sorry if this is in the wrong category guys, i just really need some advice!

[Josh344]

Hey guys, my name's Josh, i'm a 22 year old student from the UK. Over the past 12 months i've been experiencing chronic leg pain, which the doctors still have no idea what it is, what's causing it/how to treat it etc.

It's a bit of a long list of how it all came about/developed, but i'll try and sum it up as clearly and chronologically as I can.

April 2008 - I was playing football with some friends and whilst jogging my left patella tendon seemed to 'give way' which made me have to stop running/walking for a couple of days.

May 2008 - The pain had subsided quite a bit, but not completely, I saw a physio who thought I had a bit of tendonitis and that it would heal itself with some ice and light exercises over the next few weeks.

June - Sept 2008 - My knee was getting no better, and now it seemed to be the outsides of it which were hurting, I had an x-ray which came back clean, and I was given small amounts of ultra sound/physio which temporarily relieved pain.

Oct-Dec 2008 - my knee was feeling a little better, and i tried a light jog for around 10 mins, at the time it was fine, but the next day I had a burning sensation all through the front and back of my left thigh, which has remained, along with the initial knee pain to this date.

Jan 2009 - the symptoms of my left leg seemed to almost suddenly become replicated in my right leg, with the same inensity.

Jan - today - I have constant burning sensations in both thighs, and patella tendons, along with what I can only describe as chronic knee pain.

Throughout this time I have had another x-ray of both legs, MRI scans of my knees which have all come back negative. I've also had blood tests for any rheumatological problems, which has supposedly ruled them out. I've taken various NSAI's and pain killers, along with light anti-depressants to help me sleep better and aid any type of recovery. Unfortuntaley none of these have worked at all, and the pain is just getting worse by the week.

Another thing I feel worth mentioning is that about a month before my initial knee pains, I did a bungee jump, which went a bit wrong and caused me quite severe whiplash. A couple of physios believe that this has pulled my hips and pelvis out of line, and rotated them a bit, which they think may be causing my problems - all the doctors and orthopaedic specialists have ruled this out as a potential cause though, so I'm not quite sure who to believe!


Sorry this is such a long message, but if any of you have heard of similar cases or think you could help in any way at all I would be extremely grateful!

Thanks

[Prospero73]

I forwarded your post to a running forum I'm on, but haven't had any response as yet.  It sounds like a displaced patella, but if I hear from anyone, I'll pass it on.

[Josh344]

Hi guys, thanks for your replies, chondromalacia is definitely something that looks possible or even probable, i do actually remember my surgeon mentioning it, and ive had a quick research of it and a lot of the symptoms do it. the only thing that makes me wary of it, is that both of the xrays, and mri scans ive had done, have shown no problems with my cartiledge - but then i suppose scans don't always show everything!

the other thing that concerns me, is the rapid degeneration i seem to have have had in my knees/legs. I could understand this if i had been very very active, but since my patella tendon gave way, i didnt attempt any sports for around 6 months, and it was only then that the real problems started to arise (maybe by being so innactive my cartiledge started to have problems?)

i've been taking lots of different multi-vits, glucosamine sulphate, cold liver oil, etc etc to try and help, but it doesnt really seemed to have made a difference, but i'll keep on them, just incase it starts to improve.

and thanks chickamin, hope ive helped in any way i could, did any of the symptoms i have lead to your complete knee replacement, or have the just been similar to the ones you've experienced since? (my xrays showed very slightly tilted knee caps, but so slight that all the specialists said it shouldnt be causing a problem, they said 50% of the populations tilt a little). its terrible about dropping the machine on your knee, surely it can't have done it any good at all, have you had a second opinion to confirm whether or not it has caused your problems?

[chickamin]

I read your note to josh 344 and I think that you may have helped me with my knee pain. Since total knee replacement of left knee 2 and a half years ago I have suffered chroniv knee pain worse than  before surgery also not being able to flex more than 65 as the knee becomes so tight and the pain extremley bad. On x-ray shows a slighyly tilted knee cap with some bone on metal. I know that in the hospital right after surgery a heavy flex machine was dropped right on the sight of the incission and the pain was  so bad that I lat out a scream. I informed my doctor and nurses what had happened but noone seemed to think anything of it. I was told after over a year of phycial therapy and seeing the doctor nothing more could be done.

[ChronicPain1]

Hi Josh, I also have pain in both knees and what you're describing sounds somewhat similar to what I have. Patella Femoral Syndrome or Chrondomalacia is generally a tracking issue where the kneecap doesn't line up properly with the leg.

Mine never bothered me until I worked a Valet job running about 8 hours a day, then it started to get bad. I lost all the cartilege in my knees do to the condition and I get pain on the inside, and sometimes below my knee.

I had Lateral Release surgery to release the IT Band and let my kneecap fall into correct tracking, but it did not work, along with many months of Physical therapy.

Try asking your doctors about Chrondomalacia and Patella Femoral Syndrome.

[Tuckamore]

Hi Josh,

Welcome to the Pain Mangement Forum. You are too young to be experiencing this much knee pain. I'm sorry that you are hurting so much.

I can only suggest a second or a third opinion. Sometimes a second or even a third set of eyes can see a problem that was missed initially. Don't give up. Your health is too important.

Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing. Weekends tend to be a bit slow so feel free to post again.

Good luck and take care,
Tuck