Q:
My knee has been bothering me for the last couple of weeks. It was really bad for about a week, so I stopped running and just did weights, then is started hurting more so I stopped working out at all. I took Aleve for it and that helped at night, but I still get sharp pains in my knee when I walk up or down stairs, kneeling down, sitting or standing for extended periods of time, and when I'm sleeping. This used to happen to me in high school when soccer season would start but it always went away when I wore a brace. Now I haven't been doing any athletic activity for a few weeks and it still won't go away.
A:
You probably have what is usually called patello-femoral pain syndrome, which is caused by biomechanical "inefficiency" between the kneecap (patella) and the large upper bone of the knee joint (the femur). However, in this situation there are a number of other things that could be going on, and the symptoms you describe indicate that it is important for you to consult a physician about the problem, sooner rather than later.
~The Doc
