Mysterious shin pain

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vickster

vickster

Legendary Member
Saw specialist again as pain constant even with strong anti inflammatories

Meniscus tear, steroid injection given, probably need surgery, banned from cycling

Bloody marvellous :sad:
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Oh dear ... :sad:

It took over 3 months for them to find that ...? :wacko:

I hope that surgery is not required, but if it is, that they get on and do it and fix the problem ASAP - good luck!
 

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
Meniscus tear
Hi Vickster, I got that injury in my knee, got it through a repetitive movement at work years ago, with wear and tear thrown in too.
According to the consultant, no surgery will help, only an eventual joint replacement, I'm too young for this under the NHS.
My tear happened about 9 years ago, had to give up work for a few months - my work is quite active - because of the pain.
It took about 2 years for the pain to be negligent.
Since starting cycling it has disappeared completely, and I'm more a grinder than a spinner.
I've also lost about 3 stone, maybe this has helped too.
It will get better, try not to rotate the knee.
I never took any medication, just did the phisio's exercises.
 
OP
OP
vickster

vickster

Legendary Member
I think it was in the mri, just not clear in the report. He does say it is relatively small. Ive not seen him since the MRI, I had a letter which said there was nothing major but to be aware of the knee. He evidently felt that with some rest it would settle. On prodding, the pain is directly over the lateral meniscus. And he showed me the tear and surrounding inflammation on the MRI. Seems pretty conclusive.

Who's to say it's not got worse since the mri? I have degenerative tears in the other knee too, had lateral menisectomy in 2010 after previous bike accident (locked, buckling knee) :sad:

He may have been kidding partly about the cycling but considering he's been trying to treat my other leg for the last 5 years following to cycling accidents, I can't really blame him!

Cycling hurts, there's no enjoyment, I guess I need to get away from the denial. The meniscus has little blood supply so I'm not sure how gentle cycling would help, they don't heal on their own. They settle, this hasn't. Cycling and other exercise can help with arthritis by improving lubrication in the joint but that's different cartilage, not meniscus.

The pain has been getting steadily worse since and is pretty much constant whether walking, cycling, sitting at a desk for work, driving a car, despite anti inflammatories and pain killers. This is why I had the appointment.

Everyone is different. Frankly it's making me miserable, it's getting worse, whatever I do or don't do. I seem to be prone to orthopaedic niggles that get worse. The knees, tennis elbow, lower back, I am seeing the gp about pain in my left hand that isn't getting better. I assumed tendonitis but again the naproxen taken for knees isn't helping at all!

I'll have the surgery ASAP once squared off with work as I am damned if I'm going to pull out of ride London again!
 
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OP
OP
vickster

vickster

Legendary Member
Oh dear ... :sad:

It took over 3 months for them to find that ...? :wacko:

I hope that surgery is not required, but if it is, that they get on and do it and fix the problem ASAP - good luck!

I have private health care, when it's done is down to me and work
 
OP
OP
vickster

vickster

Legendary Member
Giving it a couple of weeks to see if the steroid helps (not obviously so far). Tentatively agreed chop day of 12 Feb with boss if goes ahead
 

jarlrmai

Veteran
That sucks :sad:

Now i'm worried they missed something in my knee MRI...

My knee seems to be, very very gradually getting better though not as fast as my sports therapist reckons it should.
 
OP
OP
vickster

vickster

Legendary Member
I don't think the surgeon did, but he didn't think it was concerning enough to warrant follow up. He thought at the time that I was overloading it through cycling and life, but it's got worse and no response really to naproxen, and less cycling. I've done less than 300 miles in 3 months, whereas I was doing that monthly in summer

Tendonitis is really slow to resolve, did you have any jabs or anything, I can't remember?

You could always ask for a second opinion on the MRI, but if a radiologist and an ortho have reviewed and presumably the physio, I expect they have the issue sussed
 
OP
OP
vickster

vickster

Legendary Member
I had the tennis elbow for over a year, steroid helped a bit, PRP not at all. Surgical repair sorted it out (although that arm has been grumpy lately)! Not much surgical for patella tendons unless properly ruptured / detached as far as I know
 
OP
OP
vickster

vickster

Legendary Member
Knee issues are the worst as there are so many structures and almost anything we do has some impact on the knee! Gets worse as you get older too :sad:
 

albion

Guru
Location
South Tyneside
True, but good use of gears means cycling can be near zero impact.

I've been using my high geared road bike recently and purposely take a long long route round the steep long hills. The only thing I have noticed recently is shin pain. but whilst I had a very slow healing shin problems I suspect its only noticeable because my winter socks are too thin.
 
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