I will be going to the doctor with this but I wouldn't mind having some input from folks who may have had the same symptoms as to what might be affecting me. To start with, I am 66 years old and consider myself to be as fit as one can be at this age. A daily part of my routine is going for a 2 hour brisk walk through a snow covered trail in the woods and as I said, I do this every day. About 6 weeks ago I began to develop a pain in the left knee that is not disabling - I can walk just fine but I do feel it all the time. A squat position is out of the question however due to the sharp pain that induces and I can't do this either (see picture) since it too brings on acute pain. I was hoping time would take care of it, but after 6 weeks with no change, it's obvious that this will not be the case. Any idea of what might be causing this?
Cheers, John
Hi John.
This may or may not be useful, but is from my own painful experience which started much the same as you but descended into a steady decline of walking ability and a high level of pain.
I would say definitely get this checked out by a doctor, try and get a referral for an X-ray at least but better still and MRI scan as it will determine the cause, may it be tendons, ligaments, muscle or cartilage problems.
It took some time for my G.P. to refer me to a specialist as he felt I was ‘too young’ but as soon as a scan was carried out it was pretty obvious to him that Osteoarthritis was present plus degradation of the cartilage L and R knees. The arthritis ridden bones had chewed right through the cartilages creating a bone on bone situation which was very debilitating. My late mother had both of her knees replaced in her late 60's early 70's so I knew there was some hereditary problem and only a matter of time for me. The cartilage problems were partly due to my work career of repairing agricultural and construction plant machines out in all weathers and more likely a career of taking part in Motocross and Motorcycle Trails for 30 years from the age of 16. I’m now 65.
So get it checked as soon as possible, don’t delay this as an early diagnosis is important should a procedure and recovery period be necessary. If you do not have family history of arthritis, cartilage problems or similar it may only be a strain injury and rectified with ice pack, full rest and some anti-inflammatory gel? However if you have enjoyed a sporting career such as soccer, rugby or skiing it may be just wear & tear as they tell us :-). I have had both knees replaced in 2014, I have no pain to speak of and look forward to my next Motocross meeting; though purely as a spectator this time unfortunately!!
D.
Hello David,
Thanks for your input. I do not have any familial background of joint issues. On the other hand starting at the same age as you on the motorcycle, I have been a canoe guide here in Canada for a good number of years and that craft involves portaging heavy packs and canoes for long distances. So I'm sure that even in those early years the extreme physical activity was beginning to take its toll albeit without any symptoms. Of course, those days are long behind me but in the interval between then and now, it's been a life of daily mountain bike rides in the summers and X country skiing in the winters. I live in the Yukon Territory, Canada where the wilderness is literally on your doorstep and it's easy to pursue those activities. When doing those activities I alwasy felt better afterwards than I did before in the sense that I would come home from the office knackered but then get a whole new lease on life once I had gone biking or skiing. Never through all those years did I feel a thing from the knees until now and even now it's only the L knee and as I said before, it's not yet disabling in that I can still get around fine. I have taken your suggestion and am off to see my doc, whom I have great trust in, on the 13th of this month. I'll keep you posted as to the results of that visit. I never thought of physical activity as causing undue wear on the joints. I always thought that it was the other way around - activity was required to maintain joint health. Ah well, perhaps it's a matter of degree and the 2 of us were overdoing it.
I'm glad to hear that total KR worked so well for you but hopefully I wont have to go the same route. One final question - how long an interval from the surgery to complete recovery with full function again?
Cheers
John
hello again,
Went to the doctor at last and am due for an XR to confirm what he thinks the problem is - deteriorating cartilage - either thinning, fraying or torn. I've been advised to go on Aleve (I guess forever which is a daunting thought) for the time being but I'm going to disregard that advice and try supplements instead. The thought of going on NSAID's for the rest of my life scares me more than the knee problem itself. He also mentioned KR if my sympoms do not resolve or worsen. I was a bit disappointed to find myself caught in the middle between 2 seeming extremes. Doing nothing and treating only the symptoms which is the way I'm going with my doc or the KR option. I thought that there are arthroscopic interventions that can work quite well but this never came up during my visit at the doc. However I have to trust him so for the time being I'll have to wait to see what the XR shows and I'll self medicate with glucosamine and turmeric and see whether that offers any relief.
Cheers
John