Bad knees at a young age

[EclipseRydr97]

I never really had this problem until last week when I sat down and positioned my legs like the 'butterfly' stretch, which is what they used to call it back in elementary days. Anyhow, I felt a tight pinch with a sharp instant pain on the inner part of my right knee. Since then, I've been afraid to bend my right knee in fear of sharp pains and have put all my weight on my left knee, which know has a similar problem. A few days later, I felt I couldn't bend down to the ground on my knees all the way...it almost felt as if my knees were swollen, which is probably a reason I couldn't bend them at less than a 90 degree angle. I played tennis yesterday morning and my knees did not really bother me, but I was afraid to move normally, and never really did for the practice set. I strung my rackets a lot looser so I can have more power instead of using my legs. What should I do? Should I go see a doctor? Anyone experience these awkward pains?

[EclipseRydr97]

Whoops, wrong section!

Can someone move this to the Health/Fitness Section?!?!

SORRY!!!!!!

[wyutani]

I never really had this problem until last week when I sat down and positioned my legs like the 'butterfly' stretch, which is what they used to call it back in elementary days. Anyhow, I felt a tight pinch with a sharp instant pain on the inner part of my right knee. Since then, I've been afraid to bend my right knee in fear of sharp pains and have put all my weight on my left knee, which know has a similar problem. A few days later, I felt I couldn't bend down to the ground on my knees all the way...it almost felt as if my knees were swollen, which is probably a reason I couldn't bend them at less than a 90 degree angle. I played tennis yesterday morning and my knees did not really bother me, but I was afraid to move normally, and never really did for the practice set. I strung my rackets a lot looser so I can have more power instead of using my legs. What should I do? Should I go see a doctor? Anyone experience these awkward pains?

dude, see a doctor....apply ice...dun play tennis for a while....

[Mahboob Khan]

Of course, see a doctor. Once you recover, start a proper weight conditioning program to strengthen your legs and upper body.

[EclipseRydr97]

Thanks for the responses

You guys know what kind of injury this is? Someone said it could be tendonitis in the knee? I have no idea

I could go to the doctor next week, I guess that's what I'll do.

[Midlife crisis]

You guys know what kind of injury this is? Someone said it could be tendonitis in the knee?

Any of the "itis" ailments are usually the result of an overuse condition. What happened to you sounded like it was an immediate injury. There are many things that can go wrong there, so I'd also echo the advice to go to a doctor.

[jaykay]

Strongly agree with wtyutani, Mahboob Khan and Midlife crisis.

STOP tennis and go see a doctor IMMEDIATELY if you haven't done so already. There could be any number of things that could have gone wrong --- e.g. it could be a bursitis injury, or a meniscus cartilage injury or a ligament tear (either anterior cruciate or medial collateral ligament).

[EclipseRydr97]

So I took all your people's advice and decided to go to the doctor. Doc told me that I brought this upon myself somehow, and that it was a sprain in the knee area, closer to a pull in the ligament or tendon on the inner part of the knees. Anyhow, he said I should stop playing tennis or do any kind of physical activity for a couple to a few weeks. He gave me a prescription of an anti inflammatory drug, and if that doesn't work, he'll give me a shot that resolves the problem faster. Only problem with the medication is that the main side effect is upset stomach and finals are right around the corner :(

Just thought I'd let people know who experience the pinch in the knees I did...

[Freedom]

Hope everything goes well for you Eclipse.

[Double K]

I never really had this problem until last week when I sat down and positioned my legs like the 'butterfly' stretch, which is what they used to call it back in elementary days. Anyhow, I felt a tight pinch with a sharp instant pain on the inner part of my right knee. Since then, I've been afraid to bend my right knee in fear of sharp pains and have put all my weight on my left knee, which know has a similar problem. A few days later, I felt I couldn't bend down to the ground on my knees all the way...it almost felt as if my knees were swollen, which is probably a reason I couldn't bend them at less than a 90 degree angle. I played tennis yesterday morning and my knees did not really bother me, but I was afraid to move normally, and never really did for the practice set. I strung my rackets a lot looser so I can have more power instead of using my legs. What should I do? Should I go see a doctor? Anyone experience these awkward pains?

How old are you and what is your gender?

[cjm2k8]

see a doctor u might have torn your acl or mcl which is really bad

[tonysk83]

I don't think he could of done either. Usually when you tear either you will notice a lot of instability in your knee, if you can play at all. Sounds more like cartiledge tear or something like that. Having bad knees sucks, I am 17 and already have had knee surgery once.

[tennisadict]

i had surgery on my right knee from playing basketball

[diegaa]

Yep, of course go to see a doc. But be ready to a hard work to strengthen your isquiotibial.

[EclipseRydr97]

Hey guys,

Read post #8...I already went to the Doctor.

He also suggested ways to improve my knees or prevent them from any further injuries like this one.

Thanks for the input...

[EclipseRydr97]

Hey all,

The medication really isn't working...so I'm going to have to have the Cortisone shots in both my knees...

Anyone know how long I'll be out for tennis from these shots or if I will be able to walk perfectly fine after the shots in both knees?

Thanks

[oti]

CORTISONE SHOULD BE THE LAST TREATMENT POSSIBLE.........try everthing else again and give it longer time to heal......cortisone shots DO DAMAGE also!

[Duzza]

i dunno if i had the same as u, but i had pains in both knees after playing one point. Like you couldnt hold them straight, you had to bend them. I went to a physio and he told me to stretch my knee joints like with hamstring stretches and stuff. i did it for about a week or two and they havent come back.

[dmvprof]

I recommend cycling for strengthening the knees. And an excellent activity to replace tennis if you decided to not play and give your knees a chance to recover.

[Wtitanium]

I have pains like this, because I have tendonitis in my knees. Some days it hurts, some days it doesn't. I just find positions to sit or stand in that don't hurt them. Surprisingly, standing up straight hurts more than bending my legs a tiny bit.

[EclipseRydr97]

So should I stop playing tennis until my knees are back to normal? I'm not able to pull my leg all the way back and up and balance on my opposite leg because I feel as if it's swollen up there...

I guess I can try cycling, thought I just sold my bike for $5.00 at a garage sale. The doc told me to buy some weights, sit on a stool, place those weights on my ankle, and try kicking up slowly...do around 8-10 reps and a few sets.

[tonysk83]

If your health insurance covers it, get your doc to get you into physical therapy. It helps so much. I have been in it for 7 weeks now and I can do most of the stuff on my own at home now but your therapist will help you out with a workout plan to strengthen your knee.

[meh]

Sounds like you're a bit too old for it, and it doesn't precisely fit your description, but check for Osgood-Schlatter's disease anyways. Get an x-ray, and check for open growth plates on the knees.

Continue cycling and do exercises to strengthen the quadriceps and hamstrings, as well as the smaller thigh muscles. Wearing a compression sleeve over the kneecap will help while you're going about your day-to-day business. Cortisone is a last resort. and don't get shots unless you have exhausted any other conceivable solutions.

[BabolatFan]

Hey all,

The medication really isn't working...so I'm going to have to have the Cortisone shots in both my knees...

Anyone know how long I'll be out for tennis from these shots or if I will be able to walk perfectly fine after the shots in both knees?

Thanks

I won't disagree with DMVPROF's response below. You should do strength training for your legs and knees. Of coz the best thing is to consult your doctor and you will probably end up seeing phyical therapist for your knee. I wouldn't run just yet. Where's the pain coming from?

[EclipseRydr97]

Pain is coming from the inside of my knees, or at least it was. Now, I'm not able to squat down all the way...and I can't pull either one of my legs back when doing the 'flamingo' stretch, for I feel sharp pains...:confused:

I don't wanna die

[woody6.1]

change your shoes possibly .. be lighter in your movement in play ..

[jaykay]

Pain is coming from the inside of my knees, or at least it was. Now, I'm not able to squat down all the way...and I can't pull either one of my legs back when doing the 'flamingo' stretch, for I feel sharp pains...:confused:

I don't wanna die

Dude, may I suggest seeing a diff doctor for a second opinion?

Alarm bells went off when I read your post # 8 ('the doc says that it is a pull of the ligament OR tendon and we may want to try cortizone shots sometime soon'). I don't know any orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine who'll make such a diagnosis which is kinda all over the place.

Now, I'm NOT a doctor, but I have had 2 surgeries (once when I was 15 and once when I was 29), so your pain on the inside of your knee sounds like a anterior cruciate ligament tear (very common in tennis/basketball/soccer, where there is tremendous lateral movement); which could be a partial tear (more likely) or a complete tear (sounds unlikely since a complete tear is usually associated with a tear in the meniscus which gets dislodged in the knee joint causing 'locking' of the joint --- this happened to me). But this is just a from_the_gut, off_the_cuff prognosis via the internet from a layperson, so you may just want to take this opinion with a pinch of salt.

Whatever may be the case, physical therapy and a fairly long layoff from tennis (few to several weeks) is very likely..., so you may want to mentally prepare yourself for it. Upon seeing the results of your MRI (an important pre-requisite), a qualified orthopedic surgeon with a specialization in sports medicine will be able to make a determination whether surgery is necessary, or not.

Good luck!

[EclipseRydr97]

Thanks for the reply.

I'm going to the doctor again today, since I am still unable to pull my legs back as if I'm stretching all the way, since I felt something in my knees again. I did what I was told, to buy ankle weights and start kicking up, that didn't really seem to help much.

I'm going to suggest the doc give me physical therapy.

I just don't want a cortizone shot or surgery, but it may come down to just that...