What is happening to my knee...need urgent help?!


Question: two weeks ago i saw the doc cuz i hurt my right knee...he said it was just a strain. it hasn't got much better and when i woke up this morning my whole lower leg, knee, and ankle were swolen. i have been walking quite a bit because it doesn't bother me unless i start bending it. i ice it everynight, wrap it with an ace bandage, and take ibuprofen. i am going back to the doctor after school. what do you think they'll say? if they drain the fluid, how bad does it hrut? thank you


Answers: two weeks ago i saw the doc cuz i hurt my right knee...he said it was just a strain. it hasn't got much better and when i woke up this morning my whole lower leg, knee, and ankle were swolen. i have been walking quite a bit because it doesn't bother me unless i start bending it. i ice it everynight, wrap it with an ace bandage, and take ibuprofen. i am going back to the doctor after school. what do you think they'll say? if they drain the fluid, how bad does it hrut? thank you

It's good that you're going back to see your doctor -- there might be more going on here.

Sometimes with knee injuries, there can be significant swelling that occurs several days after the initial injury. The swelling is often just an accumulation of fluid in the bursa sacs that surround the knee. These sacs are like little "oilers" for the joint that help it to glide and avoid friction. Sometimes, and probably in your case, these sacs become inflamed (BURSITIS) and begin to press against the veins and arteries of the leg. When this happens, people will often have mild to moderate swelling below the knee joint. If left untreated, this can lead to blood clot formation. Since it sounds like you're younger, that is not as likely to happen than if you were much older.

"Tapping" or draining a knee is not a horrible experience at all -- provided the person doing it has good skills. I do them fairly often in my practice, and the relief the patient gets is certainly worth the discomfort -- at least that's what they tell me.

The procedure requires a small amount of lidocaine (numbing medicine) to be injected into the skin/knee just below the kneecap (patella). Once numb, a larger needle is inserted into the joint and connected to a large syringe. Your doctor will then suck out (aspirate) the fluid from the knee until there's nothing left to come out. After that, he may inject a small amount of steroid into the area that will help it to reduce inflammation and further swelling. A bandaid to top it off, and you're essentially done. The swelling should begin to resolve more quickly from there.

Hope this helps. Don't get too anxious about it, but you really DO need to see your doctor.

Best of luck!





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