Anyone here have tips for knee pain?

[anniemae]

Did they mention PT? They have exercises to loosen up tight muscles around the knee which could relax everything.

Too bad they didn't give you something stronger than the anti inflammatory suggestion. Did you ask the orthopedist if you should take the meds that your GP prescribed for you? I was on naproxen (I think that was the name of it) when I had foot pain and it really took the pain away. Other than that, I think you are doing what you should, rest, ice and time.

 

[ajollyholidaywithjo]

Did they mention PT? They have exercises to loosen up tight muscles around the knee which could relax everything.

Too bad they didn't give you something stronger than the anti inflammatory suggestion. Did you ask the orthopedist if you should take the meds that your GP prescribed for you? I was on naproxen (I think that was the name of it) when I had foot pain and it really took the pain away. Other than that, I think you are doing what you should, rest, ice and time.

They did tell me to take naproxen, or Aleve, regularly for a few days. I’ve already been doing some knee stretch and strengthening exercises, so hopefully that’ll help too.

 

[barkley]

They did tell me to take naproxen, or Aleve, regularly for a few days. I’ve already been doing some knee stretch and strengthening exercises, so hopefully that’ll help too.

i highly suggest not taking it without something on your stomach-that stuff BURNS. you also want to drink plenty of water when taking it.

hope you feel better.

 

[Poohlove]

In my experience Aleve and Biofreeze work wonders. For the few days you will be taking the naproxen make sure to take it easy on your knee - rest, etc. If it starts to feel better in those few days don't push yourself if for no other reason than you don't want to further injure yourself. You will want to strengthen your quads, glutes and hamstrings. Don't neglect your core/hips. If your pain is not resolving or is worsening I would recommend pushing for further treatment or possibly seek another opinion. Also, if you are new to doing the stretching and strengthening exercises there may be some pain and soreness associated and take care to use proper form since not doing so can also cause/aggravate an injury.

 

[tazdev3225]

I have dealt with knee issues most of my life. At this point I am at 5 surgeries and looking at number 6 eventually. I agree with others who have suggested renting a scooter. I can't do the parks without one. There are many good offsite places to rent from. I personally prefer Walker Mobility but if you go to the Disabilities thread there are a lot of people who can give you some great advice, including preferences for scooter rentals.

 

[DLgal]

i highly suggest not taking it without something on your stomach-that stuff BURNS. you also want to drink plenty of water when taking it.

hope you feel better.

Naproxen is one of the milder NSAIDs. It's never caused burning for me. I take a LOT of Aleve, usually in the middle of the night. I do take it with at least 6 oz of water.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Naproxen is one of the milder NSAIDs. It's never caused burning for me. I take a LOT of Aleve, usually in the middle of the night. I do take it with at least 6 oz of water.

I can not take Naproxen at all. It causes stomach pain...worse than the problem I need it for.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Voltaren cream is OTC now. Try some of that, too.

 

[henryjan]

Hi - For over four months, I struggled with discomfort and swelling in my right hip and knee. I was unable to walk or sleep due to the pain. My knee's edema was lessened with increased steroids, and some improvement was shown with physiotherapy. Finally, the physio advised me to take valium as a treatment to alleviate the spasms in my knee and thigh muscles. This required me to take 2 mg of valium at night. After a few days, the discomfort and swelling quickly subsided. It vanished by the end of the week, and I haven't experienced any issues since. You most likely need physical therapy and a treatment strategy.

 

[Travel60]

When I went to the chiropractor for knee pain, I suggested that my knee pain might be coming from my hip. He shook his head and said typically, knee pain comes from the foot.

He told me that for as much as I'm on my feet, I needed better sneakers - like $150+ per pair (he gave me brand names) and said be sure to buy ",neutral" not "pronated". I shop for sales and have been wearing the better ones. Seems much better - I usually walk 25+ miles per week.

 

[LuvOrlando]

4% Lidocaine patches or roll on called Salonpas work well for pain (online is cheaper) but you'll probably need to gently bend your knee maybe over a pillow to get the kneecap out of the way for the lidocaine to make it's way to the irritated parts.

I also avoid OTC medicine having a single Motrin maybe once every few months on a day I can't avoid moving because I am ALWAYS in more pain after it wears off. Seems either it causes more irritation or emboldens movement that does more damage but either way it never improves anything, nothing heals but rest.

 

[DLgal]

When I went to the chiropractor for knee pain, I suggested that my knee pain might be coming from my hip. He shook his head and said typically, knee pain comes from the foot.

He told me that for as much as I'm on my feet, I needed better sneakers - like $150+ per pair (he gave me brand names) and said be sure to buy ",neutral" not "pronated". I shop for sales and have been wearing the better ones. Seems much better - I usually walk 25+ miles per week.

Your chiropractor hasn't met many women, has he?

Knee pain due to wide hips is a chronic problem for women. It's well documented. Even Asics and Brooks accounts for it when determining what type of support you need in their shoe finder quiz.

And you absolutely have to account for pronation when buying shoes. If I buy neutral shoes (I over pronate), my entire body will be a mess. If you don't pronate at all, buy neutral shoes.

 

[Christine]

I'm going through some knee pain right now (since November). Just getting into the mystery as to what is causing it. I went to an orthepedic doctor in December who could barely look me in the eye and spent to minutes with me. Sent me out with meloxicam. X-rays showed arthritis, but I am 59. That's not the cause. Came on overnight, literally, and I can't think of what I would have done.

I've circled back with my GP because I am having a lot of other issues so we are trying to tackle the knee pain. I also have hip pain with it and lower back pain, all on the same side. Lumbar x-rays shows "markedly severe" disc narrowing in the lumbar area.

So in order to play detective, I will be now getting a lumbar MRI to rule out some sort of nerve compression that could actually be the cause of my hip and knee pain. If that's not clear, then I'll be going to a new ortho and trying to figure out the knee pain which will probably be yet another MRI.

As to the feet/shoes--I've had flat feet all my life. I had one foot reconstructed in 2021 (left side). My right side (where my knee pain is) has not been fixed and doesn't overly need that, but my gait/stance is definitely different since that 2021 surgery and sometimes I feel like I put a lot more weight or I lean into the right side/leg more than I used to. I wonder if this has caused some type of strain on the right side--almost like an overuse injury. I do believe shoes and foot position do play into the knee. But I've been wearing fantastic shoes for at least 5 years now with custom orthotics so I am control everything I can.

I agree with @DLgal that if you're a pronator you are best to be in a stability/motion control shoe rather than a neutral shoe. I do wear neutral shoes now because my one foot has been fixed and no longer pronates, but they are augmented with some heavy duty orthotics. Otherwise, I'd not go for the neutral shoe. But overall, if you go from a cheap shoe to a good shoe, you'll likely see some improvements.

 

[DLgal]

I'm going through some knee pain right now (since November). Just getting into the mystery as to what is causing it. I went to an orthepedic doctor in December who could barely look me in the eye and spent to minutes with me. Sent me out with meloxicam. X-rays showed arthritis, but I am 59. That's not the cause. Came on overnight, literally, and I can't think of what I would have done.

I've circled back with my GP because I am having a lot of other issues so we are trying to tackle the knee pain. I also have hip pain with it and lower back pain, all on the same side. Lumbar x-rays shows "markedly severe" disc narrowing in the lumbar area.

So in order to play detective, I will be now getting a lumbar MRI to rule out some sort of nerve compression that could actually be the cause of my hip and knee pain. If that's not clear, then I'll be going to a new ortho and trying to figure out the knee pain which will probably be yet another MRI.

As to the feet/shoes--I've had flat feet all my life. I had one foot reconstructed in 2021 (left side). My right side (where my knee pain is) has not been fixed and doesn't overly need that, but my gait/stance is definitely different since that 2021 surgery and sometimes I feel like I put a lot more weight or I lean into the right side/leg more than I used to. I wonder if this has caused some type of strain on the right side--almost like an overuse injury. I do believe shoes and foot position do play into the knee. But I've been wearing fantastic shoes for at least 5 years now with custom orthotics so I am control everything I can.

I agree with @DLgal that if you're a pronator you are best to be in a stability/motion control shoe rather than a neutral shoe. I do wear neutral shoes now because my one foot has been fixed and no longer pronates, but they are augmented with some heavy duty orthotics. Otherwise, I'd not go for the neutral shoe. But overall, if you go from a cheap shoe to a good shoe, you'll likely see some improvements.

The lumbar x rays sound like you likely do have some nerve compression that can be causing all your pain.

However, has your doctor recommended PT yet? I had a similar situation a few years ago. Had knee, hip, and back pain all on the left side. It ended up being IT band syndrome. 8 weeks of pretty intensive PT fixed it. I had to do a lot of weighted hip muscle work, leg lifts, fascia release massage, TENS therapy, foam rolling, etc. It was a lot of exercises to do and I was at PT twice a week for 2 months.

The IT band is a large muscle band that runs down the outside of your thigh, from your hip to your knee. When it's inflamed or injured, it sort of pulls your hip bone forward, messing up your lower back and it pulls the knee also. The issue is usually due to unbalanced hip and leg muscles on the affected side. This sounds like it might be a possibility based in your foot issues. Years of overcompensation in your gait could lead to this. Google it and see if it matches your symptoms.

My doctor couldn't figure it out. The PT diagnosed it and fixed it. Like you, what got me to the doctor was sudden knee pain that didn't have an obvious explanation.

 

[DCLMP]

I've been running my whole life and have never had a knee injury...until the day we left for Orlando last month. Since I could still walk I rented a knee scooter just to ease up on some the walking. I rented from clouds of Goods. I put in the request at 730 in the morning as we were leaving the Wish. By the time we drove from PC to the Dolphin it had arrived. They have mobility scooters also. I was impressed with their service.

 

[leebee]

I've been rehabbing a knee injury (and been on crutches) for two months now. My ortho has me taking 4X200mg ibuprofen and 2X500mg Tylenol, three times a day. It's not bothering my stomach at all, and it DOES help my knee pain. I've been doing the PT but it's seems like a waste of time. I've been seeing my chiropractor and that helps more than the PT. If I were going to Disney, I'd get a wheelchair or scooter.

 

[Christine]

The lumbar x rays sound like you likely do have some nerve compression that can be causing all your pain.

However, has your doctor recommended PT yet? I had a similar situation a few years ago. Had knee, hip, and back pain all on the left side. It ended up being IT band syndrome. 8 weeks of pretty intensive PT fixed it. I had to do a lot of weighted hip muscle work, leg lifts, fascia release massage, TENS therapy, foam rolling, etc. It was a lot of exercises to do and I was at PT twice a week for 2 months.

The IT band is a large muscle band that runs down the outside of your thigh, from your hip to your knee. When it's inflamed or injured, it sort of pulls your hip bone forward, messing up your lower back and it pulls the knee also. The issue is usually due to unbalanced hip and leg muscles on the affected side. This sounds like it might be a possibility based in your foot issues. Years of overcompensation in your gait could lead to this. Google it and see if it matches your symptoms.

My doctor couldn't figure it out. The PT diagnosed it and fixed it. Like you, what got me to the doctor was sudden knee pain that didn't have an obvious explanation.

Yes, I've looked into the IT band thing and it could be it for sure. I've tried some things on my own, but probably not enough. So far the ortho did not even get close to mentioning that but since he could barely look at me I suppose that wasn't going to happen. My GP was a bit concerned about the "severe" remark on the x-ray so he just wants to get that lumbar MRI done and then go from there. I think after we hopefully get an all clear on that, I will pursue the other options which could very well involve PT. Gosh I just dreat doing PT. I did it for 5 months straight after my foot surgery. It was like having a part time job.

 

[fla4fun]

If I were going to Disney, I'd get a wheelchair or scooter.

This was going to be my suggestion. Either rent one from an outside vendor for the whole trip, or budget some extra funds to rent in park for parks with fewer places to sit and more walking (Epcot, I am looking at you ). Be aware that the parks can run out, so plan to be at the park early if you are renting there. You don’t have to use one every day if you don’t want to, as some parks give you more opportunities to rest or are more compact in size, but I would plan for it financially so you have the option.

I have knee and foot problems, and what happens to me is that as the knee starts to get sore, I walk differently, which then causes stress on other muscles and joints. My last trip, after one particular Epcot day, I was in tears all night, even with taking ibuprofen, because my back and hips hurt so bad they wouldn’t allow me to lay comfortably in bed.

With the other medical issues you mention you will be going through after the trip, I feel it’s important to prevent further knee injury right now. Be good to yourself and enjoy your trip.