Discussion
Currently looking to book a private MRI scan as my GP wants to save the NHS money (but doesn't see it as a waste of my time or as having any impact on my QOL) by sending me for an x-ray.
In summary, knee is currently swollen above the joint. Right leg. Inflammation is so big that for two days I couldn't not touch my foot down as my leg was in a crooked position. Today I've managed to walk without crutches but still cannot fully straighten the affected leg as swelling is still up (but pain has subsided after anti inflams). It's not the first time it has happened.
Some six/seven years ago I was on my way to Brussels for a Trappist beer-drinking jolly. En route I felt some 'muscle' tightness above the kneecap. As the hours went by the tightness increased and my knee had swollen to almost double its size. It was the summer and I was - thankfully - wearing shorts; as funny as it was telling those asking that I'd bought a tube of penis enlargement cream (and in a freak accident, etc...) it wasn't so funny when the pain kicked in the next day. Ice, Ibuprofen, elevation and compressing with a cold towel gave some relief but in the end it was like trying to put out a house fire with a water pistol.
It lasted a week and I put it down to a knee twist either from playing football or from being on my knees working in/on a car.
Life went back to normal until about a year later and it happened again (this time the muscle tightness felt more like a hard stone above and to one side of the knee). Jumped on the meds and managed to fend it off within a couple of days. Some six months later it returned with a vengeance reducing my mobility to crutches. Hobbled to GP and on that day was seen by a locum who said the likeliest cause is gout (which I do suffer with). I took her advice and got on the Colchicine etc. It went away after about a week.
The next recurrence was about a year later. This time I felt some soreness below the kneecap (was very tender to the touch) over a 12 hour period the swelling kicked in and that same muscle tightness (hard lump above the knee) was evident. Thinking back to what locum GP said, 'it must gout', so got on the meds and lost a week of my life sat on my arse not being able to do much other than try to find out what I can do about preventing further episodes.
I made some changes to my diet (went plant based) and upped my physical activity. Life seemed okay and I forgot all about the issues I'd had. Then wallop! It was back: hard lump above the knee (same as before) and hot-to-the-touch tenderness below it. Here we go again. Was immobile for 10-14 days this time. Got through it and didn't act, but in all fairness I was still leaning on the locum GP's diagnosis and had mentally conditioned myself to accepting that it was gout and as well as always having a supply of Colchicine, I should really be thinking about Allopurinol. At one point I even convinced myself that it was a bursitis issue as most of the symptoms matched.
Overall, this has accounted for the six or seven years I have suffered this affliction, and now I sit here with a swollen knee (about the size of a cantaloupe melon) again. Thankfully, and fingers crossed, I'm on the right side of recovery (day 4) but I do think I will be in the weeds with it for a few more days yet. In between inflammations, I have felt the same knee not allowing me to lead into stair climb and have had to lead with the other foot. Over the years (53 now) I'm now staring to feel some discomfort (in both knees) coming down the stairs.
I really don't think it's gout. A couple of people have suggested it could be damage to the meniscus. I also think an x-ray examination is pointless. An MRI seems more appropriate, so unless me insisting is successful, I might have to go for a private scan. Another suggestion was to go see a sports physio for an assessment.
Does anyone have an idea what having your knee scanned might cost? Had a quick look and seems to be between £200 and £450.
In summary, knee is currently swollen above the joint. Right leg. Inflammation is so big that for two days I couldn't not touch my foot down as my leg was in a crooked position. Today I've managed to walk without crutches but still cannot fully straighten the affected leg as swelling is still up (but pain has subsided after anti inflams). It's not the first time it has happened.
Some six/seven years ago I was on my way to Brussels for a Trappist beer-drinking jolly. En route I felt some 'muscle' tightness above the kneecap. As the hours went by the tightness increased and my knee had swollen to almost double its size. It was the summer and I was - thankfully - wearing shorts; as funny as it was telling those asking that I'd bought a tube of penis enlargement cream (and in a freak accident, etc...) it wasn't so funny when the pain kicked in the next day. Ice, Ibuprofen, elevation and compressing with a cold towel gave some relief but in the end it was like trying to put out a house fire with a water pistol.
It lasted a week and I put it down to a knee twist either from playing football or from being on my knees working in/on a car.
Life went back to normal until about a year later and it happened again (this time the muscle tightness felt more like a hard stone above and to one side of the knee). Jumped on the meds and managed to fend it off within a couple of days. Some six months later it returned with a vengeance reducing my mobility to crutches. Hobbled to GP and on that day was seen by a locum who said the likeliest cause is gout (which I do suffer with). I took her advice and got on the Colchicine etc. It went away after about a week.
The next recurrence was about a year later. This time I felt some soreness below the kneecap (was very tender to the touch) over a 12 hour period the swelling kicked in and that same muscle tightness (hard lump above the knee) was evident. Thinking back to what locum GP said, 'it must gout', so got on the meds and lost a week of my life sat on my arse not being able to do much other than try to find out what I can do about preventing further episodes.
I made some changes to my diet (went plant based) and upped my physical activity. Life seemed okay and I forgot all about the issues I'd had. Then wallop! It was back: hard lump above the knee (same as before) and hot-to-the-touch tenderness below it. Here we go again. Was immobile for 10-14 days this time. Got through it and didn't act, but in all fairness I was still leaning on the locum GP's diagnosis and had mentally conditioned myself to accepting that it was gout and as well as always having a supply of Colchicine, I should really be thinking about Allopurinol. At one point I even convinced myself that it was a bursitis issue as most of the symptoms matched.
Overall, this has accounted for the six or seven years I have suffered this affliction, and now I sit here with a swollen knee (about the size of a cantaloupe melon) again. Thankfully, and fingers crossed, I'm on the right side of recovery (day 4) but I do think I will be in the weeds with it for a few more days yet. In between inflammations, I have felt the same knee not allowing me to lead into stair climb and have had to lead with the other foot. Over the years (53 now) I'm now staring to feel some discomfort (in both knees) coming down the stairs.
I really don't think it's gout. A couple of people have suggested it could be damage to the meniscus. I also think an x-ray examination is pointless. An MRI seems more appropriate, so unless me insisting is successful, I might have to go for a private scan. Another suggestion was to go see a sports physio for an assessment.
Does anyone have an idea what having your knee scanned might cost? Had a quick look and seems to be between £200 and £450.
I feel your pain - in a quite literal sense. Playing cricket last summer and was chasing one around the boundary when i ran into an innocuous dip in the outfield. 5 months down the line my left knee is a nightmare and physio is convinced it's a tear in the meniscus but getting any sort of NHS help is pretty much impossible
Just trying to work out how to go through the company private healthcare to see if they can give me some idea
To add insult to injury (no pun intended) was out with the rugby lads a couple of weeks ago and fell over in the pub and smashed my other knee into the corner of a step
Just trying to work out how to go through the company private healthcare to see if they can give me some idea
To add insult to injury (no pun intended) was out with the rugby lads a couple of weeks ago and fell over in the pub and smashed my other knee into the corner of a step
Pieman68 said:
I feel your pain - in a quite literal sense. Playing cricket last summer and was chasing one around the boundary when i ran into an innocuous dip in the outfield. 5 months down the line my left knee is a nightmare and physio is convinced it's a tear in the meniscus but getting any sort of NHS help is pretty much impossible
Just trying to work out how to go through the company private healthcare to see if they can give me some idea
To add insult to injury (no pun intended) was out with the rugby lads a couple of weeks ago and fell over in the pub and smashed my other knee into the corner of a step
What are your symptoms? Just trying to work out how to go through the company private healthcare to see if they can give me some idea
To add insult to injury (no pun intended) was out with the rugby lads a couple of weeks ago and fell over in the pub and smashed my other knee into the corner of a step
Glassman said:
What are your symptoms?
In the first instance it was swollen up. Seems to flare up after impact stuff so restricting to swimming at the minute while I shift some weight. Sore to the touch around the edges of the kneecap and residual stiffness and soreness there pretty much constantlyThree flare-ups ago - when I started to doubt the gout suggestion - I looked at the symptoms of tendonitis. They are quite the same.
There was a huge improvement last night and I went to bed feeling positively encouraged that I might even be able to out and do some light duties. Stopped the meds early evening (I had to as it started to sound like there was a duck drowning when I was in the toilet). This morning, however, I can't put any weight on my foot as there's some acute pain in the bridge area (which has now moved to the ankle). This is quite gouty (although the knee swelling and slight pain/tenderness is still there).
FML
There was a huge improvement last night and I went to bed feeling positively encouraged that I might even be able to out and do some light duties. Stopped the meds early evening (I had to as it started to sound like there was a duck drowning when I was in the toilet). This morning, however, I can't put any weight on my foot as there's some acute pain in the bridge area (which has now moved to the ankle). This is quite gouty (although the knee swelling and slight pain/tenderness is still there).
FML
MRI isn't better than XRAY, quite opposite in the wearing out knee.
Most times I have someone in front of me with a sore knee, if they are over 50 I can ignore the MRI and I order weight bearing Xrays including a Rosenberg view.
MRI is not how you decide to treat a sore knee. It's all about the story and the symptoms.
Lots of places restrict the MRI knee to us specialists only, so that most of the wasted, unnecessary, useless ones aren't ordered.
Most times I have someone in front of me with a sore knee, if they are over 50 I can ignore the MRI and I order weight bearing Xrays including a Rosenberg view.
MRI is not how you decide to treat a sore knee. It's all about the story and the symptoms.
Lots of places restrict the MRI knee to us specialists only, so that most of the wasted, unnecessary, useless ones aren't ordered.
Boozy said:
I've just been diagnosed with torn muniscus from an MRI. The pain is very, very localized to the inside of the knee and clicks and pops a lot, which seems to be standard sypmtoms from what I can tell.
As an example, with your symptoms, I wouldn't even have got an MRI, but considered you for surgery on the basis of your story, as its so strong. Xrays would have been done, but no more. If it quacks and it's brown, it's a duck.
t 
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