When your knee hurts and you are having a hard time getting around you feel like you took a knee to groin because you realize maybe you're not 20 anymore. You'd think being closer to 40 than 20 I would have figured this out already, but Peas have anti-aging properties that make that impossible. Most notably we have no concept of time or time order so I can remember something from when I was 10 like they just happened and frequently I can't remember just happened. :-)
So back to the knee.... 
This passed week my knee has been bad enough that I worked from home one day and moved up my doctor's appointment 6 days to get it looked at. I prefer a Naturopathic Doctor but I hadn't had a permanent doctor since I changed jobs so I went to the Bastyr clinic and hooked up with an ND there. He looked over me knee and said what everyone (yes you too Dawn) has told me that I have some tendinitis, maybe a strain around the point at which my IT Band attaches to my knee (see pic at left from AAFP site). That's good news because it means its nothing major and I don't need surgery or anything drastic. We're basically going to be doing a heat\ice regimen and I have a follow-up with a more specialized ND to look at what physical therapy I should be doing. I also went to an acupuncturist yesterday as well for the knee, that was a great experience.
While the ND was a graduated board certified doctor, I went to the teaching clinic for my acupuncture because I wanted to get in that day. Once they did the routine new patient stuff I put on a gown and laid down on a table. They elected to do needles and cupping. The cupping was to help loosen my IT Band and I think to increase flow into the area. To be honest I don't quite understand it. I've heard of it and I'm pretty open to trying things so why not. The pic on the left is of the bruises after the cupping procedure. They don't hurt or anything they're like hickeys more than bruises. (more on cupping)
I also had acupuncture done at the same time I think I had about 15 to 20 needles in me. That was very cool. I have piercings and I've done temporary piercings so needles don't bother me at all (Gary just feinted). These needles are VERY small and I barely felt them go in at all. They then rotate them a bit and adjust the depth to hit the right spot. I'm being purposefully vague because I don't have the right lingo. I need to read up on this. I can tell you they place some around my knee, one both my feet, in the webbing between my thumb and forefinger on my left had and then around my right arm in various (6-10) places. The theory as they explained it to me is that the right arm and elbow are connected to the left leg and knee. I'm not sure about all this, but I can tell you that they were palpating (touching) my right arm and they found places that hurt almost exactly in the same kind of places as my knee. They only told me about the connection afterwards. I don't have any pics of this I'll ask them to take some next time.
Today I certainly don't feel healed but the intensity of the pain is decreased quite a bit. I am still favoring my good leg, but I'm not getting the shooting pains anymore. I call that success!
I'll let you know more about the knee after next weeks ND\PT and Acupuncture appointments.