Knee bursitis

[Miserere]

My PMR began with slight stiffness in hips and then progressed to shoulders etc. At the same time one knee developed bursitis which made walking difficult. This gradually improved until one day it swelled up like a football and I have had trouble with it ever since - i.e. I cannot drive or take a bath at present. Both the PMR and the bursitis began in February last year - I just wonder if there is a connection. Anyone have any experience?

[Carriemetz]

Hi Miserere -I have GCA and PMR and I’ve had knee bursitis since I injured my knee as a teenager. As I get older, it pops up more and more often and is, as u say, quite disabling. It usually responds to rest and heat/ice but in its own time. It also comes when it likes too - I never kneel down bcos I know that's a sure recipe for bursitis next morning (housemaid’s knee!) but sometimes if I’ve slept deeply with knees drawn up, I wake with the tell-tale pain and pad of swollen tissue behind my knee and I know it’s three days of hobbling ahead at least. Codeine type painkillers are the only things that touch it, but I dislike taking those, so rest and heat/ice are usually my remedy. So I don’t think it’s necessarily pmr - just me! On the upside, for as long as I have it, I dont have to do any housework - just HAVE to loaf around. 😉 Good luck with it.

[Miserere in reply to Carriemetz]

Thank you Carriemetz - comforting to know someone else has the same experience. I had similar in the other knee in my early 20s, so now I have no 'good' knees. Time and patience seems to be the answer. It's just that up until February last year I was as fit as a flee and walking every day; the most I have managed since then is one mile and now not even that. It's a bit frustrating! As you say, though, it does mean time for rest and I have good books.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

PMR involves synovitis - inflammation of the synovium, the lining of the joints. Housemaid's knee is inflammation of a bursa, a different structure, but PMR is often associated with trochanteric bursitis in the hip. So it could be being made worse by the PMR.

Have you discussed the degree of problems with your doctor? There are people with knee problems but few where it is that bad.

[Miserere in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for your response, PMR Pro. I have discussed it with the Dr and she says it is not related but I did manage to persuade her to refer to a physio. He seems to think the problem may be muscular more than anything but whoever interpreted the MRI did not say whether the arthritis was mild, moderate or severe - however, I have not had any problems with it in that knee before. Also the MRI showed no problems with ligaments, cartiledge etc. I am saying it is the bursae because that's what they said in A&E. They aspirated about 6 phials full of stuff but I never heard the outcome of that, just assume no infection. Physio wondered if it could be exacerbated by PMR. Just very frustrating at the moment and it seems to take so long to ease off - it seems strange.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Miserere]

The inflammation of PMR seems to feed bursitis so I'd put more money on the physio being right than the doctor

[Miserere]

Thank you, PMRpro - that is rather comforting - there is hope ...

[SheffieldJane]

I have had this experience with my knee. My Rheumatologist was going to draw off the fluid and give me a steroid injection but it righted itself. Yours sounds worse. It did seem to go hand in hand with my PMR but was regarded separately by my Rheumatologist.

[Miserere in reply to SheffieldJane]

I shall just have to work through it - hopefully I can drive again soon as we live in a village without public transport - would have moved a couple of years ago but then covid broke out.

Thanks for your response.

[Constance13 in reply to Miserere]

That's the trouble when it comes to moving. When we're young we like to live in the country. As we get old it's far more important to have a shop or two, a chemist, a post office, a doctor, etc etc within walking distance.

[jinasc]

I had the same swelling, turned out it was Pseudo Gout, caused my too much calcium, my Rheumy drained it and then we stopped the Adcal but continued with Vit D. Might be worth asking for a full spectrum blood test (this tests all the minerals).

[Miserere]

I will try to remember to ask for this when my next blood test is due. I don't take calcium nor do I eat dairy but I do take Vit D3 and K2 plus others.

Thank you!

[Broseley]

My PMR started with my knees. No swelling, just stiffness and tremendous pain on bending, straightening etc and I couldn't kneel at all. X rays showed no arthritis. The pred totally alleviated it. At the time, I used a strap-on gel pack in bed, which enabled me to lie on my side with my knees touching. You can freeze it or warm it up. I found cold worked better than hot. Just Google it or pm me for a link.

[Miserere in reply to Broseley]

Hallo Broseley - I've just found some on GelpacksDirect - thank you, it's a good idea. In my case it is only one knee and it's not clearing with steroids so I think it is a problem either with the muscles, the bursae or the iliotal band but am sure the PMR is not helping. Hope your PMR is settling. Thanks again.

[Hidden]

Note I do not have PMR but Stills Disease which manifests as RA in my case. I wake each morning to my right knee swollen, stiff and sore. It generally fades by evening and responds well to heat and compression bandage. It’s been worse this last 16 months since I ruptured the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles on the left leg as I’ve been limping heavily and the right knee has borne the brunt; my right hip is also aggravated as a result.We’re all different but I find the compression bandage helps the pain a lot. Hope you get some relief soon.

[Miserere in reply to Hidden]

I've strapped it up extra tight this morning to see if the compression helps and I shall see if I can get an effective compression sleeve for the daytime. You're right, it throws everything else out, doesn't it? Particularly the hips. Damn nuisance, isn't it?

[Marijo1951]

This may or may not be helpful... My daughter had bursitis in one of her knees which flared up regularly and she thought it was just part of her life. One hot summer's day she went to Deal and swam in the sea. When she came out of the water she crawled up the pebble beach and felt a ''popping'' in her bad knee. She hasn't had bursitis since.

[Miserere in reply to Marijo1951]

Oh, wow!! That would be a bonus. Bit cold at the moment but I wonder what I could try. This is food for thought, Marijo1951 - I'll try to do some research on it. Perhaps sports massage of some sort, or some sort of crawling around if I can bear it. Thank you. I am beginning to feel this will be part of life as well - depressing ...

[keeptalking]

I have just been told I have it after being sure it was part of my PMR as it seems to improve as the day goes on. My Rheumy kept insisting it wasn’t and I’m beginning to believe him.

I walk like a stiff soldier and find it difficult and painful to stand after sitting down for a while.

It seemed to start when I got to 3mgs so I’m worried that as I reduce my steroids it will get worse.

I guess it’s one of those complaints that we have to learn to live with. Hope yours soon feels better.

[Miserere]

Yours sounds different from mine, keeptalking. Mine does not improve as the day goes on. The knee remains swollen and hates being stood on. My thigh has weakened as I can't exercise it very much at present. It did seem to improve a bit but has gone backwards again. I can still walk but not far and not fast. The steroids don't seem to make any difference. I will get to the bottom of this as I can't manage with it as it is. Hope yours does not deteriorate with any steriod reduction.