thepatient

So it's been a year now and I've been hoping this problem with my knees was a temporary inflamation of some sort of nerve or something; but it's not getting better so I'm sure this isn't something I can walk off, and I should see a doctor. I've been having this weird feeling in my knees; especially on my left knee. The section where the problems seems to come from is right below the knee. If you look at your left knee while it's straight out; below there seems to be a part of bone that pops out a little before your shin. Right on the left side of that bone towards the outside of your leg is where I always feel this numb feeling. About the same with the other just not as bad.

Anyway; other than slight numbness I also hear a lot of nasty cracking noises every time I bend my knees to sit down or stand up. Whenever there's weight being supported through my knees. There is also cracking sounds that come from my knees every once in a while. If I stand straight, tilt my foot up so that my heel is the only part touching the floor, and then walk or do any motion with my knee, you can hear a somewhat loud clicking noise. There's also pain when cycling. Usually from 30 miles or more; or when I ride harder than usual. Also if I fold my right leg while sitting over my left thigh, so that my right leg is at a 45 degree angle, after like 5-10 minutes my leg from the knee down becomes numb. I'm not sure if that last one is normal. Also when playing with the kids if I'm on my knees and I do something not normal, I get a sudden sharp pain in my knees.

Anyway... I know I should see a doctor but I just wanted to know how serious this may be, since some of you may have experienced the same thing before. I'm just really worried this could be something really bad or can complicate and I may require surgery. :\

winders

Sounds like a meniscus problem. But, you need to go see an orthopedic surgeon to get an opinion that actually means something....

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grolby

None of us can tell you this. It might be serious, it might not. It doesn't sound good, certainly. It having been a year since this problem first developed, it's certainly much more serious than it otherwise would have been. I mean, criminy - two months would have been an excessively long time to wait before seeing a doctor about unusual sensations or pain in the knees.

thepatient

Thanks. I will go see a doctor. As soon as I get my health insurance back. :\ Long story; I was getting full-timer's health insurance at work but recently I switched to part-time. Until just a week or two ago they switched my status at work and I had to re-enroll into my health insurance for part-timers, but it was suposed to be done before March 11th, which was before I had my status changed.

Anyway... here's a photo of the approximate location of where that constant slight numbness comes from. It feels okay most of the time, but after walking or riding a little, it comes back. It's a barely noticeable numbness. The only time where there is pain is after longer 30+ mile rides or when I ride really steep hills or ride faster than usual.

Maybe it's slightly closer to the knee than where I circled. About half an inch further.

daxr

I don't know jack about medical stuff really, but my friend's dad (60's, active racquetball player) nursed a bad knee along for two years before getting it checked. He had some variety of surgery two weeks later and was good as new a month later.

I've ridden through plenty of aches and pains myself without bad result, but you've really got to judge for yourself when its time to see a doctor about stuff.

recursive

Go. To. Doctor.

/thread

winders

Regardless of whether or not the contributor is correct, this "/thread" tag some people use is pretentious. Random people don't get to decide when a thread is done. It's not clever, so stop it.

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recursive

Hey! What's all them words for? Didn't you see that the thread was over?

I wasn't trying to be clever. I was just trying to convey that a diagnosis from a doctor is going to be better than anything that could possibly happen in this thread.

winders

You weren't the first to convey that thought....

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Alasdair

I thought it was clever... BTW, this *IS* the Road Bike Forum... pretentiousness is a requirement for posting here. So is having a sense of humor and thick skin. Oh, and a computer. That's a requirement, too.

winders

Sure. But it gets old real fast seeing all these know it alls put "/thread" and the end of their posts because they think they have the only correct answer and are the only ones to come up with it. It's a forum and people are going to respond as long as they think they have something useful to add, regardless of what some yahoo puts at the end of their post. The thread will stop when no one has anything left to say. So it is pretentious and pointless.

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FlashUNC

But its pointless to play armchair doctor for this.

The original poster needs to see a doc to get a diagnosis. That's really all there is to it.

winders

Of course. The first two responses (the first was mine) said to go see a doctor and the OP then responded saying he would go see a doctor. Then, for some reason, 2 more people said go see a doctor. recursive decides to use the "/thread" tag like he is some god with the final answer. Give me a break...

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thepatient

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to start this. I simply wanted to know of other cyclist's experiences on knee injuries. Never did I want someone to diagnose me or anything like that.

And yes I thought it was somewhat redundant for Recursive to just say "Go. To. Doctor /thread", but then again it's an internet forum so it's no big deal.

jdon

If your MD has nothing concrete, go to a physiotherapist for an opinion. I had a similar issue and it was a nerve entrapment. 3 manipulation sessions later all was well. Just my experience though..

SA_Brak

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this or not but I think he should get checked out by a doctor.

winders

Why didn't anyone else suggest that???

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thirdin77

That's one way to open a comment.

Good as new? This guy's 60 and he waited two years to see a doctor for a bad knee. How does a surgery make a 60 year-old, 2 year-untreated bad knee "good as new"?

You're right, you realy don't know jack. Or, worse, after six decades, he doesn't know jack.

But then we wouldn't have something to talk about.

daxr

jeez - attitude check. Go ride your bike or something. The point directed at the OP was that the old guy was in pain for two years before he just went to a doctor and fixed it. And yes, "good as new" as in he regularly whips ass on guys half his age on the court, and racquetball is hard on the knees.