[pct-l] knee injured, a little advice?

[Melanie Clarke]

>From android

It really sounds like a torn meniscus.  Even the soccer injury you
described results in a torn meniscus. Good news first :  doctors are
reluctant to operate on those now unless the patient complains a lot. No
physical therapy is even required. So healing will be cheap for your
injury. Now for the bad news: It will take at least 6 months to heal or
longer. I would forget about hiking unless a late section hike. If your
meniscus tore on the outside, it will heal faster as it has access to more
blood supply. A tear to the inside has very little blood to help it heal.
Oblique or horizontal tears can slice off a piece... I am assuming you are
poor... the reason a meniscus takes so long to heal is cuz it doesn't have
a good blood supply. A broken leg is generally a more serious injury but it
heals faster. Be grateful that a meniscus is generally cheaper to heal and
does not require medical intervention. You would need to pay for an MRI to
find out for sure. A doctor will only be able to tell you that you have a
torn meniscus. I would like you to see a doctor but I know what it's like
to be poor.

To rehab: ride a stationary cycle and work up to a regular bike in a month
or when the acute pain phase is over. Swimming is your only other option.
If you are young, relax and plan a hike next year. The trail will still be
there. If you are old, it will take a much longer time to heal. A torn
meniscus is one of the most common knee injuries.

So swim n cycle, 6 months at least. Good luck

Toga
On Jan 25, 2012 6:16 PM, "Clay Lemar" <claylemar at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello PCT-Lers,
>
> I am in trouble, I think, and would appruciate some advice. Its my right
> knee. I have never had problems with it before. It is currently swollen
> (internal swelling) just below the knee cap, in the past two days the
> swelling (tenderness without pain) has spread down my shin. Nearing the
> end of today it is certainly swollen, warm, and tingingling.
>
> I injured my knee three months ago playing soccer. I slide takled a friend
> with nearly all of my weight directly on my knee cap. Intense and deep
> brusing, hobbling around the house, and trouble sleeping for three nights.
> It went away. Three weeks that same knee started going numb and warm as I
> went about my day. I was anxious at first, now I am worried. Two weeks ago
> a little swelling. Now a lot of swelling, heat, and numbness. I am hobbling
> (out of worry not pain) and standing with all of my weight on my left leg.
>
> I want to leave in April or May, and I am biting my nails beacuse if this
> happened on trail I am pretty sure it would have stopped me. Does anybody
> have exprience with healing a deep bruise or other knee problem like this?
>
> Advice appruciated, encoragments more so!
>
> Thank you,
>
> clay lemar
> petaluma california
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