I cannot figure out what is causing this bit it's been easily over a month if not two. I haven't paid attention to when it started as I assumed it would just go with rest. I am positive it is not hormone/hrt related as that is different and more joint not back of the knee. It's not like the muscle pain I got when my thyroid levels were worse either. I have not had any type of injury. The area behind both knees, not the joint, from the center and maybe 4 inches up and down from the point across the back of the knees... is sore. It gets stiff after sleeping, which is the worst, and even after sitting with knees bent. I find I have to frequently stretch to release the stiffness that builds a soreness. The entire rest of my legs are completely fine. I had a Google and came up with a lot of things it definitely isn't. Is this an me/cfs thing?
I have unanticipated pain there too, but just one leg. It started after shoveling snow: I think it had to do with the repetitive sideways movement of the leg. I'm also wondering whether the front edge of my computer chair is also involved, since there is pressure on that spot. It doesn't seem worse after sleeping, so I think our problems are unrelated. Do think about whether the front edge of your chair might be involved.
Those are the symptoms of a mechanical synovitis - which is probably one of the commonest causes of knee pain. Something inside is rubbing and fluid is generated which is pushed to the back of the knee capsule. It may not be what your problem is but it is a common cause and nothing to do with ME/CFS as far as I know. If there is a history of hypothyroidism that could easily be relevant even long after since hypothyroidism causes metric thickening in connective tissue. But again, this is just general comment.
It doesn't feel like something in the knee joint...I want to say muscular like but it doesn't follow all the way along a muscle, stops short. I shall read about thickening, never heard of this.
It wouldn't. The back of the knee is actually made of the upper part of the gastrocnemius muscle. Pain occurs from pressure on the muscle - a sort of blow out from the joint. The joint itself may feel fine.
I thought that this was common in ME. I have had it for (almost) as long as I have had ME. I showed it to a GP early on in the illness, and he didn't really have anything to say about it. Even when my weight has been normal, the backs of my knees appear swollen. I have to kneel when washing up, for example, to stop my legs from getting exhausted, and it's mainly the backs of my knees that cause the leg exhaustion.
