Fell on my knee

[Patient254]

I tripped today over a box at work and fell hard on my left knee. It's now pretty swollen and I don't know if I should just ice it and take Advil or go get it x-rayed. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. :)

[fgummett]

Ouch! Ice and Advil OK to start with but... without knowing anything else about you - age, weight, overall health etc... I can only suggest that an X-ray could not hurt and if mobility becomes an issue I would also seek the advice of a Physiotherapist. I prefer a physio as opposed to ortho-surgeon... surgeons tend to like to operate, while a physio will try to remediate first ;)

[genie86333]

I'd also have to say that x-rays wouldn't hurt.

Also, how's feeling/circulation in the lower leg & foot? If there's any sign of problem there, go immediatey.

[Patient254]

Thanks to you both. My health is pretty good, but I'm a very heavy person and I came down on that knee with that weight. I've got ice on it and I'm rotating between Tylenol and Advil. Circulation has improved in my lower legs since I took myself off Lyrica - I retained a lot of water in my legs on that medicine and I just stopped taking it last week because it was getting annoying.

I think I'll go to the ER if I feel pain in the knee. Right now it's just uncomfortable because of the swelling, which is still increasing. I think tomorrow it'll hurt more. I'll update my progress if there's anything worth posting. Thanks again! If anyone else wants to contribute I'll be checking back regularly.

[Penny]

If you can, get the xray, then you will know how to treqt the pain. If it is swollen, something needs treatment. I put off xraying my arm because insurance doesn't pay much on doctor's or urgent care bills. As a result, I suffered for weeks....xray showed no break, but it gave the doctor someplace to start, treating the pain.

[princesslinda]

Since it happened at work, i'm assuming you had to fill out an "incident report." If you've not done this, i'd suggest doing it, as if there is a problem, you've made them aware of the situation and it should be covered under your worker's comp.

In the meantime, i'd suggest keeping it elevated and using an ice pack and your anti-inflammatory of choice to help with the swelling.