knees aching during menstrual cycle--strange?

For my entire life, I had horrible pain in my knees right before the start of my period. Over the years, I've mentioned it to various doctor and was brushed off...saying there is no relationship. Odd that it happened EVERY month. Well, finally a woman doctor gave me a possible explanation....migrated endometral cells...look it up...it fits for me. Peace

I get this, usually really badly on the first day the bleeding begins, after that it isn't too bad.

My doctor told me that the nerves in the legs and knees, also interconnect in the ovaries - so while it feels like your legs, it is actually located in/around your ovaries and uterus.

Turns out I had a cyst and my B vitamins were a bit low.  The cyst may have to be removed.

Otherwise, lots of water to ease the cramps, Apple cider vinegar pills if pain is light, advil if the pain is heavier.

I stumbled across this post because I am having this problem right now. I haven't talked to my doctor yet, but it seems like nobody has gotten answers from docs anyway. My best theory is that when menstruating there are Essential minerals that leach out of your body-- like calcium and iron. Perhaps a daily supplement of calcium, magnesium, and zinc might help ease the pain a bit. I think you would have to take these regularly for it to work. Otherwise it's back to painkillers. Good to know I'm not alone with the phantom aches.

Hi there, I've experienced knee/leg pain ever since starting my period at the age of 11 (almost 16yrs ago) the only other person I have known go through this is my child hood best friend, it's annoying an makes me very restless, but once I get that first niggling pain I know Im about to get my period. I take painkillers, if I'm not at work I either put a hot water bottle around my knees, moving it into different positions at times, or I get into a hot bath which I personally find stops all leg/knee/period pain. I've never been to a doctor as in past experiences I find there never helpful unless you have visible evidence of why your in pain an are very quick to write you off, then I tend to feel like a hypochondriac an just don't go.

I also experienced extreme knee pain within the first 24 hours of my period one month ago. The cramps were awful, and it's like the pain was transferring between my pelvis and both of my knees. I don't know anything about it, but your loved one isn't the only one going through it.

I have had this problem since I was around 13. I never had the customary stomach cramps, but rather knee pain. It was so severe at times that all I could do was roll around on the bed and cry. Family members blamed it on growing pains or that I was faking it. I even had an MRI done on my knee, and it showed nothing. After that, everyone was convinced I was faking. To this day (I'm 38), I still have the knee pain. It is always during my period, and I mean at the exact times the blood is actually flowing. I'm sorry to be so graphic, but I was determined I would figure something out. I still don't know the medical term for it, but at least I can take Advil and it eases the pain. I hope this helps someone else who may be in the same situation. And moms, grandmas, dads, etc...they are probably not faking.

Wow, I thought that I was the only one that had this problem. I have been playing soccer since I was four years old. At 15 I tore my acl and shortly started my period after. I have have had bad cramps, however I get this same knee pain. It's terriable, I would call my mom to get me out of school, and on days that I work I call out. Pain killers hardly work after it starts however, if I can take the pain killer before I can usually manage. But who can predict their period.?

How strange! This happens to me, too! I am 28 and it has happened to me for as long as I can remember. The pain is like a warming, swelling sensation and it occurs the day or night before my period.

I also have really bad aching knees during the first two days of my period. I'm a first year medical student and from my understanding, the cause is fairly simple and moderately preventable. Your body produces prostaglandins during menstruation to help shed the uterine lining (thus causing your period) but prostaglandins are also key inflammatory agents (leading to swelling and pain). So although these prostaglandins are supposed to just act on your uterus, they can spread to other areas, commonly knees and hips. This inflammation is what causes the aching. So taking ibuprofen before your period starts and during can really help ease the discomort (it really helps me) and ice packs are also a great way to decrease the swelling. Hope this helps! 

I think I have a similar problem, I experience some abnormal pain on my knees every time I'm on my periods and some times it feels like its a cramp. Can I know what causes this pain?.

"Menstrual arthritis" is a term used to describe a rare condition in which arthritis occurs exclusively at the time of menstruation.[149] Several mechanisms for menstrual-related arthritis are speculated: menstrual cyclicity in immune response (e.g., local antibody release and in white blood cell subpopulations); estrogen and progesterone's antiinflammatory properties (e.g., estrogen is reported to suppress the frequency and disease severity of the two T cell-dependent arthritis models of collagen-induced arthritis and adjuvant-induced arthritis); endometrial degradation products during menstruation being phagocytosed by peritoneal macrophages that release cytokines, leading to menstrual arthritis; and altered pain perception associate

I have chondromalaecia in my right knee(was diagonised when i was 24)...ever since the diagnosis, my knee pain gets so severe during my period, I can barely walk...It's just on the starting day though, and if it falls on an off day I spend the day in bed with hot water bag over my knee...that helps a lot...If its during the week day, I bite down the pain and go about my work...I choose to suffer than take pain killers like ibuprofen prescribed for my chondromalaecia...Winter aggravates the pain as well...I'm just guessing its various changes that our body goes through during the cycle that's causing the pain...I think its important to build a lifestyle ensuring healthy joints...Wish there was someone to guide me in my teen years on right supplements and activities to ensure a pain free joint! All those calcium and Vitamin D and what not...I always had an aversion for milk and I guess I lost out on all those joint health boosters...Chondromalaecia is no fun, and walking around with a pain that never goes away(there are mild pain days and severe pain days, but no pain free days) feels like a curse...

my knee does the same thing when im about to come on and the first couple of days and it seems like if i take a ibuprofen it really doesn't work but if i take some generic advil the pain goes away much faster

my knee does the same thing it's always the left knee it start to cramp as soon as i start my priod when i take ibuprofen it doesn't work faster like the generic advil i wonder what cause that to happen

I honestly thought I was the only one! The knee pain started 2 days before my period and it's a nasty pain and I was scared that it was Atheritus or low iron . I'm so glad I'm not the only one. It has happened before and I could barley walk and it had me in tears at one point and it also is a pain to get up the stairs. I use Deep Heat at the moment as I'm new to this and it worked the first time I applied it to my knees but know it's doing nothing. I hope we all fine something to stop this!