constant aching knees and ankles

[Dom87]

Hey everyone. this is my 1st post on here- funnily enough my barber kept telling me about it but I kept forgetting about it!

Anyway, I'm a 32 year old guy & I'm a Health & Fitness Coach so usually very sporty and active. I've always found being on my feet a long time makes my joints ache - particularly my knees and ankles. But in the past 2 months its got a lot worse, in that my legs are constantly aching even when I do nothing! when I walk I can hear & feel a dull thud - like my leg bones grinding against my knee cap.

I've been to the GP more in the last 2 months than I think I've ever been in my life! So far they think its either chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia.....I've been given a 30 day course of high dose vitamin d as that's the only thing that came back as 'almost low' from a large mix of blood tests I've had done.

I've dropped from 70 to 64 kgs having not been able to exercise and my work has obviously taken a serious drop! I'm really not sure where to go from here - all I know is it can't continue!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[Rileytra]

Hi Dom, I was a fitness buff and was 2nd degree black belt running my own martial arts school. A cold caused my first flare up. For months all my joints ached and I was so tired.it passed but I was left with a lovely grinding noise in my knees. It was the cartilage wearing out. Because of your age ( I was 30 ) the doctor will not consider osteoarthritis until last and to be fair it may not be the case BUT ask for a scan and/or a arthroscopy (camera and poss clean out) of your knees to check out what's going on. Alternatively go to either a Podiatrist or sports Physio. If you have a problem it will effect your gait which they can see. as you know this causes your muscles to work differently hence the ache. Let's us know how you get on and good luck finding out what's going on. Tracey

[Dom87 in reply to Rileytra]

Thanks Tracey I'm due a visit to the Dr in the next week or 2 to see how the vitamin d has gone so I'll be sure to bring this up!

[Lexi_1812]

This sounds a bit like me - perhaps not as sporty but still quite active and a similar age. I've had a crunching knee and flare ups that last a month at a time for over a year now and after some persuasion (and seeing a private physio who agreed), the doctors sent me for an MRI where they've identified cartilage damage so just waiting for a hospital referral now. However, get your doctor to send you for an MRI to rule out anything in there - meniscus / cartilage damage, cysts, joint effusion etc. And even though it might hurt, try and keep moving - walking might hurt, but do you get any pain on a bike or swimming?

[Hidden]

Were you clumsy as a child did you trip or fall a lot. . If so it could be your ankles and feet making your knees hurt pain can be deferred, hip damage can be deferred to your knees it's a bit of a minefield, until you get a proper diagnosis, and it could be a combination of both. I had knee pain for years and found it was due to my feet but lately had knee pain again and now it's my hip. Ask for a referral to podiatrist re feet start there. It took months but it was so worth it.

[ptaylor142]

hi there I have had burning feet they are twice the size some days I saw a podiatrist he he had a look at them and right away told me I had tarsal tunnel syndrome I had to look it up never heard of it I had 2 ops on my hands for carpel tunnel he said it was nearly the same and only a small chance of a op working so I have to live with it good luck to you all xxx