Hello -
I have a couple of questions regarding some knee pain I am experiencing. I am a 38 year old female with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis and disk narrowing in my lower back. I have been told that this is the cause of frequent lower back pain, right hip pain and occasional syatic nerve issues. I am not sure, however, if this is the cause of my knee pain on the right side, but I also fell on this same knee back in the Fall of 2007 and I am not sure if that caused my current knee pain or made an existing problem even worse. Now, I am dealing with alot of pain and stiffness. I do not feel any popping or grinding. Most pain is across the top of the knee cap and along the interior side of my knee. The pain is present while walking, climbing stairs and when I first stand after sitting for a long period of time. Additionally, if I stand for too long, my knee is extremely sore and stiff. The worst pain is that which wakes my in the middle of the night at least 1-2 times per week. I will be sleeping on my side and wake with excruciating pain, as if an ice pick is driving through the side of my knee (interior side) and into the joint. I cannot straighten or bend my knee at this point without using my hands to manually move my leg. I am taking Aleve to no avail. I am writing in hope for some thoughts or ideas as to what I might be dealing with. Thank you in advance for your time.