DS 7, knee pain. Help please.

[Applepieandcustardandicecrem]

Hello,
My DS has been complaining about terrible knee pain since Tuesday evening this week. He is an active lad who loves rugby and martial arts and swimming and is never still for a second. He said it's his knee cap and I've had a good look but there's no swelling or bruising and he said he can't remember falling and injuring it. I called the doctor Wednesday first thing who said the next available telephone appointment is tomorrow afternoon. I'm worried sick but I've kept this from my son so as not to worry him. He does walk with slightly turned in toes, if that has perhaps caused something and strained the ligaments? Trying to think of all possibilities! Apart from that he's a strapping lad and very healthy. The staff at school said he was limping today and wincing as he went down the steps.
Any reassurance or talk sense into me?? Should I be worried to the extreme?
Thank you

hi I'm sure they'll be people along more qualified than me but honestly no I woudn't worry to the extreme, hard though it is to see them in pain. Sudden extreme pain is usually something to do with a nerve or some inflammation (in the absence of any history of an injury).
I take it he has no other symptoms as you not mentioned any? Check his temperature if you can just as a back up.

Meanwhile does anything help with the pain?

Is there anything he wants to get out of at school, looking at his age, there is a possibility of him using 'tactics'.

though the inflammation doesn't seem likely if there absolutely no other sign, but I stress I'm no expert.

pain in legs without explanation or obvious reason should be checked out. especially if one sided.
minor injuries (if they have x-ray facilities)

can he put weight on the leg? does he have a limp?

If he's as active as you say and there is the possibility of any tactics he wouldn't be able to keep it up. Obviously I'm only looking at this as a possibility, absolutely not assuming he is trying it on. I have a DH and DS with a history of injured knees and DD had problems with her tibia so I know bone/ligament problems are indeed painful.

Hi OP I had similar with my son when he was 6, although hip pain. I waited a few days but it carried on.... he was in a lot of pain and limping. I took him to the minor injuries unit as it was the weekend and he really was in constant pain. No visible swelling. They admitted him to the ward because they take limping seriously in case it is a sign of sepsis. In the end an ultrasound revealed he had fluid on the hip joint, which cleared up by itself over a week or so... I just had to keep giving regular nurofen. They said it was probably a virus hed had which can cause fluid on the joints. I wouldn't worry, but I'd get him seen urgently as he's in pain. Maybe try calling 111? They can give you an out of hours appointment.

pain in legs without explanation or obvious reason should be checked out absolutely agree, this is what happened to my DD and I ended up insisting on an x ray, just trying not to worry OP ahead of the appt.

Sorry... when I say 'urgently' I imagine tomorrow is fine. But maybe call 111 for advice anyway?

Hello thanks for the replies.
He loves school and goes eagerly every day and is positive about it so don't think he is trying it on. He walks and runs around normally on it but then suddenly will stop, hold his leg up and wince and say "owwwww" and then carry on running. It doesn't seem to be impeding him much but seems to be hurting at intervals rather than constantly iyswim.

Just to update, had the phone appointment with the doctor today and they have asked me to bring him to the surgery on Monday afternoon as the doctor said he wants to check his hip in case it's causing the knee pain. Then likely an x-ray. DS seems ok on it today and hasn't complained at all I feel calmer about it now it's being sorted out.

Any chance he has dislocated the knee cap? My daughter has done this a couple of times and not a lot of swelling, she was in a brace for several weeks last time and had to have physio.

Ah prob not that then.

Doc's is absolutely the right call.

Just a note of reassurance, I sometimes get tendonitis behind my right knee, which causes a sharp pain, but no swelling or visible injury. Fingers crossed it's something inconvenient, but quite harmless, like that.

I had constant xrays for knee pain throughout my childhood. Growing pains I was told. When they were still there at aged 35 they finally diagnosed hypermobility joint syndrome.

@JukeBoxHero- I had the same. The pain could be relieved by putting my feet on a pillow when I slept and taking a junior painkiller (it was aspirin in the 70s).

I’ve just had a hip replacement- it’s changed my life!

Am not keen on armchair diagnosis but have a look at Osgood Schlatter.
IIRC DDs showed up as particles in the fluid around her knee on X Ray.
Physio really helped and she grew out of it by around aged 12.
It’s particularly common in sporty kids.

[quote Imissmoominmama]@JukeBoxHero- I had the same. The pain could be relieved by putting my feet on a pillow when I slept and taking a junior painkiller (it was aspirin in the 70s).

I’ve just had a hip replacement- it’s changed my life![/quote]
I'm embarrassed to admit how I dealt with it. The pain could be excruciating. Id take paracetamol but nothing touched it. Heat helped a little but my guilty secret was id take the cord from my dressing gown and tie it tightly above the knee cutting off circulation. That was the only relief. To this day I don't know how I didn't cause myself severe damage.

I still find compression helps, I wear compression gloves to sleep some nights as I suffer with my hands mostly now, I am still guilty of wearing a tubigrip that's too small if my knees flare though.

So glad you have some relief! It's a strange condition that far too many people think "oh they are just a bit bendy " without realising the awful pain that can come with it.

Check out HSP - an auto immune condition which usually self corrects. Can be diagnosed by bloods and urine

Hi I had this about a similar age (8 maybe 9 and have been a competitive swimmer until recently, I was also active at netball ect, I was diagnosed with osgood schlatters disease at 10, still live with the pain but have had physio painkillers ect on occassion. Hope that might help x

I was also going to say Osgood Schlatter. Common in sporty boys particularly if they are tall. My son had it in primary school and it was very frustrating as he loved football and rugby and it caused lengthy layoffs. He grew out of it eventually.

Osgood schlatters disease not always but often results in excess bone growth on the knees either straight away or eventually. Again as above more likely in boys because they are typically more energetic but also in very active females aswell. I'll post a picture of my knee after this post, I know his kneeay look normal or only slightly like this now, if its osgood schlatters, it means youre getting ahead of a permanent growth. I don't think you can play sport to international long term but any excess sport with or without treatment we cause this x

Can't post mine but
www.unchainedfitness.com/blog/osgood-schlatter-disease
Or type in osgood schlatters extreme. I couldn't kneel during primary or secondary and haven't tried unless on a pillow in about 6 years, I would be an odd pressure and intense pain. I get hip pain and pain wrapped around my knee in my early 20's.x

DS had knee pain (woke up with it the day he started school, knee gave way and banged his head so first day I am explaining to his teacher why he's limping and has a bruise!). Anyway it came and went so school said to leave him then on his second day I got a call to pick him up as he wouldn't weight bear. Arrived and he walked normally (like I said it came and went!)

Saw GP who said he was putting it on because of starting school but he was doing it during the night going to the loo so I was doubtful he'd remember to do it then

Anyway we took him to A&E as it got really bad and they xrayed his hips to rule out Perthes disease. To this day I still kick myself I didn't ask for a knee X-ray at the same time. Saw an orthopaedic consultant who asked where his knee X-ray was. Had to then go back to X-ray which showed fluid on his knee and he had to have an operation to drain it but was right as rain after a few days

Hello, sorry for the delay in responding. Saw GP this afternoon after school and they think because he plays rugby and is very active he may have strained it. The GP had a good look at the knee, hip and leg in general and lots of poking and prodding and said he's not concerned but to return if any concerns . He doesn't suspect anything sinister which is a huge relief!!!
Thanks all

I'll read through thread in more detail , thanks for all contributions

for future reference - seek the opinion from a (private) physio.
they can poke and prod and find out if the pain is skeletal or muscular and where it comes from exactly. sometimes pain is deferred, i.e. a hip injury can lead to knee pain.