Home Knee pain - worth the trip to the Dr.''s or not?

[Keepingthefaith21]

Hi all:

About a week and a half ago I had a blow to the side of my knee which resulted in immediate discomfort which I promptly chose to "walk off". There was some mild pain over the following 48 hours but nothing severe. That Tuesday I resumed my normal gym routine only to find at the end of my work out I was in severe discomfort. Over the past week my knee pain has become incredibly unpredictible and confusing. It hurts both going up and down stairs and occasionally after sitting for awhile - especially if I try to straighten my leg. I can pin point the exact area where there is pain. There is some swelling. But it doesn''t bother me when I walk

I have been icing and taking aspring and my knee does respond to this treatment but as soon as the medication or icing effects wear off I am right back where I started. I am wondering if I could simply have a case of runner''s knee or if I should bother with the trip to the PCP only to have them refer me to an ortho surgeon - seems like a waste of time.

If not for the blow to the knee I would think this could simply be a case of runner''s knee - the impact portion has me a bit concerned but I truly HATE the thought of wasting my PCP''s time. Just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience which self-healed. The general symptoms do not point to a tear (there was no popping that I was aware of at the time of impact) and other than one instance where my knee gave out slightly while walking up stairs I haven''t had any instability issues normally associated with a tear.

 

[CurlySue]

Date: 7/1/2009 1:24:35 PM
Author:Keepingthefaith21
Hi all:

About a week and a half ago I had a blow to the side of my knee which resulted in immediate discomfort which I promptly chose to ''walk off''. There was some mild pain over the following 48 hours but nothing severe. That Tuesday I resumed my normal gym routine only to find at the end of my work out I was in severe discomfort. Over the past week my knee pain has become incredibly unpredictible and confusing. It hurts both going up and down stairs and occasionally after sitting for awhile - especially if I try to straighten my leg. I can pin point the exact area where there is pain. There is some swelling. But it doesn''t bother me when I walk

I have been icing and taking aspring and my knee does respond to this treatment but as soon as the medication or icing effects wear off I am right back where I started. I am wondering if I could simply have a case of runner''s knee or if I should bother with the trip to the PCP only to have them refer me to an ortho surgeon - seems like a waste of time.

If not for the blow to the knee I would think this could simply be a case of runner''s knee - the impact portion has me a bit concerned but I truly HATE the thought of wasting my PCP''s time. Just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience which self-healed. The general symptoms do not point to a tear (there was no popping that I was aware of at the time of impact) and other than one instance where my knee gave out slightly while walking up stairs I haven''t had any instability issues normally associated with a tear.

Ugh. So sorry to hear you are in pain! I have bad knees due to years of running and genetics (my mom just had a knee replacement last week!), so I "feel your pain."

I don''t know how much you run or if you''ve had knee pain before, but I personally would have it checked out if you are still in pain after a week and a half.

If you didn''t hear a pop, that''s definitely good news, but again - for the pain to still be there is a bit concerning, IMO.

A few years ago, I tore my meniscus playing tennis. I stopped quickly on my way to the net, and I did hear a pop and immediate pain. But it seemed to lessen, and within a week, I was walking again w/o much pain at all. So I thought I was OK and decided to play tennis AGAIN. Within five minutes of stepping on the court, my knee literally locked into a bent position. Clearly there was something wrong!

So what''s my point?

If you are still feeling some pain and there is swelling, then you should definitely have it checked out, because it could be minor damage that may eventually lead to something major, particularly if you are pretty active. And even if it''s nothing, you will at least have peace of mind, right?

Can you call your doctor to get an opinion? Perhaps s/he can refer you after speaking on the phone about your situation...

 

[cara]

I think its worth a trip in to the doc even though they will likely tell you rest, ice, and anti-inflammatories. I say its worth going in because you remember a specific trauma, you have pain at a specific location, and you have swelling. If it ends up needing an MRI or something, then starting the process now will be to your advantage. It can take well over a month to get a first appt with an ortho surgeon for example (and you can always cancel if it gets better in the meantime) and I''ve had doctors want me to give my knee 6 weeks of complete rest and round the clock ibuprofin before they will consider giving me an MRI or a referral - which is pretty annoying if they start their 6 week clock only after my first appointment with them and I waited a couple of months on my own before going in to see them. On that note, you may want to switch to ibuprofin (if you tolerate that drug) and stay on it round the clock rather than just using it for pain control. I think it is slightly preferred for its antiinflammatory properties. Or best yet, give a call to your doctors office and ask them about drug choice and if they prefer to see you now or have you rest it on your own.

You could very well have torn cartilage or have a torn something else (or partially torn a ligament) - lack of a pop and lack of instability are consistent with a meniscus tear for example.

Perhaps I should state my bias for going in and making a fuss to get proper treatment - I tolerated knee pain for years and really regret it, as I had a cartilage tear that got worse with time. The doctors kept calling it tendonitis and prescribing stretching, rest, and anti-inflammatories, none of which really works to regrow or reattach cartilage. I wonder if my current knee status would be better if I had been a squeakier wheel!

 

[sparklyheart]

Worth the trip! You could have damaged something and the continued pain could be further damage. Better safe than sorry.. After all you only have two knees and they''re not interchangeable! Good luck!

 

[absolut_blonde]

I would go see a good sports physiotherapist - they can assess you, pinpoint the problem AND its origins, then treat you in-office and give you rehab (''homework'').

I''ve had a few minor injuries from working out throughout the years and IME GPs are, well, not exactly useful. The only advice they ever gave me was ''if it hurts, don''t do it'' - not exactly helpful to a gym rat itching to resolve the problem and get back to working out.

 

[Keepingthefaith21]

Thanks for the advice!

I''ll schedule an appointment for sometime next week. If my knee feels better before then I will consider myself lucky

 

[Smurfysmiles]

It''s really your call. It might give you peace of mind if you go in. About 8 years ago when I was in dance I was doing the splits during a particular number and banged my knee on the ground. Since then it hasn''t been the same. We discovered that I had excess fluid in my knees. I tried Physical Therapy, didn''t help much. Then I got cortisone shots and that hasn''t done much either. Now when I work out I just stick to ice and tylenol and make sure to stretch my legs out which usually alleviates the pain. Also soaking in hot water has helped me. I guess I''ve just learned to deal with the pain *shrugs*. I don''t know if this will help but I hope you feel better soon!

 

[packrat]

Glad you decided to get it checked out! Even just for peace of mind, you know? You''d hate to not go, and then have it get worse and find out if you''d had it checked earlier it could''ve been prevented. (tho I know it sucks to go and spend the money and get the ice/tylenol prescription)

 

[marcy]

Glad you made the appointment. I have bad knees (arthritis) and they are not something to mess with. I hope they get you fixed up in no time.