Help please? Arthritis concerns

[AmyD0509]

Hi, I'm 13 and looking for advice,

So the problem is that I'm having problems in both my knees like a bruising feeling inside both kneecaps, but it's really hard to see any swelling in them or inflammation and this has been going on for three weeks. I went to the GP last week and he said he couldn't find anything wrong with them, but has since started to get worse. It's stopped me from doing what I do best which is running and dancing, even just walking down some steps hurts and I don't know what it is. My family has a history of arthritis as my Mum and Nan have it, but there's endless possibilities of what it could be. Does anybody have similar symptoms or any advice over what it could be?

[Hidden]

Hi AMY, I'm sorry about your knees and sometimes the GP doesn't have all the answers.  You should have a scan, x-ray or MRI for your knees for an in depth look at what's going on there.  I don't have any bruising feeling , but when I look at my knees I can see an outer inflammation on the sides of them.  If your family has had a history of arthritis I would recommend a specialist who can pinpoint the problem thoroughly.

I hope you can seek the right treatment and feel better soon.

[Preacherman]

Hi Amy, I'm very sorry that your not feeling very well.  Sookiedee is 100 percent right.  You need to see a specialist who specializes in Arthritis.  You need to see a Rheumatologist, but please talk to your Mum and your Nan about it.  You don't have to be old to have some types of Arthritis, also remember there is a lot of medicine for it, so don't worry, you'll be running and dancing again soon, without pain too.  Blessings to you!!!

[olly17man]

Amy, My son had the same trouble when he was 13-14 and the school and our doctor thought he was making excuses because he didn't like PE.  Insist you have an Xray - eventually my son had Xrays but I cannot remember what they called his pain.  It was because he was growing quite rapidly at that age.  It is painful and in fact although the medics gave it a name they more or less said he would have to live with it until he stopped growing.  The pain did subside but if he has any aches and pains it always seems that his knees are the problem.  Of course he is an adult now and has stopped growing!!  I wish you well, Amy, but try to get to the bottom of it - you don't want to end up with arthritis at your age.  Good luck for the future.  xx

[olly17man]

Amy!!  Put it down to old age - the name of what my son suffered from has come to me!!  It's called Osgood Schlatter disease.  It is to do with the growing process so I hope you grow out of it!  x

[AmyD0509]

Thanks for the replies, I really appreciate it. I can't go to the hospital as I have to be referred by the GP, but I have another doctor's appointment on Wednesday and hopefully the GP can see what's wrong this time. I've tried Ibruprofen and Paracetamols to try and subside the pain but it hasn't worked, so I've got support bandages for both knees and that's seemed to stop the pains for now, but not completely it just numbs my knees upwards and sometimes the whole leg altogether. But I also can't take too many Ibruprofen's because of my asthma.

[GinjaNinja]

Hi Amy,

Sorry to hear you are having knee trouble. I had a very similar thing at your age and occasionally some swelling and redness. It caused me to have to give up dancing and I missed out on sports on and off throughout school. I also have family history of RA and had regular blood tests throughout my teenage years to 'spot' the problem. I found ice helped a lot, support bandages, and physio. And don't just think the physio will make you do exercise, I had infrared therapy and ultrasound therapy along with exercise. So ask your GP to send you for physio and blood tests as well as xrays. 

I hope you get somewhere and they give you some answers. But please don't worry too much, I am 30 and have only just been diagnosed with RA, throughout school I had periods of knee trouble but by 15 it had calmed a lot and was all put down to growing pains. Hopefully for you it's just that and will get better with time. 

Anyway don't be to disheartened if they can't give you an answer straight away... Doctors don't seem to be very good at identifying the problem with knees! 

Good luck x 

[olly17man]

Amy, be brave and ask your doctor for a referral for an Xray!!

[AmyD0509 in reply to olly17man]

I will when I go to the GP  on Wednesday as that is my next appointment.

[olly17man]

Atta girl!!  Good luck.

[Mushycall]

Hi the only thing is to insist on having an X-ray,it will show any problems , hope all goes well for you

[olly17man]

When my son was 13 he suffered a great deal of pain in his knees and one doctor was rude enough to comment that 'perhaps he just doesn't like sport'. I was furious because I knew there was something wrong and insisted he had Xrays. It turned out he had something called Osgood Schlatter disease (I hope I have spelt it correctly). It's because you are probably growing taller quite quickly. He had treatment but always suffered with pain in his knees while he was growing up. Get your Mum to insist you have some Xrays taken, Amy, and good luck!