Sore back of the knees

PrairieLights

PrairieLights

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
I cannot figure out what is causing this bit it's been easily over a month if not two. I haven't paid attention to when it started as I assumed it would just go with rest.

I am positive it is not hormone/hrt related as that is different and more joint not back of the knee.

It's not like the muscle pain I got when my thyroid levels were worse either.

I have not had any type of injury.

The area behind both knees, not the joint, from the center and maybe 4 inches up and down from the point across the back of the knees... is sore. It gets stiff after sleeping, which is the worst, and even after sitting with knees bent. I find I have to frequently stretch to release the stiffness that builds a soreness.

The entire rest of my legs are completely fine.

I had a Google and came up with a lot of things it definitely isn't.


Is this an me/cfs thing?
 
I have unanticipated pain there too, but just one leg. It started after shoveling snow: I think it had to do with the repetitive sideways movement of the leg. I'm also wondering whether the front edge of my computer chair is also involved, since there is pressure on that spot. It doesn't seem worse after sleeping, so I think our problems are unrelated. Do think about whether the front edge of your chair might be involved.
 
PrairieLights said:
The area behind both knees, not the joint, from the center and maybe 4 inches up and down from the point across the back of the knees... is sore. It gets stiff after sleeping, which is the worst, and even after sitting with knees bent.
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Those are the symptoms of a mechanical synovitis - which is probably one of the commonest causes of knee pain. Something inside is rubbing and fluid is generated which is pushed to the back of the knee capsule. It may not be what your problem is but it is a common cause and nothing to do with ME/CFS as far as I know. If there is a history of hypothyroidism that could easily be relevant even long after since hypothyroidism causes metric thickening in connective tissue. But again, this is just general comment.
 
Creekside said:
I have unanticipated pain there too, but just one leg. It started after shoveling snow: I think it had to do with the repetitive sideways movement of the leg. I'm also wondering whether the front edge of my computer chair is also involved, since there is pressure on that spot. It doesn't seem worse after sleeping, so I think our problems are unrelated. Do think about whether the front edge of your chair might be involved.
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I tend to only sit on the bed or sofa and usually splayed out or knees pulled up.
 
Jonathan Edwards said:
Those are the symptoms of a mechanical synovitis - which is probably one of the commonest causes of knee pain. Something inside is rubbing and fluid is generated which is pushed to the back of the knee capsule. It may not be what your problem is but it is a common cause and nothing to do with ME/CFS as far as I know. If there is a history of hypothyroidism that could easily be relevant even long after since hypothyroidism causes metric thickening in connective tissue. But again, this is just general comment.
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It doesn't feel like something in the knee joint...I want to say muscular like but it doesn't follow all the way along a muscle, stops short.

I shall read about thickening, never heard of this.
 
I thought that this was common in ME. I have had it for (almost) as long as I have had ME. I showed it to a GP early on in the illness, and he didn't really have anything to say about it.

Even when my weight has been normal, the backs of my knees appear swollen.

I have to kneel when washing up, for example, to stop my legs from getting exhausted, and it's mainly the backs of my knees that cause the leg exhaustion.
 
Jonathan Edwards said:
It wouldn't. The back of the knee is actually made of the upper part of the gastrocnemius muscle. Pain occurs from pressure on the muscle - a sort of blow out from the joint. The joint itself may feel fine.
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So, if it was this cyst would I have a lump or a sore spot when I press on it? I don't have either. It just starts to hurt or get stiff when laying down, sitting or having it bent, it lessens stretching or moving around... but as I stop a lot it keeps reoccurring.
 
PrairieLights said:
So, if it was this cyst would I have a lump or a sore spot when I press on it?
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It isn't really a cyst. People talk of Baker's cysts but those are a much more esoteric phenomenon. This is just the back of the knee. It may produce a palpable and sore fullness but not necessarily.
 
Jonathan Edwards said:
It isn't really a cyst. People talk of Baker's cysts but those are a much more esoteric phenomenon. This is just the back of the knee. It may produce a palpable and sore fullness but not necessarily.
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So, do you just shrug and get on with it?

I rarely bother to go to the GP about anything I perceive to be muscular as they only say take ibuprofen.
 
Jonathan Edwards said:
It isn't for me to give advice. All I can do is make general comments. If you are worried enough by a symptom to consult a doctor don't take what I say as altering that decision. I appreciate that getting medical advice is a lottery.
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I'd likely not bother finding out. I waited out butsitis in my shoulder for 2.5 years for that to pass instead of bother.
 
@PrairieLights is it exclusive to knees? I'll experience similar stiffness in my ankles, shoulders, back, as well as back of knees particularly when I get up in the morning. To me it is often a delayed reaction to small amounts of activity. Not severe like PEM, but always around areas where muscles have to work hard to keep things stable even if I am just sitting, standing, or walking.
 
jnmaciuch said:
@PrairieLights is it exclusive to knees? I'll experience similar stiffness in my ankles, shoulders, back, as well as back of knees particularly when I get up in the morning. To me it is often a delayed reaction to small amounts of activity. Not severe like PEM, but always around areas where muscles have to work hard to keep things stable even if I am just sitting, standing, or walking.
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I feel like my knees are different than other parts of me. If my hrt is off my knees and ankles go but in a different way to how my knees have been these couple months.

Other parts get more sore in proportion to doing stuff... or in response not necessarily normal.

The knee thing feels like it's from not moving vs others being from moving... if that makes sense
 
I was just trying to do some googling and google misunderstood me saying behind the knee. So, wanted to clarify here in case you guys are thinking like Google. I am not meaning behind the knee cap but the back side of my leg/knee bit.
 
I seem to have solved my knee pain, well not why but solved the pain.

Back in November I stopped taking my evening primrose oil because I felt like I was paying for too many things. I've had knee pain and stiffness since December, one more than the other.

I suddenly started wondering last week if it was the evening primrose oil. I bought more and have been taking a double dose for 5 days and my knees are about 90% better!
 
My ME has given me many "why the heck did that help?" instances. EPO--and other sources of conjugated linoleic acids--allow me to avoid one or more awakenings in the night. Why? Dunno.

I abruptly developed an intolerance of something in seed embryos. Why? Dunno. Why did a single meal with squash cure that intolerance? Dunno.

It's just too unlikely that I'd manage to answer those questions to bother trying.

Those surprise treatments are very welcome. even if they do come with an unsolvable question.
 
Creekside said:
My ME has given me many "why the heck did that help?" instances. EPO--and other sources of conjugated linoleic acids--allow me to avoid one or more awakenings in the night. Why? Dunno.

I abruptly developed an intolerance of something in seed embryos. Why? Dunno. Why did a single meal with squash cure that intolerance? Dunno.

It's just too unlikely that I'd manage to answer those questions to bother trying.

Those surprise treatments are very welcome. even if they do come with an unsolvable question.
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I have stuff like that too.... was briefly allergic to other toothpastes when mine was discontinued... but now I'm not.

My lips only broke out in rashes when touching plastic. So gave up plastic water bottles, no idea of that went away as now I paid for glass and metal so those are staying.

Started gettting ill from one particular vitamin, so don't take that now.
 
Creekside said:
It's just too unlikely that I'd manage to answer those questions to bother trying.
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I'd like to add that it's not just too difficult to find the answers, it's that there's limited value in the answers. My weird responses seem to be unique to me. If there was something specific that the majority of PWME reliably responded to, that would certainly be worth investigating. Physical exertion involves too many downstream factors to be useful as a lead.
 
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