Should I Have Someone Look at My Knee?

Many of our bootcampers come to us to cross-train in order to strengthen themselves for other sports, like distance running, without overdoing it and becoming injured. Still, injuries happen--especially to the knee. That's why we've invited our partners at Joint Ventures to give our bootcampers an idea of when it's time to get that ever-important knee checked out. Joint Ventures offers a lot of great services for injury prevention and recovery--an important aspect of any athlete's life, and they're offering all our bootcampers a free injury screen. Check it out!

Every day we see patients come in with many different knee injuries, both big and small.  But some of the hardest ones to rehab are not the major surgeries, but the annoying knee pains that have gone on and on forever, but the patient (for one reason or another) doesn’t go to see the doctor or try to rehab it. 

So when is your knee pain something you should rest and try again the next day, and when is it something that you should get another opinion?  Here are some things to ask yourself:

1. Is there something specific that causes the pain?  If it is a certain position or movement that bothers you, it may be related to technique or muscle imbalance.  If your pain is unpredictable, there may be some underlying issues that need to be examined further.
2. Is my knee unstable or does it lock up?  If the knee is unstable and painful, or if it gets stuck or locked up, there may be something structural that is causing these symptoms, and further testing might help to pinpoint that.
3. How long does the pain last?  If you run for 30 minutes and you can’t bend your knee for 3 days after that, the symptoms do not match up to the intensity of your effort, and you may want to have someone look at the knee more closely.
4. Is there anything that makes it feel better?  If your symptoms don’t change with rest or changing your position/activity level, the tissue may be really inflamed and warrant further examination.
5. Is it limiting my regular activities?  If you are avoiding or limiting activities, you may be settling for too little!  I hear people say all the time, “I am just getting old,” or “I need to lose a few pounds,” as an excuse for why the knee hurts. That does not mean you should have to live with pain.  There may be other options!  You should at least see a specialist and see if there is something you can do to help your knee

In the end, you know your body better than anyone.  If something doesn’t feel right to you, you should have a specialist, like a physical therapist or orthopedist, take a look.  Chances are, they can give you some advice on things you can do to prevent or correct the pain.

Here at Joint Ventures Physical Therapy, we are happy to offer a free injury screen for any Ultimate Bootcamper.  We can set up a 30 minute consultation to let you know if you should see a doctor for more testing, try a course of PT to resolve your symptoms, or if a simple stretch or exercise might alleviate your pain.  If you have an ache, pain, or nagging injury (in your knee or any other body part) that you are just not sure what to do about, please contact us at 617-536-1161, ext 9, and ask to set up a  free injury screen.   Or you can email our Director of Clinical Operations, Jessica Douglas, at Jessica.Douglas@JointVenturesPT.com.