Any idea what my problem is?

[bsayegh]

Over the last 3 weeks or so my knee has gradually started hurting more and more. I played basketball every weekend for several weeks, but havent played for almost a month. The last time i played i dont remember feeling any pain. A few days after my last game i ran up the stairs at work and felt a sharp tingling in my right knee. I might even say it burned, though it wasnt extremely painful and went away after awhile.

My knee has been in a lot of pain recently, especially when i wake up in the morning. The pain appears to be coming from my Patellar Tendon. When i press down on the tendon on my left knee it is firm and feels normal, but when i press down on the same spot on my right knee it is soft. There is no resistance at all.

Someone had mentioned a torn tendon, but I can extend it. There is an uncomfortable movement in my knee when i extend it, but i can hold it out. It does feel weak when i do that, but it isnt terribly painful to extend. It does feel very week though and is hard to support.

Any idea what is wrong? Is there anything i should be doing before i can meet with the doctor?

Thanks!

[Heidi]

Hi
If the patella tendon was torn I think you would have felt a more definite incident, although you shouldn't rule this out completely.
Definitely make a visit to your Doctor or a sports injury specialist.
In the meantime, rest the knee as much as possible. Try to gently stretch the quads and hamstrings, provided this is painfree.