Worrying? No. Make an appt and if your primary doc thinks you need to be seen by an orthopedic surgeon, he/she will refer you. Then, you will need Xrays and maybe an MRI. Then, the OS will tell you what you may not want to hear.

I wish I had had this checked when it started swelling 3 or 4 years ago....

Red

Right now it's burning and has this light nerve pain. I took some Aleve, I heard it's good for swelling.

If it gets worse I'll make an appt. with an Orthopedic surgeon.

Does this stuff happen when we don't even hurt ourselves? lol

I wouldn't make an appointment with a surgeon unless I knew I needed surgery. From what you posted, it doesn't sound like any testing was done such as x-rays, scans, etc. Did your doctor actually examine the knee? I can't imagine he told you if it hurts really bad you need surgery without a thorough exam.

It's very possible you pulled a muscle or something as minor as that. Even with worse injuries, many doctors will first try physical therapy, injections, etc. Most see surgery as a last resort. I know I would.

I agree with Red, before jumping to conclusions, I'd have it checked out. The Aleve is probably a good thing. If you have swelling, I'd prop the leg up, give it a rest and some ice.

Tina, when I talked to my doctor (I was there for another issue) I told him about the ocassional pain in it, and that's when he said not to worry about it unless it gets worse.

No problems since I took the Aleve. If it does get bad, going to an Orthopedic Surgeon is the best thing, that way they can diagnose and work on it without having to go to multiple doctors. We learned this when our son had shoulder surgery.

Tina- she needs to see an orthopedic surgeon to find out if she needs surgery or not. She won't know without thorough testing, ie proper joint exam and x-rays or MRI. A primary care doc will not be able to read an MRI of a joint with the expertise of an orthopedic surgeon.

Oakley- here's my experience with my knee:
At 19 I had a bone tumor that destroyed my tibia bone, just below the knee joint. It was reconstructed at that time, but only lasted 10 years. So at the age of 30 I had a total knee replacement. In between I've had a few arthroscopies for torn medial and lateral meniscus.

I honestly wouldn't wait for it to get too bad, you might be able to strengthen your quadriceps muscle with PT to help stabilize the joint. Only an orthopedist will be able to tell you.
Good Luck!

Thanks for the info. That is not how our internist handles things. He could have the tests run, etc. Perhaps there is a difference in what an internist/family care/primary care doc does?

When I had back pain (years ago), my internist was able to examine me, send me to PT for further diagnosing and therapy. I've had no more trouble.

tina

Tina, orthopedic surgeons deal directly with bone and joints. All other doctors are "middle men." If there is a problem in the bone and joint, the other doctors will send you to an OS.

We had a doctor send my son to PT for his shoulder, and during his first session, he said, "I quit, it's making it worse." So I took him to an OS, and he had a torn Labrum which only an MRI would find, and he had reconstructive surgery and three months of PT.

Anytime you have bone and joint problems, go directly to an OP. You save a lot of frustration, time and money.

The radiologist reads the studies. An orthopedic surgeon would be contacted if that's what was indicated by the studies. I don't think you'd contact a surgeon directly for a diagnosis. They also tend to prescribe what they do, in terms of treatment. I'd start with your regular doctor for a basic workup, hopefully getting some studies done.

I think it depends on where you live and what your insurance requires. When I fractured my elbow years ago I started with a family care doc who then referred me to an orthopedic surgeon. Any subsequent joint problems I went directly to the orthopedist. No point in paying two doctors if you can avoid it.

Exactly squirrel! That is how our doctor works! He would do an exam, studies, etc. and then determine IF we needed to see someone else. He is very good about that. I think it cuts down on alot of unnecessary visits to specialists, etc. And I feel so much more comfortable with my own doctor who knows us and history so well. I also though the radiologist is who would read the x-rays, scans, ect. I trust our internist.

Also, in regards to cost, it would only cost me $25 to see my internist, lab work, x-rays, scans, etc. would be no cost. A visit to a specialist would be $30, so even if I saw both, it would cost me very little. I would think it would be a waste of a surgeon's time if it were something minor such as a sprain, arthritis, etc. My internist is also very willing to work with specialists, and therapists. He would not send me to PT without knowing that was what I needed. He can also do injections (cortisone, etc.), if needed, although I have never had that done. My problem was minor and did not need a surgeon. I'm not saying yours is.

tina

it would be a waste of a surgeon's time

Exactly. And patients going directly to specialists, on their own call, is also costly. I've got Aetna and the GP is required to order the necessary specialists. Some things, like eyes and routine female visits can just be scheduled. I would imagine some specialists (like radiologists) don't just taken patients off the street. They work from referred cases and orders, not the patient. Orthopaedics would strike me that way also. The GPs can then oversee the patient's care and have the big picture on a patient's health and history.

The other types of doctors can view films and read them, so-to-speak, but really don't have the expertise and experience that a radiologist does. It's the rad who sends the diagnostic report back to the ordering physician.

Some things, like eyes and routine female visits can just be scheduled.

That would be for a certain number of times within a given period. Beyond that, a specific order from the GP is necessary for coverage.

The first place I took my son was to the GP. He did an x-ray and it showed his collar bone was raised a bit. So the doctor chalked it up to a "misplaced" collar bone. We did too.

The pain kept getting worse and the doctor recommended PT. Which led to me saying "the heck with this, I'm taking him to an OS!"

First thing he did was another x-ray, just to be sure. Then sent him for an MRI. Then surgery and many folow-ups.

Believe me, if my knee goes out, I'm not going to my regular doctor, he can't do squat about it. lol. Luckily I have insurance where I can choose to see a "specialist" without getting permission from my GP.

How about an osteopath? An orthopaedics man will lean towards surgery.

Osteopathic Doctors or D.O. train in residencies the same as MD's (medical doctors) so it wouldn't be that different squirrel. It depends on if you find an aggressive doc vs. a more conservative one. My brother in law is a DO, his specialty is nephrology.
I work in medicine, I know what goes on behind the scenes. If you trust your internist, that is wonderful. However even if a radiologist has read the film, an internist should not be treating injuries to joints or giving cortisone shots. An orthopedic surgeon will not just read a report of an MRI, they will actually look at the films, and interpret them and treat accordingly. Just because they are surgeons does not mean they will rush to surgery. I have found in my experiences with the exact opposite is true.

An orthopedic surgeon will not just read a report of an MRI, they will actually look at the films, and interpret them and treat accordingly.

I realize that.

Docs are all different and don't seem to agree on much. I'm inclined to agree with the idea that surgeons are more likely to prescribe surgery. Me, I'd start with my GP (getting a new one if I didn't have confidence in the one I have) or a non-invasive doc to get the underlying problem diagnosed, before getting involved with the idea of surgery. I'd also get multiple opinions and do some research before going under the knife, should that be the suggestion.

Thank you Polly! Can't tell you how many different times I saw an orthopedic surgeon rather than an internist. Never once was surgery suggested or even hinted at.

One size will never fit all.