So, i've allowed my inner fat Bstrd go over 2020 and found myself weighing in over the 20st mark. I'm now a good 5 stone overweight, but stocky 6'1" so never going to be light.
Start of January I decided to do a 5k walk, nothing extreme as I do 3K easily most days with the dog.
Day later my knee is in agony. week later I went to A & E as couldn't bear the pain and they put it down to Arthritis from a crash i had in 2013 where I damaged my knee.
I had a telephone call with Phsyio who reckon is' meniscus/medial tear and to do some exercises, spin on my trainer a bit and all should come good.
6 weeks in and i'm still in constant pain, I can't take anymore ibuprofen because my liver function is now low and anything stronger than that wipes me out.
I told work I need to work from home for two weeks which has helped a bit, but as soon as I'm up and about the pain returns.
Anyone been through this?
Had a meniscal tear repaired 5 years ago, between that and losing 4 stone, I don't get any issues with it at all anymore, but I'm guessing the weight loss had at least as big an impact as the operation did tbh.
Also started running 3 years ago too, which has worked a treat by stabilising the knee by means of strengthening the surrounding area. Consulatnt told me I could maybe run up to 10k once rehabilited, I've since done a few ultramarathons, no issues at all.
Sorry, but I'd suggest looking at your weight first, as the running and operation aren't something that look like they'll be imminent for you.
Best of luck.
Edit - as for the physio, I'd get another. Exercise won't help a tear, and who can make an assessment over the phone anyway?
I thought I had torn my meniscus after snowboarding last year. Doctor also thought so and sent me for a scan, to actually reveal it was osteoarthritis. Walking made it worst, but spinning and some light weight training improved the pain. It did take me about 8 months to get back to "normal" but now I know I have a permeant problem that I have to manage.
I've had 4 knee operations due to a lot of rugby and football and one of them was for a medial ligament tear. That is very painful.
I'd try and avoid the operation route if you can as now I have osteoporosis of the knee and need a whole new knee. And the surgeon believes that too much cartilage was cut out.
Thanks guys.
The assessment of meniscus tear was on the back of the pain being inside my knee, it not locking, seizing or collapsing on me and on that basis no reccoendation for surgery and if it was it's be probably 18 months before i got one.
Other option would normally be an injection but that's been taken off the menu because it lowers your immunity and with COvid they've stopped that too.
So I've been told to try and right it with careful stretches, but having been in constant pain for 6 weeks I'm exhausted.
pain being inside my knee
So was mine, and it was also quite swollen, it looked much more like a trauma injury rather than a degenerative one. But that is what scans are for, proper diagnosis, any way you can push your doctor into getting you one?
having been in constant pain for 6 weeks I’m exhausted
Yeah that was the one of the worst things, trying to get to sleep while unable to get the pain out of my head. Maybe talk to your doctor about that as well, taking a sleeping pill a couple of times a week may help you to recover some of that sleep and feel better overall.
I think the only way to be sure its a meniscal tear is to have an MRI scan as the knee is a complicated joint, so your physio is in the realm of educated guess rather than firm diagnosis. The pointers to a tear over the other potential issues are pain when kneeling and/or a locking sensation when bending the knee (where the tear gets temporarily jammed), so if you mentioned either of these that may have influenced their thinking.
IANAD but this is based on my own experience a few years ago with a few random diagnoses before the scan revealed the tear.
Also, based on my own inexpert experience, a tear wouldn't fix itself - once the initial swelling has gone then I had a consistent discomfort for the nine months from the accident that tore the meniscus until the surgeon removed the small flap of cartilage. It didn't bother me most of the time but bending was a nervous experience and I had to give up running until it was fixed. After the operation I've had no issues.
On the bike? Look at your position. My full sus MTB put me further behind the BB than my road bike and the knee was always more painful there. My TT bike with something like a 78 degree seat tube is the best of the lot. Less scooping of the pedals ad more down push. Works for me.
No not on the bike, constantly, when i'm sat still, moving, walkin or sat at desk.
I had similar and had an arthroscopy about 10 years back. The consultant didn't do an MRI as he obviously knew there was an issue and said he'd just go in and see what was what when he was in there.
Took a couple of months to 'fully recover', but Tbh while it was better it was never right.
Knee stabilisation and strengthening exercises did help. Single leg balance exercises, wall sits, leg extensions.
Not to be gloomy by two years ago I ended up with a medial partial knee replacement after getting a private assessment and x-ray to speed the investigation up. the pain was just like you say day and night, active or inactive. Cycling was actually ok and I did loads, but any walking at all was really painful and just couldn't get comfy in a seat, sofa or bed.
My other knee seems to be going the same way, but when I asked about it at my last review they said they'd not look until it was causing me enough issues with daily activities.
Obviously a tricky situation at the moment, but a private assessment for both the initial meniscus/arthroscopy and knee replacement was money well spent as when my gp got the reports things started happening to get the actual op done on the NHS. Still took a while though!
Sounds very unusual to be painful all the time as it’s usually when you make particular movements. Can only think a price is trapped in the joint somewhere.
I’ve had ops on both knees so have some experience. If you can’t get it flushed out, I’d suggest using an exercise bike at low level tension and try and get the knee moving and might free it up.
Had both knee cartilage damage and a medial meniscal tear. Meniscus I couldn’t straighten leg, it had also been painful for a while and responded well to a slap inside the knee 👍 Have an MRI scan, only way to diagnose and plan treatment. Meniscal tears can be conservatively managed (I faffed around with mine for about 6-8wks and no change so went for surgery. Recovery was about 3m, biking, running, skiing ever since 👍
I injured my knee back in April last year but didn’t think too much about it. Got progressively worse and after x rays, physio and finally an MRI I was diagnosed with a medial meniscus tear just after Xmas. Now scheduled for an op start of March. I’d agree there’s not usually constant pain with a meniscus tear. I can walk OK but kneeling or twisting is out of the question!
An MRI won’t fix it but will give a diagnosis. My go was happy to arrange mine and it was done quickly (luck? Geography?) Meniscus tear and bony bruising, improved with rehab no surgery.
Totally long distance advice here but how flexible are you ? I’d be having a log hard look at your hip flexibility and doing a lot of hip, quad and back stretches. Knee tracking issues can come on after ‘extra’ exercise and present a bit like major problems. All said from limited info and no assessment !
How are you getting on with that partial knee replacement? I only ask since that is what I am pencilled in for but need the arthroscopy first to test hiow strong an artificial ACL reconstruction is. I've got grade IV osteaoarthritis in teh medial compartment and hoping to have a partial rather than a TKR. Any advice/tips would be much appreciated.
Cheers,
Matt
had an issue last year, injured my knee sharp pain crunch and pop! (had surgery 20 years ago) just thought it was another niggle, after 2 weeks of pestering from her indoors went to the GP who immediately got in contact with the surgeon, and after a conference call decided on possible ligament/meniscus damage. due to COVID took 3 months to get the MRI done and another 2 months for the follow-up!
Turned out soft tissue was fine and I had actually fractured my tibia from the top (knee joint and down the front face, MRI showed it was repairing but the surgeon advised that if been picked up at the point of injury it would have been surgery!!
After all, that I have done in my life I did this damage just getting up off the sofa and twisting my knee wrong!
If not had an MRI would definitely pester to find out what has happened!
@mattlewis. Sorry for the delay, I've been out hiking in the snow, so it's not all bad😁
I wasn't sure if I was going to have full or partial, but partial medial it was in the end along with straightening my lower leg. I think it had bowed in with the erosion on the medial cartilage and OA.
I went to Golden Jubilee Glasgow and they were excellent. Operation was a Wednesday and flew home the Friday (to Shetland). Operation was totally fine. I was a bit anxious with it all and asked to be totally out of it rather than watching it on the screen! I managed to pass all their tests for release pretty quickly.
At home the first couple of weeks were the worst. Do my exercises, rest and repeat,try to sleep. I was on the turbo getting a full turn of pedals at one week. You really need to painkiller up and do your rehab, but I'd most likely over did it with the exercises, walking and going on the turbo. But turbo was very useful for the ROM.
Don't be fooled that a pkr is any less traumatic than a full, it's not and to some degree more awkward as the remaining knee and soft tissue has to work with it. The pain nurse also said it's worse for younger patients as we have more nerves still active. I got a fair bit of Inflammation and bulging on the outside of my knee which was I guess the only bit where it could still get inflamed as the inner was removed.
I was due to be back at work at 12 weeks (active job as Outdoor access officer) but upset my knee at about 10 weeks, I think swimming, where it ballooned up massively and was stiffer than after the op and was quite a worry so I had to have total rest for a while and ended up being off work 16 weeks.
Currently 2.5 years out from the op. I've done a couple of century rides and plenty of long hilly ones, and the furthest I've walked is 28km. Initially i had a lot of issue with quad tendon being sore, but probably me just over doing it. I'm pretty much totally fine riding, try to spin as much as possible and have big gears to enable that. I am a bit paranoid off road, but have come off and landed on that leg to no ill effect. Walking, I regularly do around 6-8 mile hikes off road on rough ground, but I take poles and I'm careful particularly stepping down off stuff , and can be a bit stiff and achy afterwards if I've done too much. I can't run at all;even to run across the road hurts.
It has been really worth while. I was in constant pain before, thinking I'd have to give up my life long career and getting quite depressed with it. Now, for all I try to limit myself and have to rest it I can cycle and hike and enjoy life. It does get tired and achy with all I'd do, but I enjoy the sofa too 😁
If you're getting it done do as much prehab as you can to keep your legs strong and flexible in preparation. Quads and ham stretches, wall sits, leg extensions and leg presses all helped me. Actually after doing leg extensions and presses it helped ease the pain for a while.
After the op do all the exercises they give you. Make it your job especially at first to keep on top of those to get ROM back more than anything. I most certainly I over did it and when I told them what I was doing at my reviews they really were surprised, but their bar to gauge success is very low compared to my expectations of what I wanted to do.
Good luck and feel free to PM if you want.
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
That's great and really good of you to take the time to write such a lengthy and informative response. The MRI revealed that it is grade IV osteoarthritis. It can be good on teh bike but walking afterwards and up and down steps can be sore. I'm a teacher and I walk around the class a lot and coach rugby. I also race mtb and cyclo cross so that may have to go. As long as I can ride a bike though then all good. I may well send you a PM once I know what the fate of my knee is! Many thanks, Matt
Glad that helped. I never got told any grade just that it was OA. I queried full or partial as a private consultant I saw first (in desperation due to no action from NHS) said I'd need a full. I was worried about going back soon for a full. But when I saw my surgeon (a cyclist who's team doc'd for Sky at some point) he said he was sure a partial would be best at my age and allow me to carry on with more activities. Shock horror, seems he was right 😁