So I hyperextended/sprained my knee last Monday...
 

I was playing flag football and went to break up a poorly thrown ball in my direction and as I came down my knee hyperextended pretty horribly and I was in instant pain thinking I tore a ligament or three. I hobbled back in obvious pain to the LOS and walked it off a bit...it hurt but I could also feel the pain subsidizing so I thought I got lucky...

at halftime (about 3 minutes after) I tested my knee out on the field and could run straight line about 60% and I could make cuts (not aggressive cuts, but cuts at like 60%) so I played the 2nd half (we had no subs) and gutted it out.

After the game I was walking with a limp but it wasn't terrible. As soon as I sat down for a bit it started to tighten and at 5 AM I couldn't move it really...I couldn't get out of bed, I couldn't put on a sock, it was terrible. Horrible, horrible pain.

I went to convenient care at 8 AM and told the doctor everything that happened, and he did some tests and didn't think I'd be able to play on my knee the way I did if anything was torn and my XRays were negative.

Tuesday and Wednesday I could hardly walk...it was bad...horrible limp, terrible pain. Thursday I started feeling better and could walk with a limp pretty well. Same with Friday. Same with today (getting better every day).

My knee is incredibly swollen. I just looked down...is it normal for your whole leg to swell in this situation. I have absolutely no pain in my ankle but my ankle is about 3 times the size of my other ankle (just noticed that).

Is that odd? Normal? I know nothing about this kind of stuff.

Also, I fully plan on returning to flag football in two Monday's...is a sprained knee like a sprained ankle? Am I risking reinjuring it every time I play like an ankle?

Any advice/tips/info would be appreciated.

Use your other knee....

Ouch. No experience with knee problems thankfully. Wish I could be some help. always nice to have to chiefs planet when you have an injury though, I've learned. Keeps you busy and takes the mind off the pain.


Best of luck.

Get an MRI now.
I tore my ACL and minscus in October. Recovering from knee surgery as I type this. They told me a sprained knee in the hospital, and I thought oh, like a sprained ankle. No big deal. However, knee sprain means torn ligaments as well. Get a MRI.

Have you been icing it?

If not, i would do an ice pack for 20 minutes, take it off, take some advil, ice again for 20 minutes before bed, and then elevate it. I get constant swelling in my knees, and i have had both of my knees scoped. YOu need to get the swelling down, it wont properly heal until you do.

Oh and stop playing football tell you know the extent of the damage.

I don't think I'd be able to cut, run and do the things I did on my knee after the injury if I tore ligaments...and the doctor checked the stability of my knee and poked and prodded each ligament to see where it was hurting and felt like he didn't think I could have a tear...

I mean...I was doing post routes and out routes at 70% or so...if I had an ACL I don't think I could do that.

You aren't playing football in 2 weeks. Give that one up right now. Even if you didn't tear anything, you're probably hobbled, running activity-wise for at least a couple months. This much pain and swelling doesn't just go away. Let it heal.

Hope you're better by the playoffs.

They checked mine to. Grabbed it, jacked it around and it didnt hurt at all. And I have fully torn ACL. Well, had.
MRI will answer all your questions. Go to an orthopedic and get it done.

Haven't heard for a while.... How's it going?

there is not a whole lot of pain anymore but I need to stop being so lazy and actually ice it...

the swelling in my ankle is ridiculous and I hadn't even noticed it until today.

When you hurt something, you start moving differently to keep the pressure off of it, and when you do that, other joints suffer. My calf took a beating after my surgery cause i was putting most of the weight on there. Looked like someone beat the crap out of me it was so bruised.

****.

what about bowling? It's on my non-sliding leg.

I am also on my feet almost the entire time at work...

I'm pretty tough when push comes to shove...they kept trying to get me a wheelchair and I refused it. Is this something I should worry about. I have been the least injury prone person ever in terms of my sporting career. Fractured my foot once in football as a freshmen, and my elbow twice in basketball when I was 11 and 14.

other than that, I just rarely ever get anything worse than a turned ankle.

This is literally the worst injury I've ever had...I'm going to sports medicine on Monday so they will probably do further tests.

Carlota...I can bend my knee and cut right now...I just can't really straighten it the whole way...it was a legit hyperextension...the only place that really hurts is the back side of my knee...

what was your experience/what was hurt/what happened?

It's going really well. Once I'm healed, my knee will be right as rain.
But, as it's now, I can't go to the gym for 3months and I'm in pt for 6 months.
I opted for the allograft, cadaver tendon, and they gave me an ice machine that has rocked!!! I haven't taken any pain meds outside of Motrin and Tylenol. Really happy with my surgery and my prognosis.

it sucks because I'm on the hook for $15 a week for flag football AND $15 a week for bowling (league) and I hate throwing away money to be ****ing on the sidelines

if my QB didn't underthrow me this wouldn't be an issue! ****ing asshole :P

What a dipshit. Put ice on it, elevate it, and stay off of it.

Why do you always have to insult people?

Christ. I never get injured. This is a new thing to me. My work can't afford me missing time...I felt AWFUL I had to call in Tuesday and tell them I couldn't walk. I have to be on my knee. It is what it is. I'm not going to stay out of work because "I can" and I have a doctor's note. I like to be accountable.

He works, like normal people.

Baby, I'm telling you get an MRI. I could bend as well, but couldn't straighten it. I still can't, but we are working on that now. I was shocked to find out that I tore ligaments. Blown away actually. But it was true. Don't do yourself an Injustice and not get the full details.MRI. It doesn't hurt to get one, and it will tell you everything you be to know. Also, if you have torn anything, make sure you get the orthopedic working on your local pro teams. A surgeon who works with athletes. Very important.

Yeah get an MRI.

i'll give up a 2nd round pick for you

well

I have an appointment with sports medicine on Monday so I guess I won't blow that off...

I just did like 4 cuts...I just don't see how this would be an ACL injury...isn't the whole idea behind that ligament 'cutting'?

if they tell me to get an MRI Monday I'll get an MRI but I honestly don't think I could play 20 minutes of flag football where I was running (70% at best) stop routes, out routes and post routes as well as playing defense (at about 70%).

For a receiver with a bum knee???

Ronnie Lott would have cut it off and kept playing.

http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedi...onnie-lott.jpg

Agree, get to the doc when you can.. If you felt or heard a pop, you more that likely have more damage.

ice, crutches, ibuprofen, rest.

and as a guy who plays constant pickup basketball, softball, and football and bowls every Wednesday I'm just not injury prone...

so I am a n00b at this stuff...I've turned an ankle and that's pretty much how this feels. It's just really swollen...but it has felt better every day. I just don't see how it could be an ACL if I'm cutting.

that's what scares me...I did feel a pop

they gave me crutches but it's icy so using them is pretty ****ing pointless

i'll go explain the entire knee all over again at sports medicine Monday and I'll see what they say

You might be able to. You'd be surprised. Definitely don't blow the appt off and I guarantee you they are going to want an MRI. Think about what RG3 was able to do before he went all the way down.
My surgeon told me about one of his swim team clients (he is the official doc for the USA swim team) winning swim meets the day after he tore his ACL.
John Elway played football without his ACL and I believe Hines Ward did as well.
You'd be surprised. Get it checked.

Dear Antler Spray. Get it and you'll be fine by Monday.

Dude, pop goes the weasel. I had a pop as well.
Sorry, but you need that checked and you need to ice it and elevate pronto.

I mean...this happened 6 days ago.

At this point...I haven't iced or elevated it...is 3 more ****ing hours going to hurt. I'm at work.

and I do a lot of walking...I walk when I go to the bars...I walk a ton at work. I've walked 30+ hours since Thursday (I didn't move from my bed Tuesday or Wednesday it hurt too much to walk)

No, but do it whenever you are at home and also get one of the knee sock braces from Walgreens. They're 15 bucks. Get some support for it.

I'm already wearing one...they gave it to me Monday when I went to convenient care. And crutches. Crutches lasted for 1 minute when I got out of my mom's car and fell on my face because it was ****ing icy as shit outside.

I didn't tear anything at all but it was sprained. It swoll up huge. I went back to work 2 days after it happened but I couldn't bend it or squat. I was pretty worthless in that regard for a couple weeks. I started walking okay, with some pain in a couple of weeks but it took several months of healing before I trusted it enough to actually run with a brace. I've favored it ever since. Don't become too dependent on a brace though. Get rid of the brace after a month or so, once you've built some strength back.

I'm not saying we have identical injuries. I have no idea. I'm just saying when your body swells up like that, it's trying to send you a message. Either listen to your body or don't. It's up to you.

Oh that sucks.
One reason you might be able to cut and do certain things, now, is because the muscles in your legs are stong. I'm gathering you're athletic and You have an active job. The key to being able to fuc tin without an ACL is strength Around the knee. It could be giving you a false sense of security. But, in the end, your leg strength will be why you will be fine if you know what wrong and what to do about it.

Sounds bad. They'll probably have to amputate.

Used this after heel spur surgery. 5 weeks in a cast
Crutches suck

http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/82...58_300X300.jpg

What? That's your fault. First thing I do is ice an injury like that. I took a 100mph ball to the calf last saturday. Couldn't walk saturday night but kept icing religiously the rest of the weekend. No pain and no problems monday. Very little discoloration today. In fact, I played ball again.

Yeah I hear you.

I'm in pretty good shape and I'm really, really stubborn. When I fractured my elbow I ditched the sling after a week and just played through it.

I have to be on my feet at work. I have to be at work. Literally. There is no other option. I'm the only one here from 3-11 3-4 nights per week and if I'm not here this place doesn't operate.

I hate the fact I'm paying $30 a week for two activities that I probably won't be able to participate in for the next month/two months. It is what it is.

I just have a really hard time believing (despite feeling a pop) that I tore any ligaments when I can stop and cut RIGHT NOW and the only thing that gives me pain is when I try to stretch my leg all the way out...it was truly a hyperextension moment...

I landed on my right leg and my leg was all the way straight and it locked up and I immediately fell to the ground to take the pressure off...and the pain was immediate but within 5 minutes I tested it out (and the pain had almost went all the way away) and I was doing zig zags and 10 yard outs at a good 60-70%

I just don't think you can do that with an ACL tear.

I put temperpedic pillows on my crutches. I have no issues with my crutches. I wish I could use one of those things instead of crutches, but I made the best of it!

Yes, I know.

I'm lazy as hell when it comes to that stuff. I realize I ****ed up by not icing it. It was pure stupidity. I just operate under the 'rub some dirt on it' idea and then I regret it when shit like this happens...

I'm the guy who eats out 3 times a day so I don't have to do dishes.

I hope it isn't either, but don't talk yourself out of seeing the doctor.

either way, we all hope it will be ok.

hey, thanks!

Get a MRI. It's impossible to diagnose whether or not you've torn a ligament with x rays or manipulation alone. Hope it's just sprained tho

Gay. ****.

I don't want this to be the end of my sports career.

Sweep the leg!

Well, it could be the end if you dont fix what's wrong. If you fix it, even an ACL tear or any other tear, your career won't be over. Just delayed. From what I Hear, and will find out in time, is that once you fix the knee, it's stronger and better than ever.

I hurt my knee in a similar fashion playing flag football in September 2010. My swelling wasn't quite as bad as yours, though. I didn't see anyone about it and just let it heal. It took well over a month for my limp to go away.

That would have put DMC on IR

My daughter tore her ACL and PCL near the end of basketball season her junior year and played the last four games with a brace. She said it hurt like hell, but she was told by the MD, "It isn't like you're going to do much more damage, we're gonna have to cut it anyway". A 2nd MD said essentially the same thing so I let her play. She was probably only 70-75%, but still much more effective than the replacement would have been.
A week after the State tournament, she had surgery.

Moral of the story: Get the damn thing checked, you don't know what could be up.....but you ain't gonna die. Play until you see a doc if you feel up to it.

As an aside, ligament tears don't have an abnormally large amount of swelling.

does it hurt if you tap or bump it with an object or against like a solid wall?

Good pills?

Breaking up a poorly thrown pass. What was Cassel doing in your flag football league?

No Baby, that's just how I talk. Besides, I have been managing knee surgery recovery on Advil and Tylenol alone. Which makes me happy. I did get the nerve block tho and that numbed my leg for over 30 hours. I have the good pills and the good "shit" ( you know Mary Jane), but sor far, haven't had to use it:)

Doesn't sound good. Get that MRI.

Though some African tribes say that urinating on the injured limb has a great effect on recovery :)

Seriously, get the MRI.

I tore up my knee playing golf at the Lake of the Ozarks a few years back, and was able to finish the round, and play another. So don't go by your ability to get around. Get it thoroughly checked out.

Hell, I had one of the best orthos in the nation as my doc, (surgeon for Olympians and Pro athletes) and even he didn't see all of the damage until he went in for surgery. Even a MRI doesn't necessarily show everything.

Bingo!!!! Same here. The MRI showed partially torn, and in some pics showed fully torn. I was also very strong and able to do things that led everyone to believe that it was partial, til they went in. It was gone and lodged in my knee cap. having said that, MRI is the only way to understand the extent of the injury.

no

and in all honesty, the swelling in my knee now is almost all the way gone

it has literally all went down to my ankle...my ankle is ****ing HUGE

I'm icing my ankle right now

and I didn't twist my ankle or anything...the swelling from my knee LITERALLY shifted to my ankle...it's ****ing weird

I dislocated my knee cap last week. Seemed about 75 percent, kept on doing what I was doing. The next morning it was a watermelon. Had to have it drained and MRI tomorrow. Sucks.

Joe Theismann "Likes" this thread....

That's cool. I love that kinda talk! :)

It's just gravity. I had a small, fatty tumor cut out of my tricep a few years ago, but the hack surgeon who did it didn't properly cauterize the wound.

I woke up two days later with my entire arm yellow, green, and black. The blood eventually drained down into my elbow and it hurt like a bitch, even though it wasn't the site of the primary injury.

I'd talk to someone in sports medicine at the very least.