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At what point would you go to the doctor?

davemunger
davemunger Posts: 1,139 Member
edited February 7 in Fitness and Exercise
On Saturday after my race, I was doing a cooldown run when I tripped on a crack and crashed hard on the concrete sidewalk. Scraped my elbow, and bruised my knee.

On Sunday the knee still hurt but I managed to run 13 miles. I iced the knee twice that day but it continued to be painful.

This morning I went out for a short run but the knee was so painful that I bailed after 0.2 miles.

Now I'm starting to wonder if there's something more than a bruise going on. I was thinking of icing some more today, then if I still can't run tomorrow, going to get x-rays to see if the problem is something more significant.

What do MFPers think? Does that make sense? Or should I just go to the doctor today?
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Replies

  • roxylola
    roxylola Posts: 540 Member
    I would go sooner, either it will reassure you or if you have done serious damage then the sooner it is fixed the better.
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
    At what point would I go to the doctor. That moment before I thought to ask medical advice on MFP. Just go to the doctor. We're random strangers who cannot give medical advice.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Definitely go to the doctor. Especially since you continued to put weight and pressure on it and it's gotten worse. Generally, it seems the "wait three to five days and then go see your doctor" advice assumes you're minimizing the exertion to allow the area to heal during that time.
  • AccioFitness
    AccioFitness Posts: 244 Member
    As a former health professional; please, go to the doctor. Especially with you jumping back into a workout following a potential injury, the risks outweigh any possible benefits of "waiting it out."
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    Your fine, walk if off.

    How-About-No.-Doctor-Evil-W630.jpg
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,150 Member
    Since you're bent on continuing to run, go now.

    If it happened to me, I would've taken a few days to rest up and deal with the injury. I certainly wouldn't go run 13 miles the next day and exacerbate it.
  • davemunger
    davemunger Posts: 1,139 Member
    Okay, thanks everyone, I'll go. I'm just not the sort of person who goes to the doctor every time I get the sniffles or a paper cut. But obviously this is more serious.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    I would go sooner, either it will reassure you or if you have done serious damage then the sooner it is fixed the better.

    ^^^^ this

    better to get it checked out early and either get your mind put at rest or get it treated
  • MyJourney1960
    MyJourney1960 Posts: 1,133 Member
    when would *I* go to the doctor? after the fall and before i did additional exercise (could be further damage)
  • VBnotbitter
    VBnotbitter Posts: 820 Member
    Where is it painful? Around the joint, or over your patella? Is it tender to touch either on your patella or at the head of your tibia? Do you have full range of movement? Can you flex your knee 90 degrees or more?Is it swollen, discoloured, red or hot? Do you have any pins and needles below the knee? Can you weight bear for more than a few steps?

    Basically if you can bend it, walk on it and it isn't tender on palpation at those points you wouldn't score an X-ray under the Ottawa Knee Rules. These are designed to avoid unnecessary radiation in none serious injuries. (Also if you are under 55)
  • davemunger
    davemunger Posts: 1,139 Member
    Where is it painful? Around the joint, or over your patella? Is it tender to touch either on your patella or at the head of your tibia? Do you have full range of movement? Can you flex your knee 90 degrees or more?Is it swollen, discoloured, red or hot? Do you have any pins and needles below the knee? Can you weight bear for more than a few steps?

    Basically if you can bend it, walk on it and it isn't tender on palpation at those points you wouldn't score an X-ray under the Ottawa Knee Rules. These are designed to avoid unnecessary radiation in none serious injuries. (Also if you are under 55)

    Thanks for the guidelines. Basically other than being tender to the touch and not being able to run on it I can do all those things.
  • VBnotbitter
    VBnotbitter Posts: 820 Member
    Where is it painful? Around the joint, or over your patella? Is it tender to touch either on your patella or at the head of your tibia? Do you have full range of movement? Can you flex your knee 90 degrees or more?Is it swollen, discoloured, red or hot? Do you have any pins and needles below the knee? Can you weight bear for more than a few steps?

    Basically if you can bend it, walk on it and it isn't tender on palpation at those points you wouldn't score an X-ray under the Ottawa Knee Rules. These are designed to avoid unnecessary radiation in none serious injuries. (Also if you are under 55)

    Thanks for the guidelines. Basically other than being tender to the touch and not being able to run on it I can do all those things.

    Ok without seeing it, and as its only a couple of days since you did it, if it was me I would rest it and see how it goes. Once your soft tissue swelling goes down you will have more idea. (Though I am just a random internet stranger who could be lying about working in emergency departments for 15 years so I'm not saying DON'T go to the doctor)
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,661 Member
    Your fine, walk if off.


    OP go to your doctor, because the moment you ask for medical advice on a forum full of strangers, you tend to get answers such as the ridiculous one I have just quoted above.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Okay, thanks everyone, I'll go. I'm just not the sort of person who goes to the doctor every time I get the sniffles or a paper cut. But obviously this is more serious.
    Neither am I. But when I fell rollerblading and my wrist was painful and swollen, I went to the doctor.
  • tappae
    tappae Posts: 568 Member
    Years ago, I needed surgery because I played soccer after injuring my knee by tripping and falling while running. It might have been okay if I had rested it until it was healed, but I tore my meniscus during the game. Definitely don't run until you get it checked out by a sports medicine specialist, even if you take some time to rest and ice it and see how it feels.

    Side note: I ended up seeing my surgeon at a race this summer, so he's a runner, too.
  • vampirequeen1959
    vampirequeen1959 Posts: 196 Member
    Better safe than sorry. Get it checked out.
  • davemunger
    davemunger Posts: 1,139 Member
    I will be seeing the doctor this afternoon. Thanks again for prodding me in the right direction.
  • MyJourney1960
    MyJourney1960 Posts: 1,133 Member
    I will be seeing the doctor this afternoon. Thanks again for prodding me in the right direction.
    good call.
  • davemunger
    davemunger Posts: 1,139 Member
    I'm back from the doctor with good news -- I had an x-ray and there is no sign of any bone damage. There are no obvious signs of a ligament tear either (although you'd really need an MRI to be sure). So it is probably just bruised tissue and the doc says no running until the end of the week.

    She says any exercise that doesn't hurt is okay so I may give the elliptical trainer a shot.
  • mikeykhan2003
    mikeykhan2003 Posts: 177
    I'd go after 4 hours like the commercial says.
  • daddylawbucks
    daddylawbucks Posts: 18 Member
    Good to hear your going to be fine (even if it hurts for a bit)
  • daddylawbucks
    daddylawbucks Posts: 18 Member
    Thank you for the update, and even though we don't know each other, it's great to hear your going to be fine.
  • stealthSLOTH
    stealthSLOTH Posts: 695 Member
    I'm back from the doctor with good news -- I had an x-ray and there is no sign of any bone damage. There are no obvious signs of a ligament tear either (although you'd really need an MRI to be sure). So it is probably just bruised tissue and the doc says no running until the end of the week.

    ^Yay no bone damage. You must be relieved!
  • SlimJanette
    SlimJanette Posts: 597 Member
    Don't wait, you should go and get it looked at just in case you are making it worse. Better safe than sorry.
  • whiteposy
    whiteposy Posts: 6
    I see you have gone and are back home.. so my advice is a little late for you.

    But if you took a course in basis first aid, you would know where that line is, to seek medical care or save your money, As a medic, that is why they pay me the big bucks. I know where that line is.

    It is not a bad idea to know a little more about medicine anyway, so check it out at St John ambulance.. or the equivalent in your area.
  • hikezilla
    hikezilla Posts: 174 Member
    If rubbing dirt on it and walking it off doesn't work, then you need a real doctor, and not an internet doctor.
  • davemunger
    davemunger Posts: 1,139 Member
    This thread is an interesting exercise in seeing who reads all the posts and who just reads the subject line and / or the first post and then hits "reply"!
  • dorianaldyn
    dorianaldyn Posts: 611 Member
    I'm glad there's no obvious damage and that you should be running again soon.

    I'll tell you what happened to me - sometime in Feb/Mar, I took a fall on an 18 mile training run and landed hard on my left knee. After stopping immediately afterward, catching my breath and letting the pain subside, I was able to run the rest of the way home (about 7 miles). I was able to complete the rest of my marathon training and ran the marathon (and 2 more in 2013 for that matter) with no serious issues. I did develop some delayed patella bursitis ~ I basically ended up with a little pillow of fluid directly on top of my knee cap. It didn't bother me while running, but I couldn't kneel on my knee for months. Eventually the bursitis went away and just in the last ~4 weeks or so, I've been able to kneel on that knee again. So, while you may be back in action soon, don't be surprised if it takes a while to fully heal, especially if you continue to put stresses on it (like running) like I did.
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    I go to the doctor once a year. other than that, im pretty good at caring for myself. if you can walk on it and bend it, its not broken. ice it, heat it, soak it, stay off it. give it atleast a week to heal.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    Glad the x-ray was clear. But, I gotta question the decision to jump on the elliptical because it hurts too much to run. I'm a guy who had a torn ACL and continued to play tennis and run for almost 6 months before going to get examined, so I can talk with the kind of authority that comes from stupidity. Why? What do you lose by taking a week off, or whatever the doc recommended? What do you gain from working out when your soft tissue is all swollen and prone to being aggravated?
    Why do runners feel like they have to keep going when they have pain? (Not discomfort. Outright pain)
    Seems to me you would heal faster if you didn't aggravate it.
    It'll probably still be sore in a week or 10 days -- if you are afraid you are going to miss out on that masochism.
    Just trying to inject a little perspective.
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