When I awoke this a.m. - before- I got out of bed I was stretching my legs when I heard a popping sort of sound behind my knee. On a scale of 1 - 10, the pain associated with the sound was about a 6. Each time I stretched my leg it repeated. As the day went on I was almost unable to walk as I could hardly bend that knee or straighten out my leg. I took two Aleve and got some relief. Also put on a substantial knee brace which only kept the popping from being too severe. Again, this is not in the knee itself but seems to be in the ligaments behind the knee. What should I do?
You symptoms suggest a meniscal tear. You need to see an orthopedic surgeon who would do an MRI to confirm diagnosis. Based on the grading and location of tear it can be treated conservatively or by surgery!