From what I know, most of us have, or will have aches and pains in our joints. For me it is my knees that are affected and the problems all started fifteen years ago soon after I retired. 

To put things in perspective, we have around 400 joints in our bodies. Of these, around one third are fixed as, for example the 22 bones (plates) that make up the skull and the eight the pelvis. The rest of our joints are moveable and it is these that hurt. As we age, wear and tear effects the various moving parts with pain occurring sometimes in the tiny joints of the fingers or more often in and around the weight- bearing joints of the legs – in my case, my knees.

It is my left knee that has caused most of the trouble over the years with months of symptoms of varying severity interspersed with periods in which I am symptom-free. Years ago after a scan I was told that the pains came not from the bones of the joint itself but from ‘complaining’ ligaments, tendons or some cartilage – the ‘soft tissues’ – that sit in and around the joint holding it together and keeping it stable. That was in the left knee – this blog is about my erstwhile healthy right knee which also began to hurt and more, much more! 

The pain in my right knee started a few weeks after we arrived for our summer in Tréguennec. Initially it was mild but then one day things changed dramatically as I was walking down the garden path. Suddenly I developed searing pain in the knee which buckled leaving me collapsed on the lawn. Rohan, who had seen me fall, rushed over to help as I struggled to my feet. With her support and despite the pain, I hobbled the ten metres back to the house and this time it was a chair into which I collapsed. 

The next hours were horrible as I sat not daring to get up for fear of the pain and of having another fall. With all this, my medical mind was whirring as I tried to work out exactly what had happened, what best to do next and what the future might hold. I eventually managed to stand and as before the pain with each step was intense, and with each one I felt as if I would fall once again.

By the end of the day, Rohan had managed to borrow a pair of crutches from a friend and with these I was able to walk on the flat with instability no longer a threat. However, the stairs had to be navigated on my bottom – all very demeaning. 

To my great relief, by the end of second week, still with my indispensable crutches, walking was pain-free, climbing steps easier and the fear of falling greatly eased. 

Now, six weeks after the fall, I walk unaided still without pain and with the fears of instability a thing of the past. In my improvement there were two important milestones. Within days of that initial fall and thanks to the help of two other friends, one a general practitioner the other a consultant at the local hospital, my right knee was scanned. I had been told that one had to wait weeks or months to have Magnetic Resonance Imaging, however with their help – they knew the ropes – a cancellation was found. 

In no time I learned that the images showed that the joint itself was not damaged and while there were various changes dotted about, if I made sure to ‘reposer’ for four to six weeks everything should resolve without recourse to any surgical treatment. Knowing the results of the scan brought untold relief as my level of anxiety fell, my hope soared and walking was undertaken with more confidence.

The second milestone occurred four weeks later when I was in London for a few days and saw a trusted physiotherapist who dealt with sports injuries and who found knees particularly interesting. Despite seeing the report of the scan and listening to my story, the exact cause of my tumble was, to her, a mystery – in France one suggestion had been damage to the right knee’s lateral meniscus! Whatever the cause, her examination suggested that everything had now recovered and was working well with no evidence of any lasting damage. I left with a ‘spring in my step’ – her words were a wonderful tonic!

The fall, the pain and the instability made for a most alarming episode in which anxiety played an important part. Two interventions that helped relieve the anxiety provided enormous relief. 

The illustration shows a photo of my two borrowed and indispensable crutches. They are lying on the lawn where I fell with intense pain in my right knee.

For helping me write this blog, I would like to thank Marie-Véro, Chris, Annie, Pippa, Rohan and Vivien.