Internal knee pain: the advice of the osteopath

Having a pain in the "inner knee", what does it mean? First thing to know: the "internal knee"is the side of the knee that is on the inside of the leg: the two internal knees face each other, be careful not to confuse the" inner knee "with the" hind knee "which itself found on the back of the leg, on the side of the back!

"If you have internal knee pain - left or right - and the pain is severe (possibly with unusual discomfort or tiredness when walking), it is essential to consult your general practitioner promptly, or an osteopath or physiotherapist "advises Dominique Blanc, osteopath.

In a schematic way, internal knee pain can refer to two situations: knee sprain or a meniscus lesion.

Internal knee pain: what if it was a sprain?

Theknee sprain corresponds to one (or more) ligament lesions that contribute to the stability of the knee joint: there are four of them, but in case of internal knee pain, it is mainly the internal lateral ligament that is concerned.

"The sprained knee occurs mostly among athletes and people who engage in significant physical activity, says Dominique Blanc.The sprain occurs when you go beyond the possibilities of the knee joint, resulting in a stretching or tearing of the tissues surrounding this joint, which can be seen especially in skiers, or after falling or twisting of the foot. "

The sprained knee is manifested by:

• knee pain (internal if the internal lateral ligament is affected),
• discomfort with walking (possibly with lameness),
• a limitation of the walking distance (we walk less because we tire faster),
• a feeling of instability of the knee,
• swelling of the knee.

"There are 3 levels of severity for the sprained knee: the sprain, the sprain and the sprain serious, the latter corresponding to the rupture of the ligament, says Dominique Blanc.If the pain is severe (or intolerable) You should consider a visit to the Emergency Department, but in any case, it is necessary to make an appointment quickly with an osteopath or with a doctor or a physiotherapist to make an MRI examination of the knee. "

My internal knee hurts: internal meniscus injury

The meniscus, kezako? "Each knee joint has two menisci: an internal meniscus (inside the leg) and an external meniscus (on the outside of the leg)," explains Dominique Blanc, "a fibrocartilage in the form of a crescent located between the upper part of the tibia and the lower part of the femur, acting as a shock absorber and allowing painless articulation between the thigh and the calf. "

When one strikes the leg violently ("this is the typical example of the footballer's shot" illustrious Dominique Blanc), the meniscus gets stuck between the tibia and the femur: it is damaged, cracked or fractured into two pieces . "It can also happen after a fall or a wrong movement, running for example: we talk about traumatic injury of the meniscus".

In the majority of cases, it is the internal meniscus that is concerned. The symptoms of a traumatic meniscus injury are as follows:

• persistent pain on the side (internal or external) of the knee,
• a knee that seems swollen,
• "hooking" sensations in the knee joint,
• a knee that "hangs" in a brutal way.

"It is essential to see his osteopath, his physiotherapist or his general practitioner, in particular to then proceed to an MRI of the knee, advises Dominique Blanc.In case of significant meniscus injury, it is sometimes necessary to operate to repair the lesion (we speak of meniscal repair) or perform ablation of the damaged meniscus (partial meniscectomy). "

Thanks to Dominique Blanc, osteopath in Lyon (69) and president of the association Osteopaths from France.

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