I really didnt answer all of ur ?s in the last post so here are some answers. I live in Lake Oswego, Oregon. I dont really know when i started my growth spurt, if at all. I have tried stretching, RICEing, swimming, laying off of it, and not playing any sports for 3 years.
Here is a VERY COMPLETE list of symptoms. (i took them with me to the OS and he loved it)
? clicking on the back
? sharp, stabbing pain 4 inches above knee
? sharp pain right above knee and on the outside
? spasms
? instability
? hit knee hard on edge of table
? pain worsened after hitting it
? feels like something is floating and ?stabbing the bone? (like a needle)
? pain radiates into calf and thigh
? pain in calf is like someone is pinching a tendon or muscle or nerve or something (very painful)
? pain where the femur connects to the shin
? heard pop and grinding sound, some pain
? lump on thigh
? intense pain on outer side of knee
? ankle and foot goes numb sometimes
? really sore after icing
? sore after elevation
? hard walking stairs and down hills
? feels like a needle poking around in my joint (on the inner side) when walking without a brace
? can?t really straighten all the way
? walk straight legged to relieve some pain
? NSAID?S (Lodine, Naproxen, Motrin and Aspirin) doesn?t help
? can?t run more then 2-5 seconds without pain
? wear a brace everyday, can?t really function without a lot of pain without it
? knee brace doesn?t relieve any pain, but provides a feeling of stability
? can?t play any sports
? swimming made the pain worse (no frog kick)
? did straight leg raises everyday (very painful) (20-25, 3 times a day)
? stretched before swimming, from stretches online
? pain and stiffness when bending the knee
? pain wakes me up at night
? interferes with everyday activities like walking, going up stairs, and taking a shower
? can?t stand for more then about 10 minutes without pain
? can?t balance without pain and a little shaking
? Balance weight on right leg so as not to have pain in left
? Can?t ride exercise bike or bike because of ITBFS
? cracking/popping a lot
? knee pain was still present even when quads were strong (during softball and hockey)

I know it is long and i may have written two of the same things. AGAIn, thank you soooooooooooo omuch for ur time.

Jacqui