A "little" O/T - Knee pain/injury

So yesterday I was exercising, using my elliptical, something I have done now for SIX years at least 3 to 5 x a week, nothing different and suddenly my left knee....there is this tremendous pain and it feels like a rubber band has snapped and I actually HEAR a snap, like someone flicking at a taut rubber band and of course, I get off the elliptical and I'm afraid to move. Eventually I did move but man, my knee is very painful. It is actually on the outside of the knee and in the back and every so often I get the awful pain with the snapping feeling. I know I should head over to a doctor but it's not easy even moving around the house. I put an Ace bandage on this morning and that actually seems to be helping. I hate to spend $50 on a copay and have the doctor tell me it's nothing serious. Anyone here have experience with this?

Thanks so much,

Miriam

I am no doctor but it sounds to me that you may have a meniscus tear. I have 2 in my left knee and that is what happened to me. Right now I am taking mobic on a regular basis and ocassionaly get a cortizone shot in that knee to help ease the pain. the alternative is to get the tears surgically trimmed, and I also have arthritis in that knee that needs smoothed down and cleaned up. I am waiting it out until I cannot stand it anymore before considering surgery.

rest it as much as possible, use some moist heat alternating with cold wraps (if you can stand the cold) and take lots of ibuprophen or something in that line. And, yes, I would go to the doctors just to make sure that that is what it could be.

If it is tears, it is something that you can live with. Just have to be careful how you move that knee because when ever the tear catches, you will feel that pain, and/or your knee can give on you. I've been living with mine for about 15 years now and its just getting to the point that the thought of surgery is looming just around the corner.

I wish you the best and hope that I am wrong and that it is just a strain. Again, I would most diffinately go to the doc and get it checked.

I've had both knees done with meniscus tears and tendon tears. This last time they did
chrondoplasty (shaving of the kneecap) which if you have had arthritis for a long time I
personally DO NOT recommend. They fail to tell you that if you've had arthritis for so long
(in my case 50 years) it takes FOREVER to heal. I still have issues with it and it's been
close to a year since the surgery. When you work on your feet in a heavy lifting job that is
not a good thing. I ended up being out of work for 4 months which was a serious financial
pinch as disability here only pays $175 a week no matter how much you make. Definately
insist on a MRI as the x-ray won't show damage. I have the same problem with lypoma
tumors not showing.

Boy, Miriam, I sure know what you are talking about.  When I go to the doctor, they either don't know what is causing the problem or they do know and there is nothing they can do about it.  I have seen many doctors in my lifetime and that's happened with nearly all of them. 

 

Because of what I just told you, I don't rush to the doctor.  If that happened to my knee,  I would stay off the elliptical, perhaps never get on it again depending how my knee felt.  I'd start out walking around my home and then, if the knee felt fine, I would venture outside with the cane but wouldn't go far the first day to see how my knee reacted.  If all was fine, I would go a little further the next day, etc.  I'd use the cane for awhile until I had confidence again.  I've had my knee kick in with pain before...sometimes when I'm out walking....and I end up shuffling home.  So now, if I have any problems with the knee, I take my cane with me until I'm sure it's better again. 

 

I sure am not a doctor but that's what I would do.  You need to make up your own mind because you are the only one that knows how you are feeling.  If you are concerned about it, definitely head to the doctor.

 

Sherrine