Did you have referred pain in your knee?

[anny]

@BusterBeans I've never found anything that worked with my ITB.....my physio used to say she'd work on the pressure points on the outside of my thigh, but I seemed to have more than anyone should have and begged for mercy After a couple of tries I told her I'd rather stick with the problem as the cure was far more painful

 

[AJinNH]

I had an acute knee flare up in early November that was the worst I’ve experienced to date. A couple of days ago it started again, and looks like I’m on the same path as last time despite resting (sort of), icing and elevating. Couldn’t sleep last night. @BusterBeans I have been wondering if maybe it’s my IT band. At the very beginning of the flare up, my pain was on the top lateral side of my knee, and my thigh in that area was sore. As it continues to swell, everywhere on my knee hurts, even behind my knee. This time my hip hurts too.

I’ve called the OS’s office to inquire about having an MRI, or something else diagnostically done. I figure either they’ll find something or confirm that it’s referred pain, in which case I’ll run to my THR in March.

I’m actually hoping that we can confirm that it’s referred pain, I’ll be a lot more at peace with having hip surgery if that’s the case.

It’s so helpful to hear everyone’s experience with referred pain. It’s been difficult to wrap my mind around hip surgery when my hip pain hasn’t been debilitating.

Thanks

 

[Bumblebee]

@AJinNH , I think the swelling you are getting would definitely send me to get an MRI of the area. I don't have any swelling anywhere. The MRI would be quite telling of any soft tissue problems I would assume.

 

[smstok]

@MammaT. That’s kind of what I was thinking.....the knee being slightly bruised up from all the trAuma. Since I have numbness in my thigh that is slowly dissipating I think I didn’t previously feel the knee soreness due to the numbing. I’m not too worried at this point but definitely cautious and curious


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[Layla]

Hi @smstok
My knee became bruised, sore to the touch, stiff / swollen at 17-18 days post op.
I was told by my OS it can take that long for fluid to move down to the next joint (hip to knee)
At that point I added icing of my knee to the mix. It slowly disappeared by never 100%
and I'm 7 months post op.

I went in to see OS a month ago and they X-rayed my knees and said there is some arthritis.
They also reminded me it can take up to a full year for swelling to dissipate. So I patiently wait
It doesn't hurt, or stop me from doing anything but I have learned from Josephine that pain and swelling are both forms of pain. Keep us posted on what your surgeon says. I'm very curious...

A great evening to you!

 

[AJinNH]

So just to be clear, my knee pain includes swelling and feels noticeably warmer to the touch than the other knee, but not hot. I have to hold my leg and lift it getting out of the car because it hurts to bend. It has kept me from sleeping because any position is painful. I can walk slowly as long as I don’t bend my knee. Sitting is a challenge, again because of the bending and pressure from the chair on my leg.
This happened in November and got better after 2 weeks, although going down stairs could hurt. Then it flared up again two days ago. My whole leg now feels heavy.
I hope this is from my hip, but I’m not entirely convinced yet.

 

[MammaT]

It’s a good idea to get it checked just to be sure @AJinNH. I do know I had incredible pain in the knee. There is also the fact that we just don’t walk right when the hip is bad, even if we are not conscious of how bad it is. But, just because we have a bad hip does not mean something else is not right. I had an X-ray of my knee which showed it to be in surprisingly good shape, even though I was in tears from the pain from it.

Good luck!

 

[BeBe]

My initial complaint that prompted the dr visit last March was ITB pain, Troch bursitis (severe),groin pain, and SI pain. A couple weeks in I could not put weight on that leg unless on tiptoe.
Then the knee got in on the act. Quite intense and unrelenting. Did not get better until I started icing everything, about 30 min per body part that hurt. Also had to up the Aleve to 5 or 6 per day.
So all that and at no time did I have swelling or redness, heat in my knee. The ice and aleve helped but there was no swelling or heat in the knee. Lots of pain tho. Two OS felt it was referred pain.
With your recurrent swelling and heat symptoms, I agree you really should look into the knee issue further.

 

[Layla]

Hi again @AJinNH
It could be arthritis in your knee also. I'm sure if you visit your OS, given your symptoms, they'll x-ray
to confirm, or rule it out. I did have pain from my hip that radiated down the front of my thigh pre- op but didn't feel it affected or caused pain in my knee.
I was a little surprised to learn there was some arthritis, but not shocked.
I had to lift my leg in and out of the car also. Not because it hurt my knee, but my groin.
Consider icing and see if it helps at all.
Hope you find relief and answers soon!

 

[AJinNH]

I just got a call from my OS and he’s ordering an MRI (as long as my insurance company doesn’t push back.) He said referred pain doesn’t usually cause swelling. Suspects chondromalasia, I have a history of that quite a while ago, but it never caused this much pain. If that’s the cause he will give me a cortisone shot day of hip surgery. Still hoping that it turns out to be referred pain.

 

[anny]

Hope it turns out to be easy to sort, @AJinNH.....really don't need any more joints to join the party! Had to look up chondromalasia....'runner's knee' sounds much more interesting than arthritis . I have some minor oa in my knees, but put any aches and pains in them down to picking up some of the strain from the hips....however, you've jogged my memory and one knee did blow up a few months ago and I had to ice it constantly. Afterwards I paid very close attention to how I was walking....heel/toe, trying not to limp so much, and making sure my feet were pointing straight ahead, not duck-like (also when you drive, if you place your right foot between the brake and the accelerator, and swivel the heel to either pedal, that can put a torque on the knee. I suddenly realised that many years ago when I was getting a painful right knee.....since then I try to always lift my foot onto the appropriate pedal, keeping the foot in line with the knee, and I had no further problem....until the oa popped up). While I've known intellectually about biomechanics, it hasn't really sunk in until I started having skeletal/muscular problems still, better late than never! This oa business seems to be a journey of experimenting, theorising but never quite knowing if you've cracked it Hope your insurance allows the MRI.....hopefully it will point you in the right direction

 

[MammaT]

If it is that, it’s too bad you have to wait until surgery for relief @AJinNH. Hope there is some lessening of pain, but at least you will have an answer soon.

 

[Layla]

Hi there,
I had to look that one up @AJinNH
It sounds common and treatable but nonetheless painful.
I'm sorry you're suffering with this in addition to the OA pain.
Not sure if this is something than can resolve on its own, or if it has to be treated.
Best wishes you soon find relief, one way or another.

 

[AJinNH]

My OS was able to get the MRI approved, but that came too late on Friday afternoon to be able to schedule an appointment. I’ll be calling first thing Monday morning. Hopefully I’ll have some answers soon.

I’m still hoping it’s related to the hip. One of the causes of chondromalsia are issues with the adductor and abductor muscles, which could originate with the bad hip, right? My thigh on both sides of my knee are swollen, heavy and painful to the touch. Fingers crossed

Happy weekend everyone!

 

[BusterBeans]

I saw a runner’s knee OS specialist for awhile back when it was still thought that my problem was my knee rather than my hip. He wasn’t able to fix it of course. But I had swelling around the knee constantly — around the lower outside quadrant.

 

[AJinNH]

I just had the MRI this morning, so hopefully I’ll have some answers soon. It’s 10 days since this episode began and my knee is still quite painful, although it is better than a week ago. The odd thing is the pain and tenderness I also have in my lower thigh, about 6” above my knee. I’m guessing it’s from the swelling, if I press there it simultaneously hurts in my knee.

My hip hasn’t been happy either.

@BusterBeans I’m hoping it turns out to be from my hip like yours.

Stay tuned.

 

[MammaT]

Hope they get results to you soon @AJinNH. I wouldn’t hesitate a guess. I know I was amazed at how much pain I could get referred all over the place from hip. Glad it is somewhat less painful.

 

[AJinNH]

@MammaT I thought my knee had improved enough to drive myself to the appointment, wasn’t a smart move.

I wasn’t doing bad on the highway, but once in the city with all of that switching from gas to brake it was another story. Won’t do that again!

I’ve been trying to makeup with it since with constant elevating and icing.

 

[MammaT]

Oh @AJinNH i am so sorry. Driving is such a necessity and these hips can make it hard. One day a couple of months before my surgery my left leg went into such spasms and pain I couldn’t make it to an appointment an hour away. I pulled over into a parking lot and stretched a bit until I was able to make the 15 minute drive back home. Decided then perhaps I was ready for surgery. Right hip stared being bothersome to me (although not that bad), went right to surgeon and got on schedule.

Hope the ice and elevation helps.

 

[BusterBeans]

@AJinNH
It feels awful to wish a hip problem on someone, but I hope your pain is being caused by somethingthst is easier and less painful to be repaired. Please keep us up to date and best wishes.