More knee injury questions

[Night Elf]

So, my left knee has been hurting since June. I have full range of motion. None of my activities are affected. It hurts most when I bend my leg under my body to sit on my legs if that makes sense. Sometimes it just aches even if stretched out. But in all that time, there have only been two times it hurt so much I felt the need to ice it. I've never seen in swollen.

 

I finally went to the doctor a few weeks ago. He suggested it was a slight meniscus tear. He gave me an anti-inflammatory to take for a month, gave me exercises to do, and suggested I go to the physical therapist. I asked about that on this board. I decided against the physical therapy because I was doing about 30 minutes of leg exercises every day and didn't want to add more to that. He also told me I could continue walking on the treadmill but no running until the problem is resolved. Well, I've seen zero improvement. It's as if I'm not doing anything for it. So what gives?

 

I tried researching online and what I'm finding is a tear should heal in about 8 weeks. I'm obviously way beyond that. Is the doctor wrong in his diagnosis? I actually have a hard time pinpointing the pain so it may be centered somewhere other than what he thought. He told me to wait a month, taking the Meloxicam and doing the exercises. If it's not better we'll try a shot. If that doesn't help, he'll consider an MRI and surgery. That all just seems extreme to me. My knee doesn't hurt that bad. However, I do worry that if I let it continue it may get worse. If it was a severe injury, wouldn't it hurt like heck?

 

What should I do?

[mmasc]

I'm sorry you're still dealing with this. I remember posting in your earlier thread, but I'll tell you what I know. :) My meniscus tear didn't hurt like heck, but did affect my daily activities. Not in a huge way, but annoyingly so. I noticed most doing two things specifically, sitting 'criss-cross applesauce' ( I could sit like this, but would have pain afterwards), and squatting (to get laundry in/out). (Similar to your sitting on bent legs scenario) I never felt the need to ice it and didn't notice any swelling. I finally went to one ortho (my DH recommended just getting it checked out) and he suspected a meniscus tear and ordered an mri to confirm. Mri confirmed the tear, so at the follow-up appt he suggested two options 1) surgery to fix or 2) live with it like I had been doing. I decided that I'd think about it because *surely* surgery (eek!!!) wasn't needed for something I'd been living with for 6 months. After two more months, I saw a second ortho for another opinion. He said it was a tear (complex), would only be fixed with surgery, and said there was no reason to live with pain forever at my age (40). I thought about it a bit more, then had surgery. That was 9 months ago. I'm so, so glad I did. It was an easy surgery and I'd never even had a surgery before. Recovery was fine too.

I posted questions about it on this board if you want to do a search for that thread. I got lots of input. I'm not a doctor, but here's my take: if it truly is a meniscus tear, you either need to have surgery, or a few posters said intensive PT helped for them.

Speaking bluntly here, I'd see another ortho surgeon if I were you. First, I'd want a second opinion. Also, I think an mri is the first step in diagnosing this, not later after meds, shots, etc. FWIW, I saw two different ortho surgeons, and neither of them prescribed an rx OR recommended an injection in my treatment plan.

I just want to say too that I was shocked I even needed an mri. Then I was shocked I needed surgery. My pain didn't seem *that* severe, plus I'd never had either an Mri nor a surgery. My second ortho (the one who performed my surgery) told me that I probably have a high pain tolerance (I do) and that our bodies are good at compensating elsewhere to accommodate, usually without knowing.

I'm not sure if any of this helps, but I wanted to share in case it does. Good luck with your decision!

 

ETA: re: pinpointing the pain. I also had a hard time knowing exactly where the pain was in my knee. All I could tell was that it was more at the back of my knee, than the front kneecap area.

Edited October 14, 2016 by mmasc

[Night Elf]

It doesn't hurt when I walk or squat or sit criss cross. I haven't tried running since the doctor said not to do it. I can stretch for walking without any pain too. So I don't understand what this problem is really. I have Kaiser and I could go to another facility but my medical record has the notes and xrays from my first appointment so I don't know if a new doctor would give me a new treatment plan. Maybe the doctor was saving the idea of surgery as the last measure because my knee doesn't hurt much. I am not sure why he said the MRI is done when surgery is considered though. I think it should be done to diagnose the problem and make sure it is what he says it is. I will probably go back in and ask about it though. I don't want a shot honestly.

[mmasc]

It doesn't hurt when I walk or squat or sit criss cross. I haven't tried running since the doctor said not to do it. I can stretch for walking without any pain too. So I don't understand what this problem is really. I have Kaiser and I could go to another facility but my medical record has the notes and xrays from my first appointment so I don't know if a new doctor would give me a new treatment plan. Maybe the doctor was saving the idea of surgery as the last measure because my knee doesn't hurt much. I am not sure why he said the MRI is done when surgery is considered though. I think it should be done to diagnose the problem and make sure it is what he says it is. I will probably go back in and ask about it though. I don't want a shot honestly.

I agree. I'd want the mri for a diagnosis. And I wouldn't want the shot!

Fwiw, my second dr wanted to take his own set of X-rays and I was able to get my mri on disk from the imaging center that did it. My first dr probably never even knew.

[gardenmom5]

So, my left knee has been hurting since June. I have full range of motion. None of my activities are affected. It hurts most when I bend my leg under my body to sit on my legs if that makes sense. Sometimes it just aches even if stretched out. But in all that time, there have only been two times it hurt so much I felt the need to ice it. I've never seen in swollen.

 

I finally went to the doctor a few weeks ago. He suggested it was a slight meniscus tear. He gave me an anti-inflammatory to take for a month, gave me exercises to do, and suggested I go to the physical therapist. I asked about that on this board. I decided against the physical therapy because I was doing about 30 minutes of leg exercises every day and didn't want to add more to that. He also told me I could continue walking on the treadmill but no running until the problem is resolved. Well, I've seen zero improvement. It's as if I'm not doing anything for it. So what gives?

 

I tried researching online and what I'm finding is a tear should heal in about 8 weeks. I'm obviously way beyond that. Is the doctor wrong in his diagnosis? I actually have a hard time pinpointing the pain so it may be centered somewhere other than what he thought. He told me to wait a month, taking the Meloxicam and doing the exercises. If it's not better we'll try a shot. If that doesn't help, he'll consider an MRI and surgery. That all just seems extreme to me. My knee doesn't hurt that bad. However, I do worry that if I let it continue it may get worse. If it was a severe injury, wouldn't it hurt like heck?

 

What should I do?

 

I would find a new dr. preferably an ortho.

 

after I fell, my (*sports medicine* osteopath) dr was OBSESSED with "oh, it's just your meniscus".  because it's a common injury in middle age women.  I had a THIRD DEGREE strain of my MCL.  it was six weeks before he'd even order a MRI.  he did next to nothing for me. he'd inject glucose into the ligament to "promote healing." healing was extremely slow.  oh - I also had my fibula twisted in the socket from that fall.  (my chiropractor found that one.)

 

I did realize later that healing was probably slowed by low adrenal function.  (It affects five different muscle groups in the legs and stablize the pelvis.)

 

eta; you can go in first, before the notes, or just tell a new doc you're concerned about the accuracy of the diagnosis and you want a more aggressive treatment plan.

I previously had a torn meniscus - front of my knee/underside of the patella - it was sporadic as to when it bothered me.  eventually it felt like it "folded" and it made walking difficult.  walking around costco one day, it felt like "crunch crunch crunch", and suddenly I could walk fine again with no problem at all. I've never been bothered by it since.  (part of why I was so angry at the other dr for insisting it was my meniscus.)

Edited October 14, 2016 by gardenmom5