Hi Guys,
I don't know if this is a site for laymen or not, but please let me know if I'm posting in the wrong place. Here's my issue in a nutshell:
I seem to have massaged a trigger point in my right vastus medialis that has loosened up and released its hold on my kneecap, which now buckles and tricks out on me when I walk. I have never had a buckling knee in my 35 year old life until two days ago, after intense massage to my leg trps.
Details:
I bought the Trigger Point Workbook by Clair Davies, and eradicated my persistent, 3 month old lower back pains overnight. They haven't returned in a week, and I only do light upkeep on those muscles. Spurred on by that success, I moved onto other trps.
So I started working on my calves, which were INCREDIBLY tight and painful. That led to up behind the knee, to what I assume are the popliteus and plantaris muscles. Then I started moving up the inside of the thigh to what I'm thinking must be the semitendinosus and semimembranosus, and further around the inside of the lower thigh and knee to the vastus medialis, which I worked on for a good amount of time. It felt great after, less tight, freer.
The next morning I awoke fine, leg felt longer and freer. After some basic walking, my knee gave out and I almost fell. It was more shocking than painful, but it was also lightly painful. Then it happened again and again, and honestly, I don't know how I went through the whole day without falling. I almost fell a hundred times. Started walking like a cripple. It doesn't hurt at all, for the record. My knee feels fine. It feels a little "empty" behind it and it feels like if I contract my quads too much, I might permanently move my kneecap up (I understand this is not possible, I'm only describing sensations now). When I walk up stairs, It feels like the kneecap is not securely held in place.
So it doesn't hurt, but it's uncomfortable. To be honest, there might be a very light pain where the tendon from my bicep femoris attaches to the top of the fibula. Just noticed this now. As in this second. Can't say I've known this till this moment. I guess writing helps.
So anyway, doesn't hurt (much anyway) but tricks out constantly and I'm a little afraid I'm going to tear something before it settles back down.
So my questions are:
1 - Should I wear a knee brace until this settles down or is that more likely to aggrivate the problem?
2 - Do you guys have any idea which muscles I should investigate first? My peronius and gastrocnemius muslces feel like they might be tight. So does my vastus lateralis, my biceps femoris, all my inner thigh muscles hurt, my gracilis hurts fairly intensely to touch along its length, my semitendinosus and semimembranosus both feel tight and hurt. So obviously all my leg muslces need work. Question is, where should I start to get my knee settled back in to where it's been for the last 35 years??
3 - Is it possible that massage to the vastus medialis is really responsible for MAKING my knee trick out? Clair Davies suggests it CURES that condition, but in my case, working on it SEEMS to have brought the condition on..... or am I just crazy?
Finally, it might also help to know that I also used to walk on the inside of my feet until two days ago, especially with this right foot. Not sure if I have morton's foot, as the metatarsal bones are damned near even, but I've always had problems walking on the outside of my feet, even when I've tried consciously. Strangely enough, since the kneecap slipped, the only way I can prevent it from tricking is to stay on the outside of my feet, which feels a lot easier. It doesn't stop it from buckling entirely, but cuts down greatly on the buckling. Don't know if that info helps or not.....
Anyway, if any of you gurus could help me, I'd appreciate it. Sorry this was so long, but I felt with this many connecting muslces it might help to give that info up front. Thanks again,
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