Have Injured My Thigh And Knee. Feeling Tightness And Hurts To Walk. Should I Go For Medical Check Up?

Posted on Sun, 18 Nov 2012

Question: Hello,

On Friday night, I was walking in the dark outside a bar and fell and injured myself. The bar had "floating steps" as part of its visual design (i.e. large blocks of square cement each supported by individual pillars, with large gaps between them), and I stepped through into one of the gaps with my left leg.

It was extremely painful at the time, but there wasn't, and still isn't any visual injury (bruising or otherwise). However, the left side of my thigh feels very tight and hurts when I walk - which is causing me to limp. It is also sensitive to the touch. There is also a small band on the right side of my knee which is very sensitive to touch as well. It is also painful to turn onto, and rest on my left leg when I am lying down - additionally, when bending my leg it hurts.

I have been applying Tiger Balm to the affected area to try and reduce the pain, but this is having limited effect. I also started applying cold packs to the area but have not noticed any significant difference.

Is there any other form of therapy I can apply to this area, or do I need to visit a hospital to have my leg checked?

Thanks and regards,
XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Rajesh Gajwani (4 hours later)

Dear XXXXXXX,

Thanks for posting your query.

After reading your symptoms I feel that the injury to your left thigh and right knee may require certain diagnostic measures. X-ray of left thigh, full length is needed to check for fractures along with MRI of right knee to check for ligament injury.

Meanwhile I would recommend you to place right knee cap (crepe bandage) on the injured knee along with cold compress to reduce the pain and inflammation. Pain killers like Ibuprofen should be taken to reduce the discomfort in your legs along with bed rest for three days. Even if there is no fracture of the bone these will certainly promote the healing.

I would strongly recommend you to visit a doctor/hospital for the required diagnostic tests and also for a thorough clinical examination of your left thigh and right knee.

If you can attach your diagnostic reports, then it may be able to get a clearer picture of your present condition as well as the severity of your injuries.

Hope you feel better soon. If there are any more queries I will be happy to help.
Regards

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar