Have Chest Pain And In Rib Cage. Twisted Knee And Have Pain. Noticed Swelling. Should I See A Doctor?
The front upper anterior area and lower side bottom of my rib cage. I also twisted my knee and still have pain and limited mobility with some swelling esp. around the rt side of my knee cap. I have a rod in my tibia from a skiing accident 5 years ago and still have some problems around the insertion area in my knee. I haven't seen a physical as my insurance doesn't cover much and a huge deductible. Should I see a physician anyway and I know X-rays, ct scans and more tests would be ordered or is it safe to what a while longer to see if this is just a sprain and bruised injuries......
Safe to wait and see.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for using Healthcare Magic.
Your description is slightly incomplete but perhaps you meant you were thrown from your horse. Your injuries do sound painful but they are very likely to settle down. However, this may take a few more weeks.
The concern is that you may have fractured one of more ribs and sustained ligament damage to your knee.
Even if you have sustained these injuries, the treatment in the first instance would be pain-killers and rest. Therefore, I would suggest paracetamol and codeine or tramadol for pain. I note your gastritis so assume you avoid non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. Avoid excessive exercise but you can weight bear on your knee. Elevate your leg when resting.
If your problems do not improve over the next 2 weeks, I would advise seeing and orthopedic specialist regarding your knee.
I hope these suggestions are helpful to you. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Dr K A Pottinger,
MBChB FRCA
Answered by
Dr. Kerry Pottinger
Pain Medicine & Palliative Care Specialist
Practicing since :1983
Answered : 1337 Questions