Hello,

I'm looking for help diagnosing a knee problem.  About four years ago, I decided to run a 12 mile race.  I was not a practiced runner, having done almost no jogging in the previous years, but I'm in good shape and threw myself into training.  Unfortunately, I used very bad shoes and developed what I believe to be plantar fascitis in my left foot during training.  I ran the race anyway, using a stiff shoe insert and tape to protect the left foot.  About 2 miles from the finish line, my right knee began hurting on the outside part, but I continued to run, thinking tough guys fight through it.  But the pain kept steadily increasing and I was forced to walk the last mile.  I went home and iced my knee, but it swelled up considerably and after several hours I could barely bend it, let alone walk on it.  I continued to ice and rest and within a day, maybe two, I was walking normally again.  I didn't run on it for quite some time, preferring to let it rest.  But eventually I did try jogging again.  Unfortunately, the pain is still there.  A can run pain free for maybe a half mile, at which point the knee slowly starts to stiffen.  If I keep running, it keeps stiffening, until it reaches a point where I cannot continue to run.  At this point, I can continue to walk pain free - only running causes the pain.  The knee does not swell noticeably in this case.  If I undertake a continued regime of jogging until the pain starts and immediately stopping, but doing this repeatedly, I can slowly increase the distance I can run before the knee starts hurting.  I was able to get up to running almost three miles before pain at one point.  However, if I stop this regime for a month or two, I seem to lose all the gain - when I take up running again, I'm back at the half mile limit before pain starts.  This has now been going on for four years and I don't think the knee is going to heal itself by waiting.  I've laid off running for an entire year during this period with no noticeable change.  I would like to be able to run more than a half mile and would love to know what I'm suffering from and what therapy might heal it.

The pain is only in the right knee.  It is on the right outer side of the knee.  It starts as a slight tightness and worsens, as if a screw was slowly being tightened.  It doesn't swell noticeably.  Jogging seems to be the worst activity.  I can play basketball, during which I run far more than a half mile, usually without it hurting.  But if I play basketball long enough, it eventually does start.  I can feel it when riding a bicycle, but I've never ridden long enough for it to completely break down like it does during running.

thank you for your help,

david