to
patellar tracking. Be sure your hamstrings are well stretched and your
quads as well. Stretch your calves, too.

4. Try sitting on a table or firm chair and doing leg extensions but
without any weight, using the very end of the motion, i.e., don't bend
the knee more than 30 degrees (not 90 like you used to), and pause for a
second or two at full extension unless that's painful.

You asked for opinions - you got mine for free and that's about what
it's worth. 🙂

punk, front squats, deep...will straighten those patellar right out.

You've seen it, in the back of the gym where the bar rides high, and
threatens lives.

heh, going retro on your ass.

--
Is this thing on?

Quoted message said:

Is there a bump behind the bad knee?
...thehick

If there is, what does that mean? I have a similar problem with a bump
behind the bad knee. My doc thinks it's fluids with no place to go. I'm not
convinced that it hasn't always been there. It is not sore to the touch at
all. Obviously from your question the bump means something.

Tom

--
www.DuendeDrama.org
Bringing Plays and Stories
to Our Schools and Communities

the pain from semi bend while driving a car after 10 minutes imo
eliminates the runner's knee/patella tracking & ligaments. i believe
it's one of the menisci.

bruise or some measure of tear. bad news is there is very little blood
flow there, recovery is protracted with age, and it's possible it can
never heal short of surgery.

i've got a similar problem except i can function, but not run...and
don't want to consider going under the knife. i'm hoping i have
bruising shy of a tear and simply need to heal... i'm hoping 2 months
off and while damn near OD'ing on glucosamine, chondroitin, Fatty
Acids, and Shark Cartilage heals the injury.

http://www.myvitanet.com/ar3.html

check out:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001222.htm
....thehick

Get it checked out - could be a meniscal tear if the knee is clicking,
with or without a ligament tear (there's lots of ligaments in the knee!)
especially if you ever experience locking. See a physiotherapist if you
can, they should be able to give you some kind of diagnosis 🙂

Jack said:

Age 61. For past 12 months, pain behind one knee prevented squatting
(like a baseball catcher) but did not prevent daily jogging, leg
curls, or leg extensions.

Condition worsened last Wednesday after doing a set of leg curls and
while trying to do leg extensions. Pain now prevents daily jogging on
flat surface. Pain primarily upon flexion of knee. Going downhill
or down steps is worse than going uphill or up steps. Able to slowly
jog up steep driveway hill but with some discomfort. Discomfort in
semi-flexed position after 10 minutes of driving car. Sometimes sharp
pain upon arising after sitting. Sometimes a clicking feeling when
picking something up from floor. No pain in front of knee, patella
area. Knee does not feel unstable like a 3rd degree ligament tear.
No pain at rest. Knee feels best after sleep.

Opinions, if you please. If I have to give up the daily run, they
might as well shoot me. Thank you, Jack