Why does my knee hurt?

[Anonymous]

I'm a very athletic teenage girl. During one of my semesters with a physical conditioning class, I noticed dull pain and slight swelling in my left knee. I told my coach and she had me take it easy. I figured it was a hyperextended because my family has a genetic hyper mobility. It's been over a month or possibly two and the pain in my knee is worse but only happens at certian times. For example, I was sitting in class today and the teacher asked me to come to her desk. I uncrossed my legs but pain shot through my knee and I had to rest for a moment before standing up. I managed to ease up despite the horrific pain and limp to the teacher. I find myself limping a little more after the time when I injured my knee. Sometimes my knee is totally fine and sometimes I feel like someone is trying to shatter it. When I'm active, my knee is fine specifically with running, but any twisting or short and sharp movements kill me and I'm limping all over again. Moving side to side can also make my knee unstable and painful. I can't figure out what is wrong with my knee. I'm not sure if it's just a weird hyper extension that I need to get over or something I need to check out. It seems as though bending it for extended time causes the worst and longest pain. What is this pain? Should I go to the doctor even though i may not be able to afford it, or wait longer and assume it's just a hyperextension?

[Levin]

Are you doing something with the wrong posture? There should be no twisting at the knee joint. If you're getting sharp pain, in my opinion, you should try and find the cause ASAP. It sounds like something is about to give away. The other thing that strikes me is you say you're very athletic? You sure you're not overdoing, not getting enough rest? You say you're fine with running, then what activities contain these sharp twisting movements that you speak of? If you're not getting any issues with the former, it implies that the latter is some-way at fault, and that you should ease up until you can find the right cause.

[Asker]

I have a hyper mobility in my joints so they twist and turn a little more than normal. If I over did it, I feel like the damage is done. It just won't heal it feels like. I play tennis and that requires lots of quick movement and direction changes. Instead of only my hip turning when I'm winding up for a shot, my knee turns also. I usually can naturally hyperextend my knees back, but since my left knee has begun to hurt, I can't bend back as far. The weird thing is the pain isn't constant and only flares up after I straighten my legs when they have been bent for a while or a sharp movement.

[Levin]

Yeah, it seems you need to consult with some qualified health professional who has experience with something like this.

[9mfeo]

Go to the doctor. If it doesn't clear up within a week, it's typically pretty serious.