Suggest Treatment For Extreme Pain In The Knee

Posted on Sat, 18 Apr 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 18 Apr 2015 Answered on

Fri, 8 May 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : I have extreme pain in my right knee...my orthopedic doctor has evaluated me and conducted numerous x-rays...the findings are minimal...he just says mild degenerative condition exists...
So I forced him to have give me an MRI which I got yesterday and haven't heard the results of yet...
Am I crazy that I have pain that they can't find in X-rays or is the MRI a much better determinent of these things...what kind of things can i expect from the MRI...i know there is no structural damage...maybe arthritis from years of sports...maybe cartilage damage or lack of cartilage...but something is serously wrong....

Answered by Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
MRI scan is a better tool.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
The extreme pain in the knee can be due to inflammation or a torn ligament or cartilage or due to a decrease in joint lubricants. X-rays are for detecting a bone injury. MRI scan is a much better test and helps in detecting all the soft tissue abnormalities in the knee joint. It is a better and more accurate diagnostic tool.
Till the time you get the reports, you can get some pain killers prescribed from your orthopedician, avoid all painful movements of the knee, do a hot compress and use an elastic knee brace for relief.
I hope this answers your query.
In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out.
Wishing you good health.
Regards.
Dr. Praveen Tayal.
For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Praveen-Tayal

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

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T