knee problems

Hi i hope you can help or give me some advice
My name is Mark im 41 yers old and im in good health.
My problem started around 18 months ago. I was playing (masters) football (30 mins each way) when late in the game i got (badly( tackled) from the side kne high. adrenaline and sheer enthusiasm enabled me to complete the game but when i'd finished my left knee on the outside was extremely painful. i used ice and that nite and because it was the end of the season rested for about two months. when i started back training, the same knee in the same place, outside left, was still sore. Stupidly i continued to play and pla and play.

now months later the injury has cleared up but i now have pain in both my knees at the front. i get pain when i walk downstairs or down a hill. funnily enough the pain is not noticeable when going upstairs or hill. i get a lot of crunching when extending the knee and when walking a lot of popping and a sharp pain at the top of the knee cap towards the cenre and inside (both knees)

I went to see an ostepath once a week for about 5 weeks who used massage to reduce the swelling. She also said i have flat feet and had a heel spur. i've been wearing insoles in my trainers which has cleared the heel spur. Expenese made me stop with the osteopath but continued with ice treatment to reduce the swelling but both knees are continueosly swollen.

If i squeeze my knee below the knee cap this 95% stops the ginding when i extend my knee.

I dont think thre is anything else but i'm desperate to start playing football again. Please help.
Oh one other thing my mother has had bad knees for years but she is (and i hope she wont mind me saying) overweight.

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hey Mark!

Well, without an evaluation it would be difficult to determine the cause of your knee pain. Possibilities include injuries to the internal knee ligaments/ menisci, patellar dislocation, chondromalacia patellae, infections/ inflammations, arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, cyst formation, iliotibial band syndrome, bone growths/ tumours, nerve impingement/ compression, fractures, etc; just to name a few. I would suggest consulting an orthopedician for an evaluation. After a cause is diagnosed, it can be managed accordingly. Meanwhile I would suggest knee rest with probably a brace. Ice-packs and NSAIDS may be used to relieve pain and swelling temporarily.
Hope this helps.

Take care!