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Chondromalacia Patella / Patella-Femoral Pain Syndrome / Runners Knee / Whatever We're Calling It Nowadays (Read 2175 times)

    So,

     

    I've never had knee problems before other than some mild IT band issues, but I seem to be developing something now. 

     

    My question is, for runner's knee a symptom is "pain behind the knee".  I'm not sure exactly what this means.

     

    What I am experiencing is sharp pain ON THE BACK of my leg around the knee area.  Technically this is behind the knee, I guess.  But I thought that in Chondro it was underneath the kneecap but still present on the anterior side of the body.

     

    It is not present all of the time but only when walking or rotating the leg.  It almost feels like lower-hamstring musclar tear or inflammation.

     

     

    Can I rule out runner's knee here?

    CyclingAHEAD until 2012


      Not sure but I think that IS runners knee. I had that pain before when I was ramping up the mileage. I iced the hell out of it and it got better. Another thing I do is after I shower, I turn the water to as cold as possible and let the water (jet stream shower head) blast all over the knee, calf and quad and hammy for a couple minutes.

       

      Condromalysia (sp) is behind the patella. I have been told in laymans terms that is an eroding of the cartilage behind the patella from a misalignment issue and the tibia, fibula or femur is rubbing on the patella causing pain and inflammation.

       

      The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

       

      2014 Goals:

       

      Stay healthy

      Enjoy life

       

      Trent


      Good Bad & The Monkey

        Go see your sports med doc.

         

        For PFS, the pain is behind the kneeCAP, not behind the knee.

        bhearn


          Could be the popliteus.

            Okay well now we're on day 4 and it's just as bad.  I ran a short recovery run on Tuesday but other than that I've just lazed around.

             

            The poplietus thing sounds interesting.  I saw a thread on that on coolrunning and runners world, and also read a thing about Baker's cysts.  

             

            It just so happens that I switched shoes recently -- but both have similar levels of stability (Saucony Guide to Asics 2160).

             

             

            I really think that going to the doc is the best option at this time.

            CyclingAHEAD until 2012


            Trent


            Good Bad & The Monkey

              I really think that going to the doc is the best option at this time.

               

              As do I.

                Thanks Trent.  Going to my GP on Friday to ask for a referral.

                CyclingAHEAD until 2012


                  Well it seems to be better today, I'll still go to the GP and see what he says and get the referral, just in-case it comes back.

                  CyclingAHEAD until 2012


                    Yesterday it felt completely better.

                     

                    GP sent me to ortho, didn't say much other than it's likely soft tissue given the history.

                     

                    But today it's worse than it has ever been, after a pretty languid run yesterday.

                     

                     

                    (edit: looking back, i think this post was a little melodromatic )

                     

                    Getting the bike out for now.

                    CyclingAHEAD until 2012


                      Well the physio guy did a whole bunch of manual tests and couldn't get me to scream.  He said that the next step was to do an ultrasound or MRI or something, but since I had successfully made the pain go away with RICE + trigger point therapy + ibuprofen (I'm sorry Trent), he really didn't think it was necessary.  Just that if it comes back, we can go down that road.  Had a halfway decent run today, if I'm not broken tomorrow, I think that will be positive.

                      CyclingAHEAD until 2012


                        Well, I spoke too soon, or maybe I believed what I wanted to be true.

                         

                        It's clear now that there is one thing that it correlates with -- running.   It always hurts the day after I run.  Today I could barely get out of bed.  

                         

                        I don't know if I have the motivation to train and fight an injury right now, when I have some great bike ride options as stand-ins for chicago marathon.

                         

                        I'm probably going to call the physio, and tell him that I plan on, well, not running for an extended period of time, and ask if he thinks the ultrasound is necessary in that case.

                        CyclingAHEAD until 2012


                        Trent


                        Good Bad & The Monkey

                          it's likely soft tissue given the history.

                           

                          Thinking now that this may not be the case.  I agree with imaging.  Ibuprofen may be okay in your case to treat a specific issue (rather than the pain of running) but be careful and stay hydrated.

                            Okay well given that, I will go back.  It is good to have a guy like you, Trent.

                             

                             

                            One thing I didn't mention in this thread, that I remembered in the meeting with the doctor, is that a couple of weeks ago I slipped on some visqueen when doing some painting.  It didn't really hurt me, and I didn't think anything of it at the time, but the doctor asked about things like that and it made me remember.

                            CyclingAHEAD until 2012


                              Well I haven't run in 7 days which has been really tough.  I did a 65 mile bike ride on Saturday with a couple of out-of-saddle climbs, and that put a bit of stress on it.

                               

                              Last night and this morning were extremely painful, but I can't feel a thing now.  Very strange.

                               

                              I did find what I think might possibly be a Baker's cyst, which has me freaked out.

                               

                              MRI is next Tuesday.

                              CyclingAHEAD until 2012


                                Well the MRI came back negative for anything, and the opinion of the orthopedist is that I have PFPS, and am "misinterpreting" the pain.  We did some leg extensions and they hurt a little bit, then did leg extensions with her holding my patella in place, and had no pain.  Seems logical.

                                 

                                Not sure how confident I am about this, but since I'm paying her, I'm going to do what she says.  Which basically involved mcconnell taping and doing baby squats and leg presses.

                                 

                                I'm not sure what an unweighted half squat is going to do for me when I could most likely full squat 400 or so lbs right now, but we'll see.

                                CyclingAHEAD until 2012


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