Rest or Rehabilitate?

Question:

Rest or Rehabilitate?

I'm a 40 year old in good health who injured my knee in a pickup basketball game in March. Two months prior, I felt a slight knee buckle while walking up a hill. It did not hinder my basketball, but I noticed it began to get sore when I played, but nothing too bad. Going for a rebound, it just gave out under me with no contact from anyone else. X-Ray showed nothing broken. Orthopedic did MRI which showed a moderate bone bruise, but nothing torn. This doctor said he didn't see anything major and that I really torqued my knee, spraining mutiple ligaments and the knee cap acted as a lever during this motion, slamming into the bone above me knee and giving me the bone bruise.

After two weeks of nothing, I began the rehabilitation regime Ortho gave me to follow. After a month I was told I could begin riding stationary bike and walking, which I have done. Saw the ortho one last time and he said I could begin light jogging and should be able to resume playing baksetball in 5-6 months from the injury. The key I was told, was to build back up the strength in the knee, hamstring, etc. if I wanted to get back to the court.

I have carefully followed the regime, not done anything too hard and not caused any more injury to the knee since that time. However, it is still very sore, still swells after working out, the back of my knee has been killing me lately and I cannot run hard at all; it's too painful after just a few steps.

I travel a lot and need to find time for a follow up appointment. This past week the pain and swelling are almost as bad as the day I injured it. Should I discontinue the rehabilitation and just give it time to heal or is this supposed to happen and I just have to work through it? I read articles where pro athletes have to train hard to come back from serious injuries and that it's tough and painful. I take Ibuprofen and ice it after I workout, but lately it's seems much worse than previous weeks.

Even with insurance, the MRI is costly out of pocket. I don't want to go to for a second opinion and have to get another one.
This is getting very depressing. Can you offer any advice?

Asked by Kolodz - 0 answers - 11 weeks 3 days ago