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Possible Meniscus Tear?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sony Eriksson*
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Sony Eriksson*

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So i have been having some mild-moderate pain in my left knee for a while...nothing i couldn't play on but last Thursday i hurt the same knee when was was tripped. The top of my knee cap is sensitive to the touch and there is a bruise around the area in addition to swelling. Im walking with a limp but when i walk on the ball of my foot it does not really bother me that much but when i walk heel to toe the pain is evident in the back of my knee and on the inner part of my knee. Anyone experienced such an injury and can give me any insight on their symptoms they had and what they did to fix the issue? I just started my season and really do not want to miss it because of an injury that i possibly could take care of myself.
 
At an absolute minimum, you should stop playing or doing anything stressful to your legs until that pain goes away.

If you are at all able to go to a doctor, this is a case of "a stitch in time saves nine". You don't want to wait to get treatment until the elevator is broken and your kneecap gives out on the 5th floor staircase.

I hate to give you the generic "see a doctor" response, but in this case... you need to go see a doctor.
 
tarheelhockey said:
At an absolute minimum, you should stop playing or doing anything stressful to your legs until that pain goes away.

If you are at all able to go to a doctor, this is a case of "a stitch in time saves nine". You don't want to wait to get treatment until the elevator is broken and your kneecap gives out on the 5th floor staircase.

I hate to give you the generic "see a doctor" response, but in this case... you need to go see a doctor.
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I have an apt. on Wed but lets say it is a tear i know that some can be healed on my own without surgery. Have you ever had a cortisone shot? Pros/cons?
 
Jarick said:
My rule is if it still hurts pretty good after three days, I go to the doctor. It's served me pretty well.
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Well HMO insurance coverage is horrible with the damn referrals you need. I have to see my primary care physician first and pay a $45 co-pay only for them to do an x-ray so they can see nothing is broken which its not. Then refer me to an Orthopedic then pay $50 to see a specialist...ugh!
 
Jarick said:
I'd take $45 for an X-ray! For me it's usually $175-200. I have an HSA so I eat the first $5-6,000 out of pocket.
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HRA sucks also...we used to have one but switched over. Every had a Cortisone injection? Pro's/Con's?
 
cortisone isn't going to fix the underlying problem. unless you are relatively confident it can heal on its own (which you can't without at least one MRI), or just trying to get through playoffs, i don't see why you would go through a steroid injection only to have it happen again in 6 months.

not sure if you have access to a good orthopedic, but if nothing else, i would suggest also getting an ART specialist to look at it. find one who is certified at a biomechanics level. http://www.activerelease.com/providerSearch.asp

they are technically LMPs or chiros, so they are cheaper than doctors, with access to treatment that no doctor would stoop so low to perform (graston, massage, vs injections and surgery), but soft tissue work is becoming increasingly important for athletes. it's non-invasive, safe, and does not hurt to try.

good luck.
 
newfr4u said:
cortisone isn't going to fix the underlying problem. unless you are relatively confident it can heal on its own (which you can't without at least one MRI), or just trying to get through playoffs, i don't see why you would go through a steroid injection only to have it happen again in 6 months.

not sure if you have access to a good orthopedic, but if nothing else, i would suggest also getting an ART specialist to look at it. find one who is certified at a biomechanics level. http://www.activerelease.com/providerSearch.asp

they are technically LMPs or chiros, so they are cheaper than doctors, with access to treatment that no doctor would stoop so low to perform (graston, massage, vs injections and surgery), but soft tissue work is becoming increasingly important for athletes. it's non-invasive, safe, and does not hurt to try.

good luck.
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Are ART's covered under Insurance is the question.
 
Last year I had a fully torn ACL and minor tears on my medial miniscus.

I suspect the pain near the top of the knee cap has to do with the bruise and not anything going on inside the knee. I didn't have the same pain. I can't speak to the walking pain. I stayed off my leg because my knee would pop out of place if I put my weight on it.

I went to the ER and they x-rayed my knee. They could only tell that there was no broken bones and referred me to orthopedics. The specialist looked at my knee and told me the only way to really know what is going on is to get an MRI.

Sounds like you are on a similar path. I hope yours isn't as bad as mine. Good luck.
 
Had a badly, badly torn lateral meniscus. Started off a little pops that I would get in my knee. They'd hurt, but I could just rest a day and it'd be fine. Finally, I got a pop where the leg didn't straighten out after a day or two. I went to the orthopedist and they sent me in for immediate surgery to correctly the ligaments/cartilage. It's been about 5 years since then and I've had no problems from my knee.

The rehab was long and painful though. I credit the results to having an awesome surgeon and an awesome physical therapist.
 
I torn my meniscus a few years back playing soccer. I played a few games with it, but I wasn't myself, I made zero impact and was hurting the team more than helping. I did miss the last month of the season.

You may be able to skate through it, but it is best to get it fixed. Having long term knee issues isn't worth it. Get it fixed, let it heal. Then get back out there!
 
I tore my right meniscus while making a hard cut playing floor hockey several years ago. It was a bucket handle tear that flipped up on itself and instantly impeded motion. The joint was seized for maybe half an hour or so, then I was able to get enough of a range of motion back that I could hobble to my (manual) car. It felt like there was something in the joint until the day I got it fixed, my blind one-legged balance was lousy.

I had to go to my primary care doc, got sent to a sports medicine doc and needed an MRI. In order to get the MRI I needed to go through a month or so of unpleasant PT that seemingly made things worse, then the MRI confirmed the torn meniscus.

My surgical options were to repair the meniscus (much longer recovery, but preferred) or a partial meniscectomy (shorter recovery time) and it turned out to be the latter. They removed the torn part of my meniscus and while there is a higher risk of arthritis in the future, I was told that my normal level of activity would be possible. I didn't need PT for rehab, I was asked if I had a bike and then told to ride it. I strengthened my knee with a stepper at the gym as well. I regained speed and agility pretty quickly, but it took a little while to get confidence in the knee's stability back.

I worry that I messed my good knee's meniscus up after my knee got hyperextended playing soccer a couple weeks ago, but it doesn't seem nearly as bad this time. Time to get things checked out.
 
From what I remember, a stinging pain that shoots from the knee down to the bottom of your feet is indicative of a meniscus tear. That and occasional sharp pains while walking, normally while the foot isn't straight in alignment with the knee.

I've torn my ACL, PCL, MCL, and both menisci in my left knee, so I've spent a lot of time with doctors and physical therapists in rehab discussing knee injuries and which pain can indicate what. After that surgery I got into a car crash and got another very very tiny tear in my meniscus. I occasionally get the pain into the bottom of my foot feeling, so I believe I'm right on that one. But I'm no doctor...so....
 
Go to the doctor. For real. I thought I just sprained my ankle this fall, so I didn't do anything, and as it turned out, it was a hairline fracture and torn ligament that required physical therapy. Therapy and pain could've been avoided if I would've sucked it up and went to the doctor. Doctors are good.
 
cybresabre said:
I tore my right meniscus while making a hard cut playing floor hockey several years ago. It was a bucket handle tear that flipped up on itself and instantly impeded motion. The joint was seized for maybe half an hour or so, then I was able to get enough of a range of motion back that I could hobble to my (manual) car. It felt like there was something in the joint until the day I got it fixed, my blind one-legged balance was lousy.

I had to go to my primary care doc, got sent to a sports medicine doc and needed an MRI. In order to get the MRI I needed to go through a month or so of unpleasant PT that seemingly made things worse, then the MRI confirmed the torn meniscus.

My surgical options were to repair the meniscus (much longer recovery, but preferred) or a partial meniscectomy (shorter recovery time) and it turned out to be the latter. They removed the torn part of my meniscus and while there is a higher risk of arthritis in the future, I was told that my normal level of activity would be possible. I didn't need PT for rehab, I was asked if I had a bike and then told to ride it. I strengthened my knee with a stepper at the gym as well. I regained speed and agility pretty quickly, but it took a little while to get confidence in the knee's stability back.

I worry that I messed my good knee's meniscus up after my knee got hyperextended playing soccer a couple weeks ago, but it doesn't seem nearly as bad this time. Time to get things checked out.
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i literally did the exact same thing in BOTH my knee's about a year apart from one another....but both mine were stuck in almost a 90 degree position for about a week, and slowly after that getting the motion back (roughly 6 weeks till full motion)....on both i went to a ortho. and surgeroy was recomended and i didnt have it either time....i will most likely have arthritis in them both at some point but was told that even with the surgery it would be likely...im not recomending not having the surgery or seeing a dr. but i would be in the hole like 10 grand had i had them....(again never make a decision about you health based on money) but i was told by a highly regarded ortho that it was either 1)repair it if they could or 2)cut it out which bending/flexing would do anyway....and they hit me with like 5 cortizon shot and my knee still wouldnt move.
 
I have a meniscus tear in my right knee. It sounds like you could have a number of things. When you have a meniscus tear what often happens is a piece of the torn cartilage gets into the joint and misaligns the joint. You would feel an immediate drop off in the ability to support weight on knee in that leg. Some tears are more severe than others some require surgery and some do not. I tore mine playing golf. I (for some stupid reason) planted my pivot foot and my knee buckled, my right leg from the knee down bent about 45* towards the right side of my body (gross I know). You know immediately when it happens. My knee swelled up and was painful and stiff for 2-3 days. I got my knee checked out and she told me I have a meniscus tear that's on the edge of surgery. The doc said its my choice weather I get it fixed. If a meniscus tear is mild enough you can exercise the knee to build up the muscle in the knee to compensate for your compromised meniscus cartilage, or you can do orthoscopic surgery which pretty much instantly fixes the knee and recovery time is only about 1 day. I chose to build the muscle in the knee, although even with more muscle you want to avoid twisting of the knee. I can play hockey now without much of a problem. Every knee injury is different and you need to get it checked out by a doctor and/or sports therapist.
 
Tattoo said:
I have an apt. on Wed but lets say it is a tear i know that some can be healed on my own without surgery. Have you ever had a cortisone shot? Pros/cons?
Click to expand...

Well, I haven't had a cortisone shot but I have done in my meniscus and attempted to work out on it a few days later. The result? I tore my MCL as well. That's a lot harder to heal on its own.

minor tears can heal on their own but they won't unless you rest them. In other words, you'll probably have to take a break for a few weeks
 
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