Excruciating Electric-Shock Pain in Back of Knee

[smont48]

For the past two years my wife (Age 47, 5'3", 140lbs) has had painfull attacks in the back of her knee that she describes as feeling like electric shocks.  Many times these are so painfull that they bring her right down to the floor where she screams and/or cries out in agony.  There is no pattern of when this happens. They are very random and can occur when she's sitting, walking, running or laying in bed.  They also can occur once in a day or week, or several times in  the same day.  She has had ultrasounds, xrays, mri's, vein tests, nerve tests, etc., and no doctor yet has diagnosed her problem.  It scares the heck out of me sometimes because it comes on so quick that there is a violent jerk reaction followed by cries of pain and agony.  The location of these painfull electric shocks is in the back of the knee about an inch or two below where the knee bends.  We've already checked on it being a Bakers Cyst causing the problem so I don't think it's that.  Because of the electrical-shock like nature of the pain, I'm guessing it has something to do with a nerve or vein being squeezed or pinched.  But how does that exlplain painfull attackes when she's laying completely flat or in a recliner and not moving a muscle?  I should add the she is a nail technician and sits for periods of time with her legs crossed.  But she has had a vein test and everything came out normal.  She does take B12 shots because at time she is deficient in Vitamin B12.  But that doesnt' seem to help.  She did have injections of botox which helped somewhat but not a whole heck of a lot.  We are at a loss for what is wrong. The Dr's. are at a loss. We've been to 5 or 6 specialists and my wife is at wits end.  Any suggestions?

[VirginiaW]

Well, I see that my email address was not printed.

[tmonte]

Virginia I am not on lipitor,were you ever diagnosed with a bakers cyst...sometimes I think it is that...I do get a feeling before the actual attack happens..listen to your body..it lets you know .....they are frightening I know but it is almost like I built up a tolerence to the pain after 2 1/2 years of this...do you sit alot? cross your legs alot,did you ever have RLS, which I do have...also certain vitamins  or deficiancy of vitamins  could also cause nerve pain...one thing that did help me was botox in my calf muscle...it stopped the cramp I would get after the attacks..my doctor also did a cortizone injection into the back of the knee..he was a nerologist a very nice one..where r u located...I hope some of this helps

[VirginiaW]

No, I don't have a Baker's cyst. I was checked for that. Your symptoms and after-effects are somewhat different from mine after all. I have no advance warning whatsoever, which is why it is so scary. I have no after-effects except fear.
I consider myself moderately active.
I have not had RLS.
I live in Illinois.
I am now referred to a well-respected orthopedic surgeon and maybe he will order an MRI.
Thanks for trying to help me.

[tmonte]

Dear Virginia ,it seems that I have spoke too soon regarding my condition,this has to of been the most excruciating week of my life,I ended up in the er on Monday and themn again at Yale on wenesday,the attacks were non-stop, but the joke is Yale thought I was looking for drugs when all I was looking for were answers, I finally got in with a Yale nerologist and the appointment is June 17th,which is a joke because I may be in my little remission by then.One thing that is seeming to help this time is stretching,really stretching,hurdle stretches andyoga stretches,yesterday it started at work,I own a nail salon and sit for periods of time and it didn't bother me all day because I stretched in the morning,but then I had gotten to unbelieveable zaps in the back of my knee ,brought me to tears.but I stretched really stretched it out and it stopped,they woke me up again this morning but I am able to rotate my legs hips back whatever to make it subside. I was thinking of you all week when I was experiencing this.I hope maybe some of this helps you also...T

[VirginiaW]

I am so sorry you have had a bad week. My week has been well . . . no attacks since the Monday night after Easter.
I, too, have purchased a Yoga video and I do it a little when I am home alone. I can't do the floor exercises though because I get dizzy lying flat like that . . . and on the floor the dizziness is worse.
I found some videos online that show certain other stretching exercises for knee pain which I think is like ours.
I make a point to simply stretch whenever I think about it.
If you haven't seen this, please watch some of these videos about the piriformis muscle and pain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7U1nRpxZuM

[tmonte]

also Looked into saphenous nerve impingement and alot of the symptoms were the same I posted it in the other forums Google "nerve entrapment of the lower extremities and this really good one came up with all the different nerves theyre clinical finding symptoms ect....hope this helps.....had to take a pill last night the pain was so bad and then today......almost nothing I went to church kneeled went grocery shopping cleaned the house...but who knows what will be tommorrow?????