knee injury?

[glingglo]

i hyperextended my knee about 3 weeks ago and i'm really bummed about it. it was just starting to feel better, but yesterday i fell (while doing something stupid of course) and twisted it a little. now it feels as bad as it did 3 weeks ago! i don't think i did any serious damage - i can walk ok and it doesn't hurt unless i try to straighten it all the way. i'm not sure if i should see a doctor, or if i'd be wasting my money just to hear someone say, "yeah, you strained your knee a little. just baby it for a couple weeks and come back if it's not better in a month."

anybody have any thoughts?

thanks!

[Kicks]

I take anti-inflammatories to treat the pain and inflammation. I take glucosmine chondroitin to strengthen the ligaments in the joints. It has helped me like a miracle drug.

Rest is good too.

[vertigo]

Rest is good too.

Agreed... even if after a while it starts to feel better, give it the opportunity to fully heal.

As far as your "doctor - no doctor" question... I'd say as long as you don't notice it being noticably worse than before, you should be ok. One side condition though.. if after a little while, you notice it's not getting any better at all, then see a doctor.

Of course, I am not a doctor... and ultimatly this is your call... tread carefully. Knee injuries are not fun. Good luck recovering.

[glingglo]

yeah, i'm really not a fan of doctors for most things because they just tell you the same stuff you already know and you have to shell out lots of cash to hear it. i'll definitely go if it's not better in a couple more weeks.

it just really puts a damper on karate, because there's nothing i can do - kata hurts it, kicking hurts it, my self-defense techniques hurt it. i feel incredibly sluggish because i'm not getting any exercise now. and i'm especially bummed because my schedule has been so stressful lately that i haven't been able to make many classes to begin with. =/

[Mith]

if you have any swelling at all with a twist then there is a real chance that the ACL has been partially or completely torn. Typically the swelling is blood collecting in the knee joint from the vessels in the ligament tearing.

If you have lost any stability in the knee (i.e giving out or whatnot) then you probably should go see an orthopedic surgeon for him to assess it. They have this test where they can determine if the ACL has been torn (along with MRI's).

A good knee brace may help. Please take a look at Donjoy and Townsend.

Good luck and Godspeed on your recovery.

[CapitalKarate]

I've been having knee pain also for a while now (months maybe?). I got it checked out and the doctor said that there was nothing wrong with it. Would you think doing weight trainging and running would injur it more?

[Mith]

The running probably won't make it feel better but doing leg exercises will definitely help!

A big stabilizer of the knee is the hamstring... Sqauts, Straight Legged Dead Lifts, Leg Curls, and lunges are all excellent exercises for working the hammy's.

You'll also want to work your Quadriceps.

No guarantee that this will alleviate your pain (especially if you have some torn cartilage which would be hard for your doctor to detect) but it will certainly stabalize the knee.

Good luck!

[glingglo]

i totally agree with you on how much building hamstring/quad strength can help. i know two people who've had major knee surgery recently, and they both reported that their knees felt a thousand times better once they started strengthening their thigh muscles.

lucky for me, there's no swelling or anything to indicate ACL issues. my knee seems to tire on me after I've been putting weight on it for a long time, but it doesn't give out or anything. (i also study middle eastern dance, and i've still be able to do that because your knees stay bent the whole time and all the work takes place in your hips and abdomen. i've noticed that by the end of an hour long class, it's hard to keep my weight on the bad leg, but that's about the only problem i have when i'm dancing.) i think i'm going to stick with my "ignore it unless it doesn't feel better after a week or two" plan.

[ninjanurse]

See a doctor...especially if it has been 3 days with no improvement. The fact that you reinjured it may mean that it is unstable too. It may cost some time and cash but trust me, you don't want to be messing with the health of your knees! (I know these things... )

Until then:

REST=this means no training!

ICE=20 minutes every 1-2 hours until all the swelling is gone

COMPRESS=ace wrap or brace until pain free

ELEVATE=keep it up as this helps the swelling and helps you REST

[Shorin Ryuu]

I have to agree with those who say see a doctor and rest. Never let a minor problem turn into a big one.

As a sidenote, I've had a torn ACL with reconstructive surgery and glucosamine chondroitin works pretty well for me in making my joints feel looser.