Leg pain/locking up knee?

Any ideas what is wrong with my leg/knee?

• 6 months ago I was playing football (soccer). I got kicked hard in the back of my leg. The lower leg seemed to just go numb. I also felt something at the front bone (the tibia I think?). I was not in a great deal of pain but something inside of me said it wass not a good idea to carry on playing. I just went in goal. I just stood there pretty much and did not try to save any shots coming at me. I thought my leg would get better after a few days. Buit 2.5 months later and I still felt pain. I tried running in between this time a couple of times but it caused pain. I went to see the doctor. They performed some initial testing and referred me to physio. Went to see the physio. The physio performed a physical examination. He must have tested the leg from every angle, every position. He tested all the ligaments and so on. There was no pain on any of the tests. He gave me some stretches to do and said come back in two weeks. I did them and went back. I told him things had improved. He sent me on my way and said to carry on doing the stretches until it gets better. I did the tests for about 4 weeks more and my leg just seemed to be getting worse. Another month or two of pain/uncomfortableness passed by and I finally went back the doctors. She gave me some pain killers and stupid me just nodded and went along with her. Anyway, I went back the doctors again, told them the pain killers did not do anything (I should have known this though and all pain killers would be doing is covering up the problem anyway). I said enough is enough, 6 months is a long time to still be in pain. I am in pain 95% of the time and it has had a serious effect on my life. He has referred me to a specialist. It is hard to describe the pain. It seems to be at the back of my knee but also at the front. At the front and back of the upper leg (close the the knee). At the front and back of the lower leg. It seems to be everywhere. It seems to change. But mainly it is at the back of the knee. I would not say I was in severe pain and it more of a dull pain than a sharp pain. More than anything it is just so uncomfortable. I cannot sit for too long because it is just so uncomfortable. Sometimes when I go on long walks this causes a sharp uncomfortable pain. It just always seems to be there. My mind is on it permanently. Standing up is much more comfortable than sitting and no paeticular movement seems to aggravaate it as far as I am aware. I have had a few games of football recently (only in the back garden) and I played without pain (well, without making the pain worse). I am a 24 year old male.

• Answer:

  Assuming that all tests were done correctly by the physio, you may find that this is neuritis (inflammation of a nerve) due to inorrect healing following injury. Sometimes scar tissue presses against nerves following healing. Or it could be damage to a vein (check for swollen veins below and around the knee) as the valves of veins in this region are commonly injured and can cause pain Additionally it could also be a Baker's cyst (not actually a cyst) this is caused by a pocket of synovial fluid protruding posterior to the knee joint. This usually causes swelling behind the knee but may be too discrete to nitice in some cases