I think it might be worth your while to see a chiropractor (they don’t just fix backs).
Some people say they’re quacks, others swear by them. What you’re doing isn’t working, though – and provided you get relief it doesn’t matter where the solution comes from.
Worth a try, IMHO.
I don’t know from jack about being athletic, but I know about leg pain and "I can never do nothin’! as George Lopez says. I would buy stock in tears of frustration.
Just how much are you really and truly resting your legs? Because it sounds like not so much. Because you’re eager to be better (at least a little bit.)
It also sounds like your new bike triggered a possibility that was hovering around, like obesity can create a (predisposed) diabetic.
Rest. Don’t walk to see if you can. Prop your feet up. Demand Pay-For-View. It might take a year.
You’ve over-extended (IANAD) and now need to give your body time to heal. It takes time but believe me, it gets better. I have periphyal (sp) vascular disease. I’ve progressed from a wheelchair to a walker to “stumping” it. Use a shopping cart when I can. The dreaded cane (finally and recently) when I can’t. I’m not going to get better than this. You are.
I hope I’m not so far off about the physical aspects that I’m being stupid rather than helpfull. But I so understand the craving for movement! Try exhilarating things that don’t require much leg power, like go-kart tracks or some kind of boating.
There may not be a quick, magical cure but the body is often surprisingly resilient.(sp)
How old are you?
My father had similar vague and dull muscular pain in his leg, the only thing that relieved it was massage.
It eventually turned out he needed a stent put into the artery in his leg, pain dissapeared instantly.
I’m glad you bumped this thread, because in the interim my mother (who is elderly but in superb health) has had 2 episodes of something that sounds very similar to the swelling/bump you describe. Hers was located just below the knee (which may have made it easier for the doctor to detect), but she described it exactly as you have. Apparently she has what the doctors call an “incompetent” vein in that area, and with strenuous exercise (brisk walking, bending and kneeling in the garden) the vein started to leak blood slowly into the tissues around the vein. This then caused swelling, inflammation and pain. Her doctor recommended compression with an Ace wrap, strict rest and elevation, icing and ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain, and this worked to resolve her symptoms.
After her second episode I did convince her to see a vascular surgeon just to have the veins in her legs evaluated, because we want her to stay active and independent for the rest of her life. She is scheduled to see one this summer. Since you haven’t had any satisfaction from the remedies you’ve tried thus far and since your doctors have been unable to help you, maybe a vascular center should be your next stop.
IT Band and compartment syndrome sound way off to me.
Given location and how it started, my first guesses would be a partial tear of a quad tendon (which I would have thought would show on an MRI, but you never know) or suprapatellar bursitis. Those seem so obvious, though, I would be surprised the people you’ve talked to would miss it, but I see no suggestion of either being ruled out. Maybe you should try another physiotherapist.
Generally, when you flare up something like this, icing is better than heat.
Thanks for the info. I am going to call back the orthopedic doctor (the one who referred me for this latest bout of physical therapy), since he had also suggested the possibility of a vascular issue, and see if he can recommend a specialist. May I ask how your mother was diagnosed? ie, what kind of test did they do to determine that she had an incompetent vein?
Sorry, I didn’t mean that I think all people who use their cars all the time are lazy. I guess my attitude was, in an able-bodied person, there’s no need to drive for a half-mile trip when you can walk or bike there. Of course, if someone has physical limitations, I would never recommend that they do physical activity that would cause pain or make things worse. I’m just wishing that I was one of these able-bodied people again, who could bike or walk for short trips.
My first post in this thread was in December - at that point, I had extremely limited physical activity for 3 months. I would only walk from my car to the office, and back to my car and back home. My mother was cleaning my house for me, and we were eating takeout and leftovers so I wouldn’t have to cook. I did barely any physical activity. The walk to Walgreen’s I described in the OP was the first amount of any activity I had done in that time.
After that, I continued resting throughout the winter. The first activity again was in April when I did a bit of bike-riding (on the doctor’s recommendation) prior to the MRI.
The problem is, without knowing exactly what the problem is, it’s hard to know how much to limit my activity. I’m willing to go on total bedrest if that’s what’s needed to get better, but I don’t want my legs to atrophy all for nothing if it turns out to be something else.
Anyway, based on my orthopedic doctor’s suggestion, and Sudden Kestrel’s comment, I will look into seeing a vein specialist. After that, I will consider a chiropractor and acupuncture.
If I recall correctly, the doctor simply made an educated guess based on the symptoms, her examination, and my mother’s health history. Since it was not a life-threatening problem, they felt it was safe to attempt treatment for that particular problem and see if it worked, and it did. She will go in to have a venous ultrasound examination of her legs this summer to see if there are any other potential problems.
It might be worth noting that the doctor my mother saw was a cardiologist, so she might have been more inclined to consider diseases of the vascular system in the first place. It sure sounds like you have ruled out orthopedic issues and it would be worth looking at the veins. I hope you get some relief.
I decided to take my doctor’s advice on trying a vascular specialist before doing PT again. I just had an appointment last week. I described my symptoms to the PA, she looked at my knee and the other tests I had done, and said she doubted this was vein-related. But she gave me a test where they put those blood-pressure testing cuffs on my wrists and ankles, and some sensors on my fingers and toes. She said all the numbers came up normal, and then the doctor came in to view the results and he agreed.
I asked if they had any thoughts on what else to do, and the PA suggested a Rheumatology specialist who was in the same building. Her thought was that it could be an issue related to mitochondria or lactic acid buildup. She even went over and talked to him for me, and he said he’d see me but I need some blood work first. So I have a list of blood work tests, and I’m getting them done on Monday, and then hopefully I can make an appointment with the doctor.
I also had an appointment with my primary care physician last week, and I asked her if she had any ideas for what else to try. She recommended trying this third PT place, so I have an appointment with them on Monday too. She also said she felt confident that the problem would be found eventually, it just might take time. I’m not so sure, and wondered if she was just saying that to make me feel better, as I was visibly frustrated and upset by the whole thing. Hopefully she’s right.
I called back the orthopedic doctor (who had recommended the vascular specialists) and left a message for him asking if he had any other suggestions beyond the PT.
So that’s where it stands. Any other thoughts about what this could be? I saw some info on bursitis and thought that was a possibility, but maybe my other tests (MRI, X-Ray, EMG) would have shown that already?
TL;DR - I bought a bike that was either too heavy or at an angle that my body didn’t like. Riding it made my quads sore, but I kept at it for probably too long. After I stopped, my quads eventually felt better, but I was left with a mysterious, swollen painful lump above my left knee. It’s always swollen, and exercise or walking makes it hurt. Massaging the area or putting any kind of pressure on it makes it hurt. Cutting out physical activity entirely is the only thing that somewhat stops the pain. It has been like this since October 2011. I have had the following tests, all showing up negative: x-ray, MRI, EMG, compartment syndrome test, blood pressure test for vein issues. Physical therapy made it worse, since it involves physical activity. I am seeking advice on other specialists/tests to consider that may help diagnose the problem.
Have you had the lump biopsied? If it was me, I’d probably tell my doctor to just slice it open and see what crawls out.
Also, and I know it can’t possibly be lupus, but - have you been tested for lupus?
I had a friend with this symptom, he was crazy into fitness.
It was cancer, they amputated his leg.