I have the exact same problem like you . If I sit in one place for over 3 hours specially while travelling, i cannot even move after that as my knee gets completely locked and i experience excruciating pain. This has been going on for atleast 15 years . It gets worse in the cold.
I also developed arthritis in the same knee 4 years back. As i am against medicines i only take supplements . Green lipped mussels and 5Loxin are especially effective for pain relief and there is this supplement i take called JOINTSNKNEES that has both of these ingredients.Its been very effective for me.
What did the GP say when you mentioned the air travel? Did he do anything to try to rule out a clot? Can you get a second opinion as you don't feel comfortable with the GP's?
I didn't agree with a diagnosis I was given once of sympathetic reflex dystrophy syndrome by a neurologist and neither did an orthopedist, who operated on my knee and helped me a lot by doing so, by God's grace! When you don't feel comfortable with a diagnosis, finding a doctor with credentials you respect who gains your trust to give you a second opinion may be helpful!
Just thought I'd update....Visited my GP on Monday morning and he said i had damaged a muscle behind the knee cap. I have got to go for physio on it to help re build it. If i'm honest I don't agree totally with the diagnosis....I can't kneel on it without it hurting very painfully and I have started to get pain in the back of my calf, very much like a cramp pain after it goes away...
Well, air travel can be a place where blood clots can develop in a the legs. I would suggest you go to emergent care at the emergency room about this because blood clots are nothing you want to wait around to be seen about. Blood clots potentially can break loose and travel and can become life-threatening.
Normally, you would expect the extra warmth in the area with a clot and possibly redness I think, but if it is hiding under your knee cap, I'm wondering if those symptoms mightn't show. You don't want to massage the area or put any heat on it until you get blood clot ruled out, because you wouldn't want a clot breaking loose.
I have just looked into circulatory knee problems, Something that has just raised alarm bells is deep vein thrombosis. I have just returned from a two week holiday in Turkey (Air travel time of 4 hours) and I had a pain in my lower thigh not long after and noticed a very visable vain, could this be a deep vein thrombosis problem!?
Thank you, I appreciate your response! I will take a trip to my local GP and try and get it sorted. Thanks again !
You're welcome!
It sounds like you may have a neurological or circulatory issue going on with the coldness and numbness. A specialist should test to determine that though. When I read throbbing, what jumped to mind was a circulatory issue, but I'm no doctor!
Thank you for your response & private message...
I have applied an ibuprofen gel to the knee at the moment, If anything the knee with the problems is colder than the better knee (may be the ibuprofen gel)
When i put pressure with my fingers onto the knee cap there is a slight numb feeling, no swelling, no fluid, no bruising, no redness....
Does there feel like there is any extra heat coming from the knee? Do you see any redness in the area?
There are several potential causes of throbbing knee pain (see private message), and it is important to get a medical professional's diagnostic work-up to try to properly figure out the cause so proper treatment can be prescribed.