Posted by Derek Lee-Wo on January 4th, 2007 in Injury

I saw the doctor today. They took some x-rays of both knees and it seems that my knee caps are not tracking properly. It seems that I have Patellafemoral Syndrome. From what I can tell, this is simply Runner’s Knee. The docotor tested my left knee to see if I had an IT band problem, but the test he did was negative. I don’t think he knows what is causing the pain on the outside of my left knee.

He prescribed an anti-inflammatory drug called Etodolac which I’m to take twice a day.  He also told me to ice my knees after running. He wants me to do physical therapy for 2-4 weeks.

This whole experience has been rather disappointing. I don’t even know if I’m going to bother with the physical therapy. Except for the x-rays showing my knee caps not tracking, he didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. I know my patellas were getting inflamed. I was hoping he had a solution.

It seems though that a solution is just going to be a bunch of trial-and-error. Exactly what I was hoping to avoid by visiting a doctor.

Someone on a running forum suggested seeing a podiatrist to see if orthotics would help. He too was referred to physical therapy, but he decided to see a podiatrist first and he got orthortics which eliminated his pain within 2 weeks.

The other disappointment is that while the doctor could explain the pain below my knee caps, he coulnd’t explain the pain on the outside of my left knee.