Along the lines of Conqs post, something is up with my knee. Every rotation or step on it sounds and "pops" like a meat grinder. It doesn't hurt at all, but it is weak as hell and will not do what I want it to do. I'm going to ice it this weekend and take ibuprofen, but Saturday I will be at my school's season opener and will have to walk, realistically, 3 miles over the day, maybe more, plus climb stadium stairs.

Anyone trashed their ACL or MCL before and can shed some light on how that feels?

What caused it?

I'd go to CVS and get one of those neoprene and velcro braces until you go to a doctor, or it strengthens. Maybe pick up a cane if it's that bad.

Thing about those ligament injuries is the injury happens, knee gives out, tough it out, pain/swelling goes away, then 6 months later it does it again, out of the blue. Another 3 months goes by, and boom, repeat again. Just keeps getting more frequent. If you have a Jag, you probably got health insurance, so you might as well have it looked at.

Should be outpatient surgery, weekend on the couch (hooked up to a little pain pump) couple weeks of crutches, couple weeks of therapy. That is how it went for a guy I know that had a partial tear on the MCL. I think it was 2 months of disability for him. So much going on in the knee, the process varies alot.

My right knee is hamburger at the moment and I've been putting off having it looked at. It aches all the time and pops like crazy, but I don't feel like having another surgery. I've already had a bunch of cartilage removed from that knee a long time ago.

My (Irish) doctor showed up cranky and glassy eyed that day and the the machine that's supposed to pump fluid through my knee during surgery to wash away the clipped out cartilage broke down. He had me lay on my side while he poured saline thru my open knee to wash away the cartilage remnants. I only know about this because I refused general anesthesia and was awake for the whole surgery. It sounds like I just need a big clean-up surgery now.

Then, a few years later, my left knee had a blown out ACL, and the surgery that time went amazingly well. I now think of it as my "good" knee. I also had 50% of the cartilage removed at that time and should be bone-on-bone at this point, but it feels great 10 years later. Basically, they take the center part of the tendon over your knee-cap and cut it out and turn it into a new ACL that they screw in place inside your knee. Then you spend 2-3 days in bed with a machine that keeps your knee constantly bending back and forth, day and night. Then you're in rehab for 2-3 weeks. If all goes well, your new ACL is stronger than your old one. Even being a diabetic alcoholic, I was told that I healed faster than anyone they've ever worked on besides a professional athlete. Go figure.

I had the speed wobbled while riding my bike and it sounds really similar. I wrecked and fucked my rotator cuff (shoulder) and my knee.
My grandfather was a doctor and I come from a rather medical family. The advice I got was not to put any stress or strain on it for a bit. The exercises you are talking about seem like they might be pushing it if you want it to heal quickly. But if you tape it up and go easy then it might not be an issue.

Just don't be stupid with it and remember a fucked up knee is not going to go away if you put strain on it. Just saying, I know you WANT to exercise but it's probably not a good thing to do. Sit out for a couple of weeks or go slow. Knees don't exactly grow back.

If you've fucked up your MCL it will hurt like hell. You will have a lot of swelling as well. I had a small MCL tear while playing a pick up game of football in college and it was a good six weeks before I could put my entire weight on it. I also knew I had done something bad to it the moment it happened--lots and lots of instant pain. I never had any surgery on it which may have been a mistake. It is good 98% of the time but about a dozen times a year I will get a 15 to 30 minute span of pain from completely out of the blue on the inside part of the knee. Yours sounds more like cartilage or maybe bone spurs or something than ligaments.

Thanks for the tips. I'm encouraged to hear that it's not likely the mcl or acl. I'm just going to take it easy on it for a few days and then decide what to do, if anything. I didn't experience any trauma with it, it just showed up the day before yesterday. Still no sharp pain through any range of motion, just a dull ache, weird noises and a lack of strength in the joint.

This is nature's way of culling the herd. Keep up with the pack or you will be left behind for the jackals.

I may be able to call some ladies in possession of knee pads. Would that help?

Another possibility you might check out would be the onset of arthritis.

^^^Nonononono... Alcoholism keeps theh old age in check.

Fixed !

Mr Irons I'm pretty sure I'll be leading a herd long after you're gone, arthritis and alcoholism notwithstanding. It's just a matter of time until the syphilis attacks your brain stem if it hasn't already.

^^^Monsieur might dispute that, but imaginary friends are a symptom of tertiary syphilis.

I'm going to send you some National Geographic VHS cassettes so you can play them at home. I would like you to take particular note of the one labelled "Lame Gazelle Meets Crocodile Down By the River." Fascinating stuff.

No way B, the good money is on auto erotic asphyxiation for our Brandon Irons. At least that's what I have down in the dead pool. For sex addicts, of his long tenure, even masturbation needs to have risks.

I could David Carradine less about what you say.

It sounds like my knee. I hyperextended it at the age of 18 and it's popped and crunched ever since.

That you say it doesn't hurt would lead me to guess that your meniscus is torn and frayed, which isn't uncommon in anyone active past a certain age. Rest and ice