self assessing a knee injury, in the hopes that season isn't finished

**ma4149** · 02-24-2018, 01:59 PM

So 2 years ago I tore my MCL / meniscus at Kirkwood, on my second day out in the Tahoe area from New York. I didn't require surgery luckily but I was done for the season. (rest and rehab) I was good for the 2 years since then until I "tweaked" my knee messing around doing something dumb. It was only a little sore and I had nearly 100% of my strength and support so I followed through with going out to the Tetons for a long President's Day weekend with my brother. The knee did fine for 2 days, a little sore but alright, but then after the third consecutive day of skiing it felt injured again and swelled up A LOT. I had to forefeit the fourth and final day at Jackson Hole in the hopes that I did not seriously injure it (and would not seriously injure it) so that I could resume skiing in a few weeks.

The knee is still sore but not nearly as sore as it was at the end of ski day 3 last Monday, and the swelling went down by 95%. I have been wearing the neoprene / velcro support brace that I was issued 2 years ago for support and in the hopes of not injuring it further...and in the hopes that I can help it heal faster.

I'm hoping I did not make it worse in any way. I'm hoping I just aggravated it. Is there any way to tell without going to a doctor? I'm reluctant to go to a doctor because I'm afraid that he'll tell me "no skiing for 6 weeks" (or longer) as a precaution, at a minimum, and if he says that then my season is done, and my hopes of doing my annual one week trip out west to ski mid week powder at a mostly empty big resort will be dashed. (I have no interest in spring skiing)

HOWEVER I DON'T want to REALLY mess it up and make things worse...

So, any advice on how to determine on my own if this is minor and just a little aggravated and I can still ski in 2 weeks, or whether I should stay off it and see a doctor?

Thanks,

Mag JONG Tim from NY

**ma4149** · 02-25-2018, 09:47 AM

55 views and no comments. I guess it would be really uncool to make the first comment!

Anyhow my knee feels just about 100% today, minimal to no swelling, full range of motion, very very little pain - which is a far cry from the way it was after skiing consecutive day 3 last Monday.

I think I'm going to monitor it for another week and then arrange to go where lots of snow is expected for a week.

**M series JONG** · 02-25-2018, 11:21 AM

327 posts and yer still M-Series?

maybe eliminating that would help...

sincerely,
M series Jong

**that dude who did that thing** · 02-25-2018, 11:36 AM

Go to a fucking doctor. We're talking about your knee here. You're going to need that for most of the rest of your life. yeah, it can be replaced, but you don't want to go there. Sure, the doc might tell you not to ski, but (1) you can always ignore hte medical advice; (2) not skiing for a week this winter is better than spending 6 months in surgery and rehab; (3) a doc might actualy have useful advice other than "don't ski."

Like, I don't know, RICE until the swelling is entirely gone (BTW, the ice portion of that needs to be taken seriously, like 4-8x/day for a solid 20 minutes each), then switch to a routine of 20 minutes of ice, followed by 20 minutes of heat, do that as many times per day as you can manage. Plus other stuff he or she would tell you to do so you can have a better ski trip.

**Kinnikinnick** · 02-25-2018, 12:33 PM

Meniscus tear, at least sounds kinda like my symptoms. Read some of the other Meniscus related threads.

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**ma4149** · 02-25-2018, 12:37 PM

I hear you, but while many of you guys get 50 to 100 days a year skiing fantastic conditions I ski under 20, and the half I REALLY look forward to is out west. It would really bum me out to lose that week.

The way the knee feels today...I can't believe it feels as good as it does considering how it felt 5 days ago.

I'm leaning towards seeing if it can feel even better, then skiing 5 days out west instead of 7 or 8, and I'll wear the knee brace.

I probably just aggravated it, I don't think I reinjured it or made it worse.

I think my ACL is still intact!

A doctor would probably tell me "blah blah blah for 6 weeks". True winter will be over by then. F that!

**ma4149** · 02-25-2018, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by Kinnikinnick

Meniscus tear, at least sounds kinda like my symptoms. Read some of the other Meniscus related threads.

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I think you're right. It feels similar to the injury I had 2 years ago...And it feels MUCH better today.

I think I'm going to resume skiing in a week or two, not ski consecutive days, and wear the brace I was issued that seems to give me support.

**Ottime** · 02-25-2018, 01:03 PM

Dude. Just keep on skiing until it falls off. You showed before that you can’t listen to good advice, so why start now? I mean, a doctor is only gonna tell you to stop skiing if, it is like, the right thing to do. And why would you want to do that?

Ever get your quiver figured out?

Funny you sent into spring skiing when you don’t know how to ski powder. Keep charging bro.

Btw, no one is responding because last thread you started, you did not listen and only acted like an ass. Change that user name, and maybe peeps will respond.

**Vt-Freeheel** · 02-25-2018, 01:23 PM

Midget sticks are hard on knees, go longer!

**cmcrawfo** · 02-25-2018, 01:33 PM

it sounds like some mild aggravation due to the fact that you only ski one week a year. Likely an underlying injury or arthritis component. but it's under use followed by intense use that is doing you in. Many people experience this at the beginning of the ski season. its complicated because your season is only 1 week long.

To rule out something more acute, google mcmurray's test and drawer test, have a friend perform these on you. If the drawers is positive you certainly need a Dr. if the Mcmurrays is positive you may need a dr.

You need better pre season conditioning, NSAIDS, rest, Ice, mild physio (spinning on a bike may help) +/- a compression brace if feels good.

I was going to say this earlier, but since you are still rocking the M Series I figured, fuck it.

**uglymoney** · 02-25-2018, 07:12 PM

Originally Posted by Ottime

Dude. Just keep on skiing until it falls off. You showed before that you can’t listen to good advice, so why start now? I mean, a doctor is only gonna tell you to stop skiing if, it is like, the right thing to do. And why would you want to do that?

Ever get your quiver figured out?

Funny you sent into spring skiing when you don’t know how to ski powder. Keep charging bro.

Btw, no one is responding because last thread you started, you did not listen and only acted like an ass. Change that user name, and maybe peeps will respond.

Seriously, get rid of the m series jong. Who the fuck is the op? At least give us a fake identity so we know who we are maybe dealing with, or not.

It sucks the M series OP has to consider the cost of going to the doctor to get the knee evaluated. I'd go but if it meant not eating or paying rent I can see where M series might want to wing it. Skiing in the big scheme of things isn't that important. I'd lay off the skiing and do some spinning. Broken knees really fucking suck.

**Kinnikinnick** · 02-25-2018, 07:28 PM

Originally Posted by ma4149

I think you're right. It feels similar to the injury I had 2 years ago...And it feels MUCH better today.

I think I'm going to resume skiing in a week or two, not ski consecutive days, and wear the brace I was issued that seems to give me support.

Yeah sure.

If it keeps happening when you ski or whatever heavy activity or gets worse, then go to the doctor. If it is a meniscus tear then you are better off if they can repair it sooner after the injury rather than later.

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**cmcrawfo** · 02-25-2018, 07:51 PM

Surgical management of a simple knee effusion is only indicated if the effusion is chronic and conservative measures have failed or there is a decrease in ROM. early surgical intervention is not best practice.

**ma4149** · 02-25-2018, 08:05 PM

Originally Posted by Ottime

Btw, no one is responding because last thread you started, you did not listen and only acted like an ass

Yeah.

No.

That's not why.

May be why YOU didn't respond, but I doubt it. I doubt you remembered me until you did a little trolling / comment history check on me today.

**cmcrawfo** · 02-25-2018, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by ma4149

Yeah.

No.

That's not why.

May be why YOU didn't respond, but I doubt it. I doubt you remembered me until you did a little trolling / comment history check on me today.

Its hard to differentiate one M series Jong from another. Seriously, you should change that.

What was the result of the provocative testing?

**ma4149** · 02-25-2018, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by Ottime

Ever get your quiver figured out?

I'd say so. Got rid of the 172cm Prophet 100 and Q98 and replaced them with 177cm NRGy 100.

Kept the 177cm Rocker 2 90 and the 172cm Enduro RS 800 Ti skis.

For an out-west-when-it-snows ski I'm looking at the Vantage 95 C, the Sky HD, or, if appropriate enough for a mid-level skier, the QST 106 or Nordica Enforcer 100.

You guys probably talked me into getting rid of some perfectly good skis in sufficient lengths for crap money but a rockered ski to the top of my head would be more appropriate for taking out west.

**cmcrawfo** · 02-25-2018, 08:30 PM

Did you just start this thread to cause shit? or do you actually want an answer to your problem?

**Vt-Freeheel** · 02-25-2018, 08:33 PM

Sucked you in! ^^^^^

**ma4149** · 02-25-2018, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by cmcrawfo

Did you just start this thread to cause shit? or do you actually want an answer to your problem?

No, I'd like help with my problem! But If I'm remembered from last year and the flying monkeys come at me I'm gonna start throwing some poo too!

I know I should go to the doctor, but I was hoping that I'd find enough people with some knee situations that did not want their season ended...and what criteria they used to decide to continue skiing with caution or stop and see a doctor.

Seriously, my knee feels much better today, but not 100%. I don't want an overly cautious doctor telling me to stop for 6 weeks if realistically I can wear a brace and ski every other day with caution for 8 or 9 days.

**old goat** · 02-25-2018, 08:53 PM

Originally Posted by cmcrawfo

it sounds like some mild aggravation due to the fact that you only ski one week a year. Likely an underlying injury or arthritis component. but it's under use followed by intense use that is doing you in. Many people experience this at the beginning of the ski season. its complicated because your season is only 1 week long.

To rule out something more acute, google mcmurray's test and drawer test, have a friend perform these on you. If the drawers is positive you certainly need a Dr. if the Mcmurrays is positive you may need a dr.

You need better pre season conditioning, NSAIDS, rest, Ice, mild physio (spinning on a bike may help) +/- a compression brace if feels good.

I was going to say this earlier, but since you are still rocking the M Series I figured, fuck it.

I don't think many people get big effusions at the beginning of the season.
With just about any injury, resumption of activity is best to do gradually--a little the first day, if ok a little more the next day. Unfortunately that's not likely to happen on a midweek ski trip from the east to out west.

**bknyc** · 02-25-2018, 10:20 PM

Originally Posted by ma4149

No, I'd like help with my problem! But If I'm remembered from last year and the flying monkeys come at me I'm gonna start throwing some poo too!

I know I should go to the doctor, but I was hoping that I'd find enough people with some knee situations that did not want their season ended...and what criteria they used to decide to continue skiing with caution or stop and see a doctor.

Seriously, my knee feels much better today, but not 100%. I don't want an overly cautious doctor telling me to stop for 6 weeks if realistically I can wear a brace and ski every other day with caution for 8 or 9 days.

i tore my meniscus 6 weeks ago snowboarding… no pain, no symptoms (no locking) - only reason I bothered seeing a doctor was because I heard the knee pop and there was some minor swelling.

...from the physical examination, the doctor thought my knee was okay, but as a precautionary measure, we had an MRI...it revealed that I tore my meniscus pretty badly. It's not a life threatening injury, so no need to have immediate surgery, but was told that the longer you delay fixing your meniscus, the less likely it'll heal properly or at all.

I reluctantly agreed to surgery which obviously ended my season (season pass in the garbage, vacation plan ruined). But boy am I glad i had the surgery, the surgeon discovered through the scope that I tore the meniscus in half (MRI didn't show this). Surgeon repaired the meniscus which effectively meant that I'm out for at least 6 months.

It really does suck that my season this year is over, but having early age arthritis/knee replacement would suck even more.

See a doctor, find out what's going on down there, then make an INFORMED decision based on what you know rather than guessed. Your doctor can't force you not to ski, even if you have something major like a torn ACL, but at least you'll know how to mitigate the risks from damaging whatever even further.

**TurxSki** · 02-25-2018, 10:53 PM

** Hey ma#######
Please change your handle.
Make everybody happy. You too. ***

Sorry about your knee.
You prolly messed it up worse than you thought, that first time.
Many health-plan docs try and avoid sending you for MRI, but everyone gets unnecessary xray...weird [Kaiser anyway. "it's just a sprain..."]
You are prolly gonna acquire some debts.
Aggressive physical therapy at least, if not an operation.

**alias_rice** · 02-25-2018, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by Vt-Freeheel

Sucked you in! ^^^^^

Yup. This dude is a troll, and a boring one at that.

**John_B** · 02-25-2018, 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by bknyc

i tore my meniscus 6 weeks ago snowboarding… no pain, no symptoms (no locking) - only reason I bothered seeing a doctor was because I heard the knee pop and there was some minor swelling.

Uggh that exactly matches my knee after I fell off my snowmobile a month ago. I've been in denial since there really hasn't been much for symptoms after the initial injury. Sucks to hear that there maybe more to it. Thanks for sharing that.

**ma4149** · 02-26-2018, 05:07 AM

Originally Posted by TurxSki

** Hey ma#######
Please change your handle.
Make everybody happy. You too. ***

Sorry about your knee.
You prolly messed it up worse than you thought, that first time.
Many health-plan docs try and avoid sending you for MRI, but everyone gets unnecessary xray...weird [Kaiser anyway. "it's just a sprain..."]
You are prolly gonna acquire some debts.
Aggressive physical therapy at least, if not an operation.

Nah, I had an MRI in South Lake Tahoe the day it happened. The doctor examined it when I got back to NY. I have health insurance that covered this. And it has been fine for 2 years til I tweaked it sidestep running down stairs like an idiot. It was sore but really didn't act up until the end of the third consecutive day skiing.

Right now it feels almost 100% but feels a little bunched up and knotty when I try to bend the knee all the way.