Doesn’t it seem like there’s a specific type of doctor for every possible body part? What about your knees? People suffer from knee pain and knee injuries all the time. So who do you go see that deals specifically with the knee?
See Your General Practitioner before Seeing a Specialist
Before you go on a search for a knee specialist, you should first take your concern to your general practitioner. Your knee can suffer from many different things. Some of those things aren’t as serious as some others. You can save yourself some time and trouble by letting your regular doctor look first.
Do some research on your own as well
You can also look into your knee symptoms on your own. There’s no substitute for a doctor, but it can help you to learn what you can do until you can make it in to see a doctor.
You can find a lot of information online. Try knee-specific sites, such asĀ www.for-knees.com, and see what you can learn. In this way, you can find some general care tips and other useful information that can help you deal with your pain or injury until you receive an official diagnosis.
Examples of some common knee problems
There’s a whole host of knee conditions out there. One reason you should see your normal doctor, and do some research, is because there’s some more common knee issues out there that don’t always require a specialist.
Just your normal daily activities can lead to many of the following.
- Torn ligaments
- Torn tendons
- Torn meniscus
- Fractures
- Dislocations
Each of these things can happen while you’re playing a sport, or even taking a casual walk. Keep in mind that your knee isn’t a single thing. It’s a grouping of bone and various types of soft tissue. Each element of that group can develop a different issue.
In addition, people experience pain differently. So it’s understandable if you think you have an issue that requires the immediate assistance of a specialist. Just understand that’s not usually the case.
What if You Do Need to See a Specialist for Your Knee?
If you let a knee pain or injury go for too long, then you will likely need to see a specialist. This can happen because you let the original problem progress without seeing a doctor or doing anything to mitigate it. There are also some conditions that can affect the knee, such as arthritis, or various infections.
While these conditions have specialists all their own, they may cause the type of damage to your knee that your regular doctor cannot do anything about. In such cases, your doctor will likely refer you to an orthopedic surgeon.
An orthopedic surgeon is a specialist that deals with the musculoskeletal system. They’re best qualified for dealing with knee pain and injuries. However, you will need to seek out an orthopedic surgeon that specializes with knee injury.
They all have a working knowledge of the musculoskeletal system, but some specialize further in specific areas, such as the knee. You may also need to see a physical therapist as well.
Don’t Let Knee Pain Linger
If you have knee pain, then you should immediately do something about it.
- Start with some research. You may find a solution or see that you just have fatigued limbs and need some rest.
- See your doctor if that’s not enough. Your doctor will diagnose your condition and treat it or send you to a specialist.
Yes, you can go straight to a specialist, but it’s best to take knee pain and injury in stages. No matter what though, do not let that pain or injury go unchecked.