Introduction

[Ginger1210]

HI All.

This is my first post on this Forum. I thought it only polite to give a little of my history surrounding my condition.

My issues began back in 2017 just 12 months after I had undergone minor Key hole surgery to my right knee following a diagnosis of torn medial meniscus. The Surgery happened in the summer of 2016 and I seemed to have recovered well.

Back then I was a very active early 40 year old who had trained in martial arts for over 20 years.

In 2017 I noticed I started to have pain and stiffness in my right knee during exercise and general day to day walking. After seeking medical help i was diagnosed again to have torn my medial meniscus again in my right knee. I had arthroscopic in 2018 to clean and repair again, however this did not ease my pain or discomfort. I retired from Martial arts and rested my knee.

Fast forward to 2025 I had further repair surgery in 2019 and then a partial knee replacement on 2021 and further explorative surgery in 2023.

My condition and pain are still present of which now i am think could be Nerve related.

All of the above has had a huge impact on my life I have changed my job off which i loved ( Engineer) as the pain and stiffness was becoming unmanageable.

Physiologically I have really struggled at times and still do when my pain is bad.

I am a better coper now and found swimming to be really helpful. I take it day to day now and try my best to stay positive and active.

[RoadRunner44]

Hello Ginger,I am in a similar position to you regarding pain in the knee. A Torn meniscus was thought to be the case but after a scan showing nothing really obvious like arthritis. Neuropathy has been the word bandied around but I am finding the pain, stiffness and burning pain is getting worse. What do you take to ease the pain? I rub Volterol gel on my knee and take Co codamol plus paracetamol. I have been prescribed amytriptalin but am wary of using long-term. I can walk but I am at a loss to know how to help myself. Do you use a knee support and if so does it help? If you think you could help I'd be most grateful.

[Ginger1210 in reply to RoadRunner44]

Hi roadrunner44.

Yes I use voltarol myself. Plus I take co-codamol and ibuprofen . I have used amytriptalin it does help with sleep.

I too have burning pain and stiffness. It’s day to day . Managing my pain can be difficult. Despite this swimming is my saviour. I don’t wear a knee support. I have tried it but it didn’t improve things.

Rest and good sleep are crucial.

I hope this helps

[RoadRunner44 in reply to Ginger1210]

Hi Ginger,Thanks for your reply. We seem to be in a very similar situation with our knees. Would you mind answering a few more questions? Firstly how was neuropathy in your knee diagnosed? I assume it's the burning pain that suggests it is to the doctor but I haven't seen a neurologist. I enjoy walking and hope I can continue to walk with my walking group as long as I'm not making the situation worse. I had an arthroscopy and clean out around 20 years ago and my knee was fine afterwards. Apparently surgeons don't recommend this nowadays but I don't know why. Perhaps because another repair is not a good idea. It looks as if you being young have explored every avenue and nothing more can be done. I assume my only option is to eventually have a knee replacement to ease the pain. As my Xray didn't show any arthritis I expect it will be many years before this happens. Thanks for your advice and if you have any luck finding any further answers to the pain , burning and stiffness please let me know.

Enjoy your swimming.

[Ginger1210 in reply to RoadRunner44]

Hi RoadRunner44. Good question regarding neuropathy. I haven had a direct diagnosis as yet. I am on a pain management course at the moment just over the phone sessions. They have suggested it may be neuropathic pain as the burning and stiffness relates to this type of diagnosis. I have been searching for a proper medical diagnosis's for some time but no one seems to want to give me one.

My Pain varies so much from day to day this leads me to believe it could be nerve related. It may be scar tissue as well as i do get a lot of crunching and grinding from the operated area in my knee.

Fortunately my company have given me private health care recently. I have to pay the first £100 up front so just saving the money up I am going to book a appointment through this scheme just to try ang get a definite prognosis.

I hope you find the answers you are looking for.

[RoadRunner44 in reply to Ginger1210]

Hello again Ginger, It's good to stay in touch with members who have the same or similar health problems. Lucky you with your employer giving you private health care. I joined a company called Benendon £15.00 a month and saw a consultant about my knee who suggested regular cortisone injections may help. He gave me one on the same day and I was delighted with the result as the pain and stiffness eased within three days. Unfortunately it didn't last and after 10 days I was back to how I originally was. My own doctor suggested I have monthly injections. I haven't decided as yet whether to go ahead with these. Perhaps I'll go back to the consultant and see what he says. You, like me have probably done some research on line and sadly, with neuropathy there is very little treatment. Anyway, keep in touch and let me know if you get any answers through your private health care.

Best wishes,

[Scotsman53]

I have a very similar history except it's my left knee! And also now the pain's getting better instead of worse, very much better in fact. The turning point was learning that it's generated in the brain. Not saying it's imaginary, it's as real as any kind of pain, but the brain is where it's coming from. Do a web search on "psychogenic pain" or "neuroplastic pain", this understanding is relatively new and the terminology hasn't settled yet. TMS is another term for it. There's a lot of info out there including Facebook groups and Youtube channels.