Personal Injury Lawyer

When you are dealing with knee pain, you may be thinking that this is something that mainly inactive or older people have to deal with. While it is true that people who are inactive or older may more commonly deal with knee pain, young people who stay active and like to exercise can also be prone to knee pain. Knee pain and swelling can be common if you “tweaked” your knee working out or overextended yourself when you went on a run. However, that does not mean that it is always normal or that you should not see a specialist when this happens. Additionally, you may notice that you are unable to exercise after you have become injured in an accident, like a trip and fall accident or a pedestrian accident. When you are hoping to get back into your normal routine after an accident but the knee pain is keeping you from physical activity, seek help from a doctor as soon as possible. 

What is happening? 

If you notice that your knee tends to be in pain and swells up after you exercise, it may be time for you to see a doctor. Pain in your knee after working out is often called “runner’s knee,” and you may notice pain, stiffness, clicking noises, and swelling specifically around your kneecap. A doctor, will want to take a look at your knee and determine if there is also more going on. When you see a doctor, they can find out more information using diagnostic techniques or X-ray machines to see that you could also be wearing down your cartilage under your kneecap. You may be experiencing pain due to overextending yourself in a workout, a chronic condition, or an acute injury you got after a personal injury accident. 

What are the treatments? 

Depending on the severity of your specific diagnosis, your doctor may give you a few different options for treating your knee pain. 

• The RICE method. This is a fairly easy treatment that you are able to do at home if the damage is not too severe. This includes rest, ice, compression, and elevation. 
• Physical therapy. Your doctor may recommend the next and least-invasive option—physical therapy. Physical therapy can help when you do not have significant and irreversible damage and it can rebuild your strength around your knee as well as your flexibility and range of motion. 

• Surgery. When other medical treatments are not enough, your doctor may want to discuss surgery as an option for you. Surgery is typically the last option if nothing else is working for your pain or if the damage is too severe. You can also couple surgery with other treatment methods, such as physical therapy. 

Should I try to wait out the knee pain? 

It can be tempting to try to wait out knee pain, especially if you have seen it recover on its own in the past. However, if your knee pain is continuing for weeks or months and you are not getting the relief you need, it is time to seek out help from a local knee doctor today. The sooner you get help from a knee doctor, the sooner you can not only get a diagnosis and treatment, but any medical documents you may need if your knee injury occurred due to an accident. Reach out to a local doctor now.