My mum has been playing Badminton for 40 years, but in the last two years, has been having a bit of trouble with her knees. She has pain/soreness in the back of the knee. She has been popping Ibuprofen to play, but really suffers the next few days. This problem is becoming a lot worse, and she is worried for the future of her game. She has noticed the pain is worse if she climbs/descends hills, steps etc.. She thinks that the pain is ligament based rather than bone/muscular. Obviously she will see a specialist soon (about 4 months away!), but would like some ideas of what to expect. Has anyone experienced similar problems, and what was the solution?? (If any) Thanks for all your help. Eddie.
Hi there, Try stretching the hamstrings. Tight hamstring tendons usually results in the back of the knee hurting. Try taking a couple of weeks off, rest usually helps these things. Good luck and do let us know how she gets on. Cheers
Hot off the press, a canadian discovery Birth control pill may reduce knee injury say McGill researchers 16 Nov 2004 Contraceptive pills have received bad press in the past - here's some good news. Not only is pregnancy avoided by taking oral contraception, so is knee injury, according to researchers at McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). These new findings, published recently in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, show that female athletes on the pill may have more stable knee joints than those not taking the pill. This is good news for female swimmers to soccer players. These McGill research results suggest women on contraceptives have tighter knee joints and may be less susceptible to ligament tears or injuries. "Women are four to eight times more likely to sustain a serious knee injury than men," says Paul Martineau, MUHC chief resident in the division of orthopaedic surgery and principle investigator. "In one year, approximately 30,000 female athletes will suffer serious knee injuries. This can be devastating to the young athlete and may even end their athletic career. Previous research findings suggest that female hormones may play a role in altering ligament composition. Based on these studies, we decided to look at the effect of oral contraception on knee ligaments. Our long-term goal was to find treatment for those athletes at risk." Martineau and his research team assessed the knee stability of 78 female athletes - 42 who were taking the pill and 36 who were not. A specialized instrument (an athrometer) was used to measure the knee displacement or laxity of their knee joints. The women on the pill had significantly less laxity than those not taking the pill. "Young women athletes may benefit from taking the pill," says Martineau. "Some of these women may be at high risk for knee ligament injuries. Oral contraceptive pill use may reduce this risk and be an option for these athletes." Contact: Christine Zeindler christine.zeindler@mcgill.ca 514-398-6754 McGill University
Must have torn a little bit of her ACL/MCL, my friend had surgery to fix it. Sounds exactly like the same problem.
If you think it is ligament based the fast option would be to visit a sports therapist and get a general idea first, shouldn't cost that much. You should be able to get one through your local leisure centre or if there is a national ground for a sport nearby they usually have their own that works in the ground and will make a small charge for the public.
