What is stabbing me in the knee??

[owlice]

If I kneel on my left knee, I get a horrible "hot poker" stabbing pain on the outside of my knee. The first time it happened, I had knelt -- on my left knee -- on my bed, felt something poking me, and tore apart the (already messy) bed to try to find whatever had poked me. It felt like a hot, pointed rock, or something similar that isn't quite sharp enough to easily pierce the skin (but would with enough pressure).

There was nothing there; whatever is wrong is internal. This is reproducible, as I have to my dismay discovered. Obviously, I need to get this checked out and will make an appointment with my doctor, but until then, what is this?!?! Anyone have any ideas?

[owlice]

Ooooo, Google to the rescue! Probably tendonitis. What a weird pain, though, for tendonitis!

Now to figure out a way to get the feral cat out from under my bed without kneeling so I can go to sleep!

[roadie gal]

Do you feel like something is inside the knee? There are a bunch of things that can cause this pain. If you feel a catch or like there's something in the knee it could be a piece of rough cartilage that's bent or irritated or even loose in the joint. If it feels outside of the knee, it could be tendonitis or an irritated ligament. Definitely go see the doc. There are too many possibilities and the treatments would be different for each of those causes.

[zoom-zoom]

ITBS?

[owlice]

I think zoom-zoom's found it! There is soreness to the touch all along my thigh that is compatible with the placement of the iliotibial band. Dang!

Well, it's not as though I'm going anywhere soon, so it's easy to rest it!

And yes, I'll go to the doctor... assuming the snow stops someday, but right now, it looks like endless winter out there.

[salsabike]

That exact same thing happened to me a few years ago. It WAS just tendonitis. You'd think the high degree of pain would imply a terrible serious problem but it didn't at all. It's good to have your doc check it, but take heart in knowing it may not at all mean an awful thing. My doc, a major athlete herself, said, "So don't kneel on that place on your knee, then..."

[ny biker]

I think zoom-zoom's found it! There is soreness to the touch all along my thigh that is compatible with the placement of the iliotibial band. Dang!

Well, it's not as though I'm going anywhere soon, so it's easy to rest it!

And yes, I'll go to the doctor... assuming the snow stops someday, but right now, it looks like endless winter out there.

In the meantime, try icing it. Or just go outside and bury it in snow...

[owlice]

nybiker, bury it?? I'd just have to try walking (or rather, wading) through the snow to ice the knee!!

salsabike, good to know, though I'm sorry that you know this pain through personal experience. What a weird sensation it was!!

[zoom-zoom]

The folks I know who have dealt with ITBS absolutely SWEAR by using a foam roller every day...several times/day.