Does anyone knows about knee overuse syndrome?

pain began without any trauma to the knee. i began feeling pain while running. at first i though it was my weight, but i have loss (10pounds) and i am currently were i was before the pain began. x-rays reveled no abnormalities, but pain still present including while sitting for a long time or even sleeping. some people say that i have an over develop knee muscle and i need to do exercise to get them strong. i have stop running but i need to do something to keep losing weight. i am considering an MRI but i don't know what will the outcome be. I have also notice that my other knee is begining to get weaker and it hurt at time. the original pain began in late february and it is half a year later pain still present. your help and experience will be greatly appriciated.

There are most definitely knee over use syndromes and running is a BIG trigger of these- repetitive motion AND high impact are both really hard on your knees. Weight loss is a very good thing to do for knee pain, every pound on your body is over 10 on your knees when you are going down stairs, hills, or anything that puts extra pressure on your knee while it is bent. Depending on your age and how long you have been running, you could have some arthritus in the knee that is causing the pain as well. Do you ice it at all? That helps with knee pain in most cases. X rays do not show a lot of knee problems unless they are done at a certain angle (where you can see under the knee cap to check for tracking problems, or any degeneration). The VMO (a little muscke on the inside of your leg) and quads are both important for the tracking of your knee, so leg lifts (just laying on your back, lift your leg up straight- hold 10 seconds- repeat 10 times... 3 sets) are good for those- you can do them on your back, stomach, and each side. To keep losing weight, you can do things that aren't high impact- do you have any access to an elliptical machine or a recumbant bike?
If the problems have been going on for so long, you really should see a specialist. An Orthopedist or Orthopedic Surgeon could both help prescribe a brace, physical therapy, or other treatment. You should have them check the "tracking" of your knee- if your knee cap rides up and down too much to the side, there could be a lot of irritation from the it rubbing against bone. An MRI would show any arthritic changes or soft tissue problems that X rays do not since they only show bone.

yes. Get the MRI good luck getting it paid for in this Sicko country but you may have what is known as a Plica....I had similar symptoms when my right knee was messed up...my left had to take up the slack and that overuse revealed a plica and some associated wear and tear from years of hockey injuries that were always resolved with PT in the past but caught up to me...good luck

Well, I cant really help you, but I also have sore knees. I was a mover for 21 years and did a lot of up and down stairs with heavy furniture. Now if I walk for an hour or so I get sore knees, or if I climb a few staircases I get sore knees. I was xrayd but nothing showed up. The Dr said to come in the next time inflammation came about, Ya right, by the time I get to him I'm OK again. Anyway, it feels as though I need a shot of oil in the joint to make the pain go away, but I guess we cant do that. Just thought I would let you know that I share your pain. Good luck.

Typical overuse syndromes usually involve patellar tendonitis, quadriceps tendonitis and even patellofemoral syndrome/chondromalacia patella. With the pain waking you up at night, a stress fracture also needs to be considered which usually will not be visible on an x-ray for 6 weeks.

I'd really lay off the running until you are pain-free...if you are getting better with rest...continue to let it rest. If you find that you are not improving, it's time to follow up with an orthopedist for further testing. An MRI would rule out soft tissue lesions such as ligamentous or meniscal tears.

Other forms of exercise you should including are primarily non-weight bearing cardiovascular exercise such as swimming and biking. This way you can continue your weight loss goals.

I suffered from my left knee overuse. I had strong pain, but not swelling. I used transparent gasoline compresses for 10 minutes, once a week, then after taking out the compress kept the knee tied with knee rollable bandage (not the ready bandage) to make it enough tight as a knee support. Sometimes the pain recurreed after one or two month without pain. I tried not to wear shorts, and always had long trousers on my knees.
Everything lasted three years. Now it's been 7 years that there is no pain at all, I hope it will not recur any more.
I still watch not to wear shorts.