What is covered in the understanding
symptoms section?
Indicators of a serious problem
Misleading symptoms
How to choose a doctor
How a doctor diagnoses knee problems
What do symptoms mean? Can you self diagnose your
knee problem? How can you decide if you need to see a doctor for your
knee pain? Here is some helpful information.
Indicators of a serious problem
- The pain is very intense
- The pain comes on very strong and suddenly
- You hear a pop from your knee area
Misleading symptoms
Sounds: If you hear grinding in your knee as you flex and extend
the leg, you may think you have a knee problem, but in some cases that
grinding sound may be normal, especially if there is not associated pain
or discomfort. Noises, when accompanied by pain, should always be taken
seriously.
You should have a knee specialist check them out
to be sure you are not doing further damage to the knee joint. A loud "pop" for
example that comes from an abrupt physical movement, during basketball
or tennis, can signal a torn anterior cruciate ligament. There may also
be a feeling of instability or nausea. A torn ACL is very serious and
needs the attention of a knee specialist promptly.
* Pain: Some serious problems are not even painful at first.
Generally speaking, the immediate onset of pain is a sign that something
serious is wrong and you need to see a knee expert. But also be aware
that sometimes serious problems can develop that DO NOT produce excruciating
pain.
*Note:The
more of these symptoms you exhibit and the more intense they are, the
worse the problem could be.
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How to choose a doctor
Board-Certification
A physician who is board-certified generally has a few years experience
past his or her residency and has taken an exam in his or her specialty.
A younger physician coming out of a fellowship may be 'board-eligible'
in that they will soon take the exam to be board-certified. However,
as a rule of thumb, if a doctor is several years out of residency this
may be something to be concerned about. Most physicians understand
the importance of board-certification. If a physician is unable to "pass
his boards"
that can be a bad signal.
What is the doctor's reputation? How specialized is the doctor?
Is the doctor fellowship-trained?
As in anything else in life, "practice makes perfect" when
it comes to medicine. A doctor who specializes in a certain problem,
naturally has more experience in the field than a doctor who is a generalist.
Research has shown that doctors who specialize, and see a high volume
of patients with a specific problem have better outcomes.
To see how specialized a doctor is in knee, call the office and ask what
percentage of the patients seen are in knee. Ideally you want a specialist
where 80 percent of the practice is just knee patients. A physician should
probably be doing about 200 knee arthroscopies a year to be considered
specialized.
Fellowship training is another indicator of a doctor's skill. Fellowship
training is the highest level of training available for a doctor in any
given subspecialty of medicine. For instance, a doctor finishes medical
school, then goes on to do an internship and a residency. A fellowship
is an optional, additional level of training that takes his or her expertise
one step higher. Fellowship training exposes the doctor to the most complex
medical cases and advanced treatments for medicine in their specialty
area.
Know who your doctor is
To find out how qualified your physician is, you may contact the Texas
Board of Medical Examiners. This will offer credentials on any type of
physician - not just orthopedic surgeons.
Go the extra mile for the best health care
Generally speaking, the best super specialists choose to practice in
larger cities. If you live in a rural area, you will need to travel to
see the best specialist.
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How a doctor diagnoses knee problems
When a patient
visits a knee specialist to help diagnose a knee problem, there are three
parts to the examination; the medical history, the physical examination,
and diagnostic imaging.
During the medical history, the knee surgeon will try to find out if
you have developed your problem through heredity, through lifestyle habits
or through a sudden sports injury. This will give the physician the best
idea of how to find out exactly what is wrong, and then suggest proper
treatment of the injury. You should indicate to your doctor if you have
been using steroids since they can cause joint inflammation. Lyme Disease
from the deer tick and rheumatoid arthritis can also trigger joint inflammation,
for instance.
Following the medical history, your doctor will give a physical examination
to see if he can hear or feel what is wrong. This portion of the exam
is somewhat like a carpenter trying to find out why a hinge on a door
is squeaking or is not properly aligned by opening and closing the door
a few times to listen to what is going on. This will show the doctor
which tests he or she should perform to find out the cause of your pain.
Next, the physician may have an MRI or x-ray image taken of your knee.
An x-ray often times does not provide the clarity needed to see precisely
what is wrong. In these instances, an MRI or CT-Scan is used. X-rays,
for example, only show bones. MRI and CT-scans show soft tissues.
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