 Poster: A snowHead
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Yes folks I'm sorry but it's another knee injury thread looking for some help and advice...
Back in 2011 I had a fairly serious motorbike crash resulting in more than a few fractures - one of them was a tibial plateau fracture (and a fairly smashed up foot on the same leg) that was deemed not to require surgery. I was non-weight bearing for 8 weeks in a hinged brace that was adjusted accordingly throughout, then followed a fairly intensive period of hydrotherapy and physiotherapy. My quads on that leg have never quite been the same since despite trying !
My knee has always given me pain since, varying levels - it made it impossible to snowboard as I could not put any weight through my knee when on a heel edge, it did see me return to skiing with some knee issues over the first few years - I wore a brace and took regular anti-inflammatories for it. Past few years it has been a lot better, during ski days it seizes up a bit if I stop too long for a drink or lunch and will hurt through turns on the first few runs but nothing unmanageable, just results in shoddy skiing at that point until the knee gets with the programme !
Knee hurts every day at some point but does not stop me doing anything really - hurts going down steps, hurts going up steps, jumps aggravate it, after a circuits or HIIT session it will hurt all night but be fine in the morning, any weighted leg raises make it hurt, pushing it down into the ski binding hurts.....basically loading/unloading/jumps/pressure. Normal walking is fine and it's even ok running although to be fair that only ever happens in a circuits class !
After not seeing anyone about it for a couple of years I decided to see the Doctor again to see if I could get a scan on it and find out what damage was going on, but instead got another physic referral. Saw the physio this week who has diagnosed 'patella-femoral pain syndrome' which to me is a big cop-out of saying yeah, it hurts and we don't know whats really going on ! He's given me a few simple exercises to do, which I will do religiously and has suggested a cortisone injection which I am extremely reluctant to have...
Does anyone have any bright ideas on how to get anyone to take me seriously to find out what is going on with my knee ? Or any similar stories and tips on what helped ? I feel like I am getting fobbed off as I work full-time and lead a pretty active lifestyle....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sorry, I have no ideas bar pay for a private consultant, private MRIs and x-rays - or go back to the GP and insist on a specialist referral. But much sympathy on the pains and for the fob offs, cop outs and the general inability of anyone (NHS or physios, I cannot afford private medics) to work out what's wrong or stop it getting worse.
Obviously you just need to get your muscles stronger, and at you age it's probably wear and tear... And what do you expect with all that skiing? 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@ProfessorMesser, I had years of issues with my shoulder which got to the point of being in constant pain and barely sleeping as a result. Pain killers weren’t touching it, so when offered cortisone I said yes. It gave me almost 6 months pain free. When the pain came back was actually disappointed they wouldn’t do another. However it proofed a useful diagnostic tool to my root issue of impingement (masked by calcium build up which was as much of a by product of the underlying issue as the cause of the constant pain). Long and short of this if they offer cortisone I would accept again as they clearly knew what they were doing.
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@ProfessorMesser, the other thing is I have a multitude of knee issues and have been taking quite high doses of both glucosamine and chondroitin supplements in an attempt to stave off the inevitable arthritis from the injuries and 3 lots of surgery on my knees. May be worth trying.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Having seen a bunch of physios over the years who diagnose all sorts of BS I'd defer to orthopods who diagnose only with the benefit of an MRI and possibly a poke around with a scope.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Dave - that's what I want, an ortho referral and an MRI on it. Pain and inflammation means something wrong and I want to know what ! Feel like I've been going round in circles over the years !
Grizzled - I may look into seeing how much going private for it would cost although I'm not sure it would be affordable it may be the only way I get a proper diagnosis to work with.
Have tried everything I can think of over the years, supplements, exercise, rest etc.
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@ProfessorMesser, where are you based?
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@ProfessorMesser, after one of the times I wrecked my knee and was non-eight bearing and in agony. I was sent home (incorrectly) from A&R and was waiting weeks to even see GP. I paid to goto a sports physio consultant who sent me for MRI and gave me the results to take back to GP. When you highlight you are self funding you get different prices. The two appointments, the MRI and report saying I needed urgent surgery and what the issue was cost £500
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Nicky - I can definitely afford that and it would be money well spent for me.
I’m based in the Highlands, north of Inverness but get down to North West England every month to see family & friends.
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| ProfessorMesser wrote: |
Nicky - I can definitely afford that and it would be money well spent for me.
I’m based in the Highlands, north of Inverness but get down to North West England every month to see family & friends. |
I felt it was worth every penny and meant she. I finally got an appointment with the GP I was able to be referred directly to a consultant who then took a look at MEI and report, looked at my knee (started winging about he fact I should never have been just sent home from A&E) and was able to schedule me in for surgery a week later, apologising profusely that he couldn’t do me any earlier.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@ProfessorMesser, I am not an expert at how to do this - but I think that, bar a lot of Googling, one option/route is to see your GP and hopefully find out from them a list of the local or best consultants and clinics near you. Then you can contact them and ask if they take private patients, how much, and so on.
Though oddly, the only private one which I found near me (in NW England) advised me to get x rays and scans via my GP, as privately they would demand almost £1,000 to do these, including the basic (£200 ish) initial consult. (For me it involves both knees, so twice the cost.)
I would first see how long the NHS wait is, and if your GP can get you x rays and scans up front without going through a full Consultant referral, which is often where the wait is.
Also, a basic private consult and pictures might be helpful to you, and affordable, but next steps such as arthroscopy or surgery would be a lot more costly privately. As Nicky J said, the first stages can indeed be quicker if you do them privately: but not always. You've still then got to get back into and navigate through the NHS system. Perhaps again check with your GP where (if) the delays are. I have certainly lived in places where the x ray bit was available very quickly (maybe not MRI); the seeing a person bit was not.
Fundamentally, how much of a rush are you in?
I don't know about Scotland. I have heard of a few reasonable orthopods at Hexham and Lancaster. I know that a lot of folk from the Lake District side come over to Hexham, and rate it. Can't say about Carlisle, though hear very mixed reports which would deter me (others may disagree, and have heard 1 positive too). But it's probably best, if surgery and rehab could be involved, to get a specialist near your home from the off. I would have thought that there'd be someone in Glasgow or Edinburgh, if not rather nearer, Inverness or points in between.
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