Question:

About two and half months ago I was doing a squat while leaning my back up against the wall. The physical therapist that was observing me told me to press my lower back into the wall as I did the squat. I was fine at that point, then went home and continued to do this same exercise for five days in a row, once or twice a day. On the fifth day after I did this exercise I had excruciating pain in both of my knees. It initially got better until I went for a long walk, and then it got worse. But I could still walk. I tried acupuncture and the knee pain got worse. I tried a chiropractic adjustment of my sacrum and L5 and the knee pain got worse. My MD, a spine specialist, requested an MRI of my low back, but no neural impingement showed up. I went to see a knee specialist,orthopedic surgeon, and he pushed my patellas around, flexed and extended my legs, and said the problem`s not coming from my knees. But now after that exam I can hardly walk because the knee pain is excruciating. It`s twice as bad as when I walked into the appointment. And my feet and ankles are swollen. It`s worse in the left knee. I can`t walk at all. What the heck is going on?

Answer:

It sounds like you are having a lot of discomfort from this knee pain.  I will not be able to offer you a diagnosis over the internet, although it may be time for a second opinion from another physician.  Pain in the knee certainly may still be coming from the knee, but is can also come from the hip or back.  An MRI of the back certainly makes this possibility much less likely.  The knee pain could be coming from the kneecap, meniscus or even a cyst within the knee.  If you have not had x-rays or radiographic evaluation of the knee, I would think this is the next step in your evaluation. 

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Go to the Sports Medicine health topic.