Chronic Knee Pain

[meldillabough]

I have been having flair ups in my right knee going on 6 years now. Each flair up lasts longer and longer and is more and more severe. The pain in my knee is in the front, the inside and the back. It includes swelling, clicking, catching and, strange enough, tingling in the bottom of my foot when my leg is extended all the way. Last year all I did was swing my legs out of bed and stand up when extreme pain shot through my knee. For the next 2 weeks I was limping and the pain was pretty severe. It started 5 years ago with pain going up and down the stairs. I saw an orthopedic and he told me it was overuse. Just 5 months ago I went to see him again and he ran an MRI and an X-ray. The X-ray showed nothing and the MRI showed thinning of the cartilage. It somtimes feels like something gets in the way in the front of my knee and then stepping down on it is extremely painful. I could be walking fine one minute and the next limping from the pain shooting through my knee. There was never a definate diagnosis. He told me to come back when my knee flared up again but the last flare up hasn't really ever ended. It clicks all the time. I don't know what is wrong and don't know what to do about it. I've never felt the tingling at the bottom of my foot before and am wondering with all these symptoms what could be going on with my knee. Only in the beginning of my flare up will I get severe swelling. Enough for it to feel like a band is wrapped tightly around my knee even when just sitting or standing. Can someone please help me figure out what could possibly be going on? I have 2 children ages 10 and 4. It makes it hard for me to run with them or even go for walks. I'd like to be able to go out and do more with them but with my knee it's just painful.

[Dr Vinod]

As your X-ray was normal and nothing much in MRI, your thinning of the cartilage can be confirmed by an Arthroscopy.
Before that all your symptoms point towards a nervous involvement. So take a appointment  near a neurologist and co-relate with the MRI. Explain your symptoms and let him analyze your nerves.
With no nervous involvement you can visit any good orthopaedic facility for a proper diagnoisis as toothfairytracie has suggested.

Take care!

[toothfairytracie]

Hi,
Try looking up CRPS. I have suffered for 10yrs with Chronic knee pain from CRPS (NERVE DAMAGE) & no cartilage, removal of both discs over 4 ops. Hope you get some answers soon, as knowing what is wrong is a help, Try to get your GP to refer you to another specialist. I am currently under the Pain Management team at St Thomas' in London. Brilliant top docs. Best of luck, Toothfairytracie x