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Wild Dingo
8th June 2007, 03:48 PM
Have a question for yous blokes an sheilas

First to clarify... Im already seeing a doc and a specialist for my knee issues but am also seeing my own doc about this problem but hes presently at a loss so have made another appointment with a doc in town to get a second opinion... so Im not just bringing it here and asking Im doing something about it as well... I just wondered if anyone here has a clue?

So a year ago I did my cartlidge in my right knee in... had it operated on and it hasnt come right yet... still a fair amount of pain etc but slowly getting better more movement less pain and so on... the docs reckon with the knee I should be right to return to work in a couple of months all things going as they are.

But over the last 2 weeks Ive noticed some severe pain in my left thigh... like someones hit it with a hammer you know?... and a general weekness in both legs... the other thing is my hips man those buggars pain something shocking whenever I stand up or get up from a sitting position or walk any distance... my lower back takes some seconds to straighten from any sitting and the pains quite increadible.

Now the thing thats really bothering me is the weekness and pain associated with walking... often seems as though my legs want to go one way while I want to go the other and my left leg in particular seems to drag and some times I dont seem to have much control of them at all... Ive fallen twice now due to them not being able to support me... just go to stand and they turn to mush and down I go... Im 5ft 6 an a bit and weigh around 11 stone so not overweight by any large margin

I have no other pain anywhere and no other weekness... just lower back pain on standing (I mean LOW down across the top of the buttocks in line with the hips) and hip and leg weekness and pain (particularily left leg)... the only way I can term the leg thing is like theyve become disorientated and its weird... Some days I can start walking okay and will end up quite hunched over from the hips and wandering instead of continuing to walk straight within 20 or so feet

Other days I will start out hunched and wandering and within 100ft end up straight and walking well... then bam they go again... was lets say interesting yesty when I was walking around the paddock doing my right leg exercises when I ended up flat on my ass... just sat there with my legs under me no strength in them whatever... lasted about 2 minutes then I got up went through the pain of standing and staggered back to the house took the pathetic only pain relief I can take panadol and laid down

Theres no history of MS or other things like that... other than mum having severe upper back issues bought on by a fall about 30 years ago and never made right by surgury and my elder sis having silliosus(sp?) curvature of the spine which is only minor and not severe... but talking to her being the font of all things medical related to family she reckons no ones had anything like this... as far as shes aware anyways.

I know Ive got arthritis in my right knee quite severe but this is all rather strange painfull and bloody worrying! I mean if this is what Ive got to look forward to for the future then buggar this for a joke!

Anyways was just wondering... and I am doing as much as I am able to resolve it but when the docs scratch their noggins an mutter grumble and havent a bloody clue Im a bit stuffed for ideas! And no the missus doesnt whack me legs with a hammer while I sleep... well I dont think so anyways :C

Gumby
8th June 2007, 03:51 PM
I haven't read it all Ding (too much brain strain), but my advice is to always wear a conundrum. You can never be too careful these days. :wink:

johnc
8th June 2007, 03:57 PM
Dunno Ding, when my lower back cracks a wobbly the legs tend to go a bit weak and loose some strength but nothing like that. Hope the quack can give you some answers.

Goodluck, John

bitingmidge
8th June 2007, 04:29 PM
Welcome to 50 Ding! :p

Bloke I work with had five successful operations on his knee in 14 months the year before last. It doesn't appear to be an exact science.

Cheers, (and I hope it works out ok)

P
:D

Fox3
8th June 2007, 04:35 PM
Just a thought having joint problems myself, but when you have a weak leg the other leg compensates for it, just how much determines how much pain you have or perhaps just how much extra load it is having to deal with to compensate. Ain't fun, sorta like problems create other problems.

Long day, I hope this makes sense :).

bsrlee
8th June 2007, 04:44 PM
You're not going to want to read this.:C



My uncle had something similar - he was knocked out by a lump of timber being dropped on him, doctor's said everything was all right. A few years later he started getting problems with his arms - weakness, pins-and-needles.

Turned out that the timber had broken several vertibrae - just cracked not displaced - and the medico's had missed this & he now had cancer in the cracked vertibrae - no way of telling if treatment would have stopped this but things were pretty advanced when they looked.

I also know of a Policewoman who got cancer in the leg after being kicked by a drunk while on duty - again, not treated until too late.

So I'd suggest that a trip to the big smoke & a full checkout may be in order - just think of it as a 100,000km full service on the car - expensive & unconvenient, but neccessary if the old bomb is going to keep running.

dazzler
8th June 2007, 06:19 PM
Hi dingo

I have had 9 knee operations due to dislocations. Sadly I have bone broken away from the back of both patellas and no cartlidge left in the right one at all. The right is on track to be replaced in the next 5 or so years if im lucky :rolleyes: . Lateral releases on each knee helped the tracking and took away the pain somewhat.

Is there bone damage or only cartiledge troubles?.

With all my knee problems I never had back problems so there is some concern there for you IMO.

I am quite unsteady at times particularly on the right but that hasnt dropped me yet.

Is it workers comp, Private health or god forbid the public system.:?

Barry_White
8th June 2007, 07:17 PM
Has your doctor suggested an Xray of your lower back and hip region. If not I would suggest that you pressure him/her to do that. I was starting to experience an aching hips and thought my hips were giving out but it appears that I have compressed discs in my lower back.

Also for my knees I take at least 2000 mg of glucosimine and calcium and that keeps the pain out of my knees.

AlexS
8th June 2007, 08:10 PM
Yeah Ding, I've found that when you get older you get crook in all the joints....then the managers of the joints kick you out.

himzol
8th June 2007, 09:16 PM
Hi Ding,

Any chance it could be a Cyatic Nerve problem? The pain in your lower back and the pain in the legs could be "inferred" pain from the cyatic nerve being compressed somewhere else. DAMHIK...

H.

dazzler
8th June 2007, 11:02 PM
Has your doctor suggested an Xray of your lower back and hip region. If not I would suggest that you pressure him/her to do that. I was starting to experience an aching hips and thought my hips were giving out but it appears that I have compressed discs in my lower back.

Also for my knees I take at least 2000 mg of glucosimine and calcium and that keeps the pain out of my knees.

Hey Bazza

Do you find the cold makes em ache more:?

Barry_White
8th June 2007, 11:41 PM
Hey Bazza

Do you find the cold makes em ache more:?

Not really. I would reckon the cold would affect them if I had arthritis. With my knees if I run out of the glucosamine for more than about a fortnight they become sore when I am walking.

Doughboy
8th June 2007, 11:49 PM
Hey there Ding

I have had a right knee problem for about 7 years now and have had pretty much what you descibe happen to me. I had three arthroscopies and one distall realignment. I now have no cartilage in my right knee and have already got the initial 'twangs' of arthritis.

I lost strength in my right leg and they found that it had withered by about 25 percent. Your hips and back have developed soreness because you 'limp' and to make movement easier you will be favouring that side of your body, whether you realise this or not.

It took me four years of physio to regain 95% of my strength and movement. Although as you should well know that everybody reacts differently to medication and physio treatment. I hope yours is swifter than mine.

Wild Dingo
9th June 2007, 12:58 AM
Geez talk about no news is good news!!!... sigh... to answer the workers comp question... the RIGHT knee is workers comp but the comp doc isnt interested in the left thigh pain nor the lower back nor the left hip nor even the wobblygobblies... just the right knee if its the right knee its workers comp if its anything else see your own doc and get it sorted but his view is that the comp insurer wont be interested and tends to fob me off when I broach the subjects

I see him again on Tuesday for another update form and then a referral to a knee specialist in Perth two weeks later... for my RIGHT knee

Im gonna hit him with it again as I think your right about over compensating... the physio stopped the moment the last surgeon (the one that operated) said "thats it mate what you have is arthritis and the pain you have is what you have you will need a replacement but its not bad enough for that yet probably in a year or two but for now back to work"... so the physio stopped the insurer stopped the gym and pool membership and I was left to my own devises... the doc has determined that we see this other specialist in perth in 2 weeks and then decide whats to be done... if he says okay we can operate and fix it then onto the mat I go again but if he says what the other one said then its back to work... although I have lost my job thats gonna mean some interesting times ahead

Mining companies take a very dim view of workers who have been on compo... which means a tad of a fight to get a job in the industry again.

And the rehab people are a bunch of flamin ignoramouses who wouldnt have a sodding flamin clue!!... Today they sent me for a couple of interviews for return to work "training" as... ahem... a shelf packer at mitre 10 entailing much bending and labeling of shelves below knee height even the sodding manager got that they sent me there! bending all day is not going to happen!... and as a TA to a bloody plumber for shytes sake!!... IM A BLOODY TRUCK DRIVER!! put me on a damned truck and I'll be friggin fine!... but no its these types of positions or back to being a bloody counsellor by their reckoning :~

Anyways... 2 weeks to see that new specialist then another 2 till I see the damned doc again for the RIGHT knee and then FUGGGEM!!! between now and then Im goin back to a mine ANY FLAMIN MINE!! but back to bloody work :2tsup: and to hell with this workers comp crap :doh: drives me bloody troppo

Buzza
11th June 2007, 12:50 AM
Ding, you need to have a CT Scan of that area and the legs. Any X-Rays that you have taken should include pictures takem whilst standing upright. If it is compo, these weight bearing pictures will be left out of an X-Ray collection as they will show clearly any compacted jionts, such as knees and hips was well as vertebrae. Something "THEY" will want to avoid seeing. :rolleyes:

A simple thing like a pinched nerve can disrupt sensation to the legs. Also, if you have favoured one leg for some time, you can cause stress to other joints in the other leg and hip, as well as the spine. :C

I lay claim to years of suffering and being unable to work a normal job. I am now the proud owner of a half-knee joint replacement for both legs, and can walk again, for quite long distances, whereas before, the clothes line or the letter-box was a huge effort. :oo:

I wish you well Ding, all the best mate.

Tonyz
14th June 2007, 09:50 AM
Medical conundrum, struth sorry I thought it read medical condom

floobyduster
14th June 2007, 11:48 AM
Hi WD
Sorry to hear about your battles. Sure sounds like lower back issues mucking up the nerves. Have you been checked out by a chiropractor? They take their xrays standing up.

We have a friend here who is a muscle manipulative therapist (and a registered nurse) who has achieved some great results on folk the doctors couldn't help, - one patient was a good friend who had virually lost the use of one arm (and the muscles were withering from lack of use) and the doctor's next step was exploratory surgery - within 1 - 2 treatments he was getting full use of it agin. Someone like this may be another option for you to look into.

I sure hope you can find some relief soon and sort out a suitable job.