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Unknown and recurring tendon/ligament burning/tearing pain followed by numbness
For the past several years I've had long periods (upwards of 6 months at a time) of excruciating burning/tearing pain in various tendons or ligaments when stretched.
The first occurrence was in my right knee. If I bent my knee near its maximum extent (such as when kneeling, crouching or climbing into bed), I experienced an incredibly painful tearing/burning sensation in the area of my patellar tendon. I would immediately react and straighten my knee and the pain would completely dissipate within several minutes. Afterward the area would feel about 50% numb, as if injected with a mild local anesthetic that was slowly wearing off, for several hours. I mentioned this to my doctor and he just dismissed it as "you probably just strained your knee", but I hadn't. Normal walking, running, jumping, etc caused no pain, weakness or instability and there was no swelling, bruising or other external indication of injury. It was only while fully bent that the pain occurred. This episode lasted for at least 6 months. Then, as quickly and mysteriously as it appeared, it was gone.
Some months later, I went to step up on a curb and I experienced the same tearing pain in my right Achilles tendon when I bent my foot upward near its max extent. Just as with the knee, the pain subsided within a few minutes and a numbness was left behind. This lasted several months as well, then suddenly disappeared.
Next, the same happened in my right knee again, although this time it was in my Lateral Collateral ligament area. This lasted for several months as well. During this particular episode the numbness that followed the pain never completely subsided, though. When the episode was over, I was left with a persisting slight numbness and slight pain sensitivity to external pressure (sensitive to the touch).
About a month ago my fourth episode began and continues today. This time it's along the outside of my right big toe and occurs when I extend my foot downward and point my toes, such as when putting on a pair of pants. Like the last episode, the numbness is not subsiding after a pain attack.
Overall the pain is short-lived when I forget myself and accidentally induce it. It's more of a nuisance than anything, but at the same time it's troubling to think that there could be an underlying reason which may be serious.
So I'd like to know if anyone else has experienced this and has a name to put on it so I can either put my mind at rest or get treatment without having to battle the usual "oh, you probably strained it, take some ibuprofen and see what happens" from my doc.
Thanks!!
The first occurrence was in my right knee. If I bent my knee near its maximum extent (such as when kneeling, crouching or climbing into bed), I experienced an incredibly painful tearing/burning sensation in the area of my patellar tendon. I would immediately react and straighten my knee and the pain would completely dissipate within several minutes. Afterward the area would feel about 50% numb, as if injected with a mild local anesthetic that was slowly wearing off, for several hours. I mentioned this to my doctor and he just dismissed it as "you probably just strained your knee", but I hadn't. Normal walking, running, jumping, etc caused no pain, weakness or instability and there was no swelling, bruising or other external indication of injury. It was only while fully bent that the pain occurred. This episode lasted for at least 6 months. Then, as quickly and mysteriously as it appeared, it was gone.
Some months later, I went to step up on a curb and I experienced the same tearing pain in my right Achilles tendon when I bent my foot upward near its max extent. Just as with the knee, the pain subsided within a few minutes and a numbness was left behind. This lasted several months as well, then suddenly disappeared.
Next, the same happened in my right knee again, although this time it was in my Lateral Collateral ligament area. This lasted for several months as well. During this particular episode the numbness that followed the pain never completely subsided, though. When the episode was over, I was left with a persisting slight numbness and slight pain sensitivity to external pressure (sensitive to the touch).
About a month ago my fourth episode began and continues today. This time it's along the outside of my right big toe and occurs when I extend my foot downward and point my toes, such as when putting on a pair of pants. Like the last episode, the numbness is not subsiding after a pain attack.
Overall the pain is short-lived when I forget myself and accidentally induce it. It's more of a nuisance than anything, but at the same time it's troubling to think that there could be an underlying reason which may be serious.
So I'd like to know if anyone else has experienced this and has a name to put on it so I can either put my mind at rest or get treatment without having to battle the usual "oh, you probably strained it, take some ibuprofen and see what happens" from my doc.
Thanks!!
There are a lot of people posting here who are good candidates for Lyme Disease. Lyme Disease is epidemic and terribly underdiagnosed in the US. The CDC says there are probably about ten times the reported cases of 30,000. At 300,000 cases a year, that's more than Breast Cancer!
Many many people go undiagnosed for years because doctors do not recognize the symptoms, and do not know that up to half of patients test negative on standard blood tests, especially if you've had antibiotics that were insufficient to kill all of the spirochetes.
There are dozens of possible symptoms, but in the US, muscle and joint pain are very common. A classic feature of Lyme is that the symptoms seem to move around and/or come and go and/or vary in intensity. Many people with Lyme are misdiagnosed with Fibromyalgia, as every symptom of Fibro is on the Lyme symptom list. Note: Fibromyalgia is not a disease, but rather a collection of symptoms with an unkown cause. Lyme is a known infection caused by a Borrelia spirochete.
This document contains a thorough symptom list. It's designed for doctors, so you can skip the more technical parts.
http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/B_guidelines_12_17_08.pdf
Note: Lyme Disease is controversial. Most doctors were taught that is is hard to get and easy to treat and that's it's identified by a rash and swollen knees. Many won't diagnose the disease unless you went to a hyper endemic area right before symptoms started, regardless of your symptoms and test results. Other doctors, called Lyme Literate Medical Doctors have become familiar with the many symptoms of the disease through experience and will treat you untill you are well. Most Infectious Disease doctors will tell you that a month's worth of oral antibiotics will cure you, and your remaining symptoms might fade with time, or that you have "post Lyme disease treatment syndrome" and they'll give you drugs for your chronic pain. Do your research and choose wisely.
Many many people go undiagnosed for years because doctors do not recognize the symptoms, and do not know that up to half of patients test negative on standard blood tests, especially if you've had antibiotics that were insufficient to kill all of the spirochetes.
There are dozens of possible symptoms, but in the US, muscle and joint pain are very common. A classic feature of Lyme is that the symptoms seem to move around and/or come and go and/or vary in intensity. Many people with Lyme are misdiagnosed with Fibromyalgia, as every symptom of Fibro is on the Lyme symptom list. Note: Fibromyalgia is not a disease, but rather a collection of symptoms with an unkown cause. Lyme is a known infection caused by a Borrelia spirochete.
This document contains a thorough symptom list. It's designed for doctors, so you can skip the more technical parts.
http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/B_guidelines_12_17_08.pdf
Note: Lyme Disease is controversial. Most doctors were taught that is is hard to get and easy to treat and that's it's identified by a rash and swollen knees. Many won't diagnose the disease unless you went to a hyper endemic area right before symptoms started, regardless of your symptoms and test results. Other doctors, called Lyme Literate Medical Doctors have become familiar with the many symptoms of the disease through experience and will treat you untill you are well. Most Infectious Disease doctors will tell you that a month's worth of oral antibiotics will cure you, and your remaining symptoms might fade with time, or that you have "post Lyme disease treatment syndrome" and they'll give you drugs for your chronic pain. Do your research and choose wisely.
Oh, and I forgot to mention the numbness below & outside the right knee as well :-)
Crikey, one more to add to the list of sufferers here! Sharp tearing pain just below and outside the right knee when under full compression. No more kneeling down to get the children dressed for me!
40 yr old, male, competitive cyclist. I generally train 6 days a week and mercifully, so far, this isn't affecting my cycling. I mentioned it to my physio last week & he couldn't think of an obvious cause.
It started approx 1 month ago. I *think* that it roughly coincides with some trauma to my lower back that meant I struggled to walk for three days. That's the last time I heft a huge mattress up a steep flight of stairs! The back pain went away after a few days, though it was really nasty while it lastest.
A number of others on this thread have alluded to a possible connection with nerves around the lower back. At the moment, my money's on that, although I do intend to see my doctor about it soon. In the meantime, I'm avoiding any kind of full compression of my right knee, and have started some lumbar extension exercises to target the lower back.
Best of luck to all the fellow sufferers. I'll post back here if anything changes.
Cheers. Mark.
40 yr old, male, competitive cyclist. I generally train 6 days a week and mercifully, so far, this isn't affecting my cycling. I mentioned it to my physio last week & he couldn't think of an obvious cause.
It started approx 1 month ago. I *think* that it roughly coincides with some trauma to my lower back that meant I struggled to walk for three days. That's the last time I heft a huge mattress up a steep flight of stairs! The back pain went away after a few days, though it was really nasty while it lastest.
A number of others on this thread have alluded to a possible connection with nerves around the lower back. At the moment, my money's on that, although I do intend to see my doctor about it soon. In the meantime, I'm avoiding any kind of full compression of my right knee, and have started some lumbar extension exercises to target the lower back.
Best of luck to all the fellow sufferers. I'll post back here if anything changes.
Cheers. Mark.
I have the tearing burning sensation just below and to the outer aspect of my knees with some maybe slight swelling and numbness but no long term pain when I try to kneel. Some times when I get up and start walking, I feel like my knees are not well connected for a second. I too feel this could be related to taking statins. I have been on Crestor this time for about 5 months and take CQ10 with it. The tearing sensations started about a month ago. I stopped taking 2 other statins for various knee and joint problems over the past 4 years. I think more studies need to be done on statins and wonder how many who have posted these problems with tearing sensation are on them.
I have the same thing in my right knee, this has only been going on for three weeks but that is three weeks to long. I had a mri and my results came back fine. Soo mad and wanted to know if you have found any more info to share. I am 35 Female Thanks Tammie
I have been fighting the symtoms from 40mgs of Lipitor and I had muscle aches, weakness, muscle cramps, and now burning tendon like feelings in my knee when bent, big toe when streched. I haven't seen the doctor yet to change my drug, but some say Ease a trol is my next try. I had these same weakness with 20mgs of Crestor. 10 mgs did not bother me.
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