Could my knee pain be connected to everything else?

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Jun 24, 2010
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Hi everyone,

Two weeks ago I injured my knee. I had been on my cross trainer building up my strength and initially I thought that I'd just pulled a muscle. However the pain over the next few days got a lot worse. It hurt to walk with the pain coming up my leg to my knee. It really hurt if I accidently pressed on it too.
After a few days there started to be some swelling but not a huge amount. It is on the insidde of my left knee just below my knee cap.

I have talked with my GP about it. After a week of pain they prescribed some tramadol as I obviously can't take ibuprofen and I'm unable to take codine either. They recommended that I wear a tubular bandage on it and I have been putting ibuprofen type gel on the area.

After 2 weeks I am still having a lot of pain and I walk with a limp (much to everyones amusement ;) ). My GP doesn't want to do anything else until I have seen my GI in case it is connected (I see him in 2 weeks). So I just wondered if anyone else has had anything similar and if you think it could be connected?
For those of you that don't know I have not been fully diagnosed but my GI believes I have CD.
I'm sick of the pain now!

Thanks
Sam
 
Are you on Steoids atm? that could be a possibility I guess.

I'd go with a pulled muscle / tendon though. Did you warm up beforehand? and are you allowing your body to rest in between sessions?
 
Sam, have you been checked for arthritis? As you know I'm undiagnosed too, but I was just diagnosed with mild arthritis in my hip, and I suspect I've got it in my knee as well (just dislocated my knee last weekend - ouch!). Joint problems, especially knee and hip problems, seem to be common around here. Extra-intestinal inflammation or something like that. My GP was able to diagnose my hip arthritis with an x-ray, so it wouldn't be a difficult test to go through (no prep required, ha ha). Even though it is very mild, he could still see it on an x-ray, so that's something that your GP should at least be able to do in the meantime while you wait for your GI appointment.
 
Hi Sam, sorry your knee's giving you probs.
I have problems with my left knee and left big toe, but only when I'm flaring- no problems otherwise.
Hope you get to the bottom of it soon x
 
One thing to look out for as well is Osteoporosis. I heard its on the increase in young people (possible due to not having free milk at schools anymore). Looking on t'web crohns will increase the possibilty due to malabsorbtion
 
Rygon- I am on Entocort. Why do you ask?
I've done everything I should do re exercise I think and have just been taking it steady. The GP didn't seem to think it was just some sort of sprain I don't think as they won't do anything else about it until I see my GI. When I went to see the gp though she immediately put me down for physio. Would I have swelling with a sprain?
Cat- I guess I'll have to wait for my GI appointment and see what he says. I had xrays 4 years ago before all of the bowel stuff as I was getting pains in my feet but they couldn't find anything.
Andrea- thanks

Sam
 
Looking at the side effects of Entocort these came up:-

Muscle weakness or wasting.
Thinning of the bones (osteoporosis) and increased risk of breaking a bone.

I think its the same with most steroids and can be a problem if on them long term (my doc said being on them a month shouldnt be a problem). If you have been on them a while I guess this could be a problem, although best to leave it to the docs to say.

In the meantime I hope you are resting it. Ive always used tiger balm for aches and pains. It gives a cooling effect and is the best thing ive found (compared to deep heat etc) If your interested this is the cheapest place i could find it on the web http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/tiger-balm-regular-white_1_2887.html although boots do sell it as well
 
My Crohn's first manifested in my ankles. When I first started walking I was having serious issues. Five operations later I dropped to 38lbs (8 years old) and my guts started bother me in a huge way. I was easily diagnosed with a SBFT and looking at my mother's medical history - she was diagnosed with Crohn's when she was 12. For a while there I could walk across a room and twist slightly, or step on something tiny and my ankle would swell to an unusual size and either need to be drained, or I'd have to elevate it for a week to ease the swelling.

I have always dealt with serious joint pain and even went so far as broken bones due to all the prednisone I've been on over the years. I've finally been diagnosed with arthritis in almost every joint, but it doesn't make it easier to deal with.

I can usually tell when a flare is coming by how my ankles feel. If they really start bothering me, I know I'm in for a bad one.
 
My big toe hurt to and I thought it was gout. I also get real bad swelling on my left knee but I think that's due to numerous skiing injuries? Anythings possible i'm learning I love this forum :)
 
You may have strained or torn a ligament in your knee also, there are four major ligaments in the knee, most commonly injured is the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) Lots of athletes get injured there.
This info is from www.mayoclinic.com (great health info resource!)

Injuries
A knee injury can affect any of the ligaments, tendons or fluid-filled sacs (bursae) that surround your knee joint as well as the bones, cartilage and ligaments that form the joint itself. Some of the more common knee injuries include:

ACL injury. An ACL injury is the tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) — one of four ligaments that connect your shinbone to your thighbone. An ACL injury is particularly common in people who play basketball or go downhill skiing, because it's linked to sudden changes in direction.

Torn meniscus. The meniscus is formed of tough, rubbery cartilage and acts as a shock absorber between your shinbone and thighbone. It can be torn if you suddenly twist your knee while bearing weight on it.

Knee bursitis. Some knee injuries cause inflammation in the bursae, the small sacs of fluid that cushion the outside of your knee joint so that tendons and ligaments glide smoothly over the joint.

Patellar tendinitis. Tendinitis is irritation and inflammation of one or more tendons — the thick, fibrous cords that attach muscles to bones. Runners, skiers and cyclists are prone to develop inflammation in the patellar tendon, which connects the quadriceps muscle on the front of the thigh to the shinbone.

Mechanical problems

Loose body. Sometimes injury or degeneration of bone or cartilage can cause a piece of bone or cartilage to break off and float in the joint space. This may not create any problems unless the loose body interferes with knee joint movement — the effect is something like a pencil caught in a door hinge.

Knee 'locking.' This can occur from a cartilage tear. When a portion of cartilage from the tear flips inside the knee joint, you may not be able to fully straighten your knee.

Dislocated kneecap. This occurs when the triangular bone (patella) that covers the front of your knee slips out of place, usually to the outside of your knee. You'll be able to see the dislocation, and your kneecap is likely to move excessively from side to side.

Hip or foot pain. If you have hip or foot pain, you may change the way you walk to spare these painful joints. But this altered gait can interfere with the alignment of your kneecap and place more stress on your knee joint. In some cases, problems in the hip or foot can refer pain to the knee.

Types of arthritis

Osteoarthritis. Sometimes called degenerative arthritis, osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It's a wear-and-tear condition that occurs when the cartilage in your knee deteriorates with use and age.

Rheumatoid arthritis. The most debilitating form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that can affect almost any joint in your body, including your knees. Although rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease, it tends to vary in severity and may even come and go.

Gout. This type of arthritis occurs when uric acid crystals build up in the joint. While gout most commonly affects the big toe, it can also occur in the knee.

Pseudogout. Often mistaken for gout, pseudogout is caused by calcium pyrophosphate crystals that develop in the joint fluid. Knees are the most common joint affected by pseudogout.

Septic arthritis. Sometimes your knee joint can become infected, leading to swelling, pain and redness. There's usually no trauma before the onset of pain. Septic arthritis often occurs with a fever.

Other problems

Iliotibial band syndrome. This occurs when the ligament that extends from the outside of your pelvic bone to the outside of your tibia (iliotibial band) becomes so tight that it rubs against the outer portion of your femur. Distance runners are especially susceptible to iliotibial band syndrome.

Chondromalacia patellae (patellofemoral pain syndrome). This is a general term that refers to pain arising between your patella and the underlying thighbone (femur). It's common in young adults, especially those who have a slight misalignment of the kneecap; in athletes; and in older adults, who usually develop the condition as a result of arthritis of the kneecap.

Osgood-Schlatter disease. This condition affects the softer area of bone near the top of the shinbone, where bone growth occurs. It's most common in boys who play games or sports that involve running or jumping. The discomfort can last a few months and may continue to recur until the child's bones stop growing.

Osteochondritis dissecans. Caused by reduced blood flow to the end of a bone, osteochondritis dissecans is a joint condition in which a piece of cartilage, along with a thin layer of the bone beneath it, comes loose from the end of a bone. It occurs most often in young men, particularly after an injury to the knee.
 

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