Hunting with knee pain??

[Chucknduck]

So last weekend I started having some real bad pain in my knee while elk hunting. It was so bad that after sitting a few hours I could barely bend my knee. The pain is bad on the outside of my knee and does not seem to be in the joint. Wondering what other people do for knee pain? Braces? meds? Between my broken toe that I'm getting over and this I'm not having a great season.

 

[Big Sky Dreamin]

It could be a combination of things like a change in your gait due to the toe, it could be weak core muscles, your feet may have weakened while the toe was healing, or it could be an injury you didn't know you had. When I've injured my knees I've used ibuprofen for short term inflammation reduction and worn an elastic brace to help stabilize it. My wife runs long distances and she uses tape for a patellar tracking issue that was causes by several years of weak core muscles. Of course talking to an orthopedist is probably the best option for a good diagnosis and solution to resolve the knee pain long term.

 

[have gun will travel]

If it's on the outside of knee it could be a lateral meniscus tear. I had this pain two years ago. I never doctored but I did have discomfort for months. If your in that much pain you may want to have it checked out. If your out elk hunting and twist or stumble the wrong way, it may be a long hike out. I'm not in the medical field and could be completely wrong here but it may be worth having it looked at so you have a piece of mind.

 

[noharleyyet]

Sounds symptomatic of osteoarthritis. Ice, heat, nsaids can relieve, but....if you are strenuously active it's a matter of time before it gets worse.

I'm probably very close to getting my 'real' one replaced.

 

[belly-deep]

Go to a doctor. Seriously.

I ignored bad knee pain on a hunt about 10 years ago. Did irreparable damage and have paid for every fall since.

 

[bobbydean]

I would second Go To the Doctor. I have always had bad knees since high school football. Ignored the pain, Often went hunting on shale hills in New Mexico and learned to roll and protect the rifle. Did not do my body much good.

The final damage was planting several small trees for the Forest service on my property. Screwed my knee so bad; I couldn't walk. Had the knee rebuilt that time with new cadaver ligaments and screws and plates. Horrible decision.

Few years later, rebuilt knee went to hell and had a titanium knee installed. Wonderful. Not 100%, but easily 90%. If I worked harder, would have worked better.

Do not procrastinate. There are viable solutions. You might be out of action for a few weeks, but end result is a new life>

 

[BR-549]

Sounds symptomatic of osteoarthritis. Ice, heat, nsaids can relieve, but....if you are strenuously active it's a matter of time before it gets worse.

I'm probably very close to getting my 'real' one replaced.

I will agree with NHY. Sounds like we are paddling up the same stream... a lot of pain plus every time I stand up from a crouched position it sounds like something tearing. I am a little worried about my elk hunt coming up as well.

I had my knees drained several times during my wrestling career and to the point they wouldn't do it again without surgery. That never happened, but my doc now says its osteoarthritis... have it in my shoulders too. It sucks, but do the ice, heat and nsaids as mentioned they do help.

That is until you can make it to the doc....

 

[backsmasher23]

The stiffness associated with prolonged sitting is inflammation....to improve that ice/ibuprofen as mentioned. While others are right, it could be osteoarthritis, could be lateral meniscus, could be the lateral collateral ligament, could be a misaligned fibular head due to tight IT band from an altered gait while walking on the toe. Very doubtful weak core muscles are contributing to this recent injury. Bracing it would be helpful if there was a ligament strain to give it proper stabilization to heal. Go to the wrong doctor and you'll have x-rays or MRI's. First assess it with rest, ice, and elevation to get the swelling down.

 

[sra61]

I had arthritis in my right knee from a high school meniscus tear. I got to the place where if I was going to hunt elk I had to go with horses to take some of the miles off of my leg. I would ride until it hurt too bad then walk until that hurt too bad and keep switching off like that. In 2008 I had a total knee replacement. I can walk much farther and ride much farther than I could before, but it is not without it's pains and aches. It will always be a part of my life. I suspect I tore my ACL a couple of years ago trying to tackle my daughter's mini horse too, don't know what the hell I thought I was doing, but I was PISSED! That hasn't helped much either. I would ice as cold as you can stand it. Get the swelling down, that is first and foremost. I sometimes will have some swelling, I rest it for a day or so, but get right back up on the horse, so to say. My experience is that if I baby the thing, it will stiffen up and that makes things far worse. The doctor is probably the right move, but for me there really is no good options from here I don't think, so I muddle through. You'd definitely be best to see what you're dealing with for sure though.

 

[IDFireLass]

You really need to have your knee checked out.
Keep using and abusing it and you'll do more damage.
There is a series of shots you can do (only if you have good insurance) called synvics shots
it's like Slick 50 but for knees. It works well for a couple of years. You might look into it.
Or you might also be far enough along that you do need a new knee.
I had one put in 5 years ago I was bone on bone. Then right after that they came out with a new operation friend just had his knee done went in on Monday came home Tuesday morning with one.
Good luck!