Ppssible Mcl Tear? Please Help!

I had a mild MCL sprain once before. I'd try to see another ortho doctor. The doctor will likely have you wear a brace, and depending on what the doctors sees at the appointment, may schedule an MRI. Mine was pretty mild so I wore a brace, reduced my activity, iced it, and waited for the swelling to go down. If it's bad, you might need surgery followed by physical therapy. Even if it doesn't require surgery, you still might need (or benefit from) physical therapy. The physical therapy can help strengthen the muscles around the knee to help prevent future issues. You might also be shown different ways to squat/bend down so that you don't re-injure the knee. Depending on the full diagnosis from the doctor, there are other things the physical therapist may also be able to do to help speed up recovery. If you are prescribed physical therapy but your insurance doesn't cover it, you could try meeting with the physical therapist and see if they will give you a list of exercises to work on over time at home.

There are tons of orthopedic surgeons, call another. I have always had an appointment within days of calling.

I have had tons of knee injuries including the ACL. The ACL is the only one that will not heal on its own, what you have is akin to a sprained ankle. I sprained my ankle once, it was almost a year before I felt it was strong enough not to worry about.

Pretty much what they are going to do is tell you to get a brace if you have to move around a lot, take pain meds, and suck it up. Heck with my ankle they didn't even offer a brace. Just in case you were unaware a sprain is a torn ligament not just a little twist. When they tear they pop.

Does your knee feel solid? Or does it feel kinda loose when you walk? I've torn my ACL twice, and the tell-tale symptom was the "loose" knee. Like it would give out sometimes. I don't know the difference between how an ACL tear feels vs an MCL tear, but I would guess kinda similar? For now, I would ice it and see if that helps. You've probably got a lot of swelling and bruising, so try icing it for 20-30 minutes at a time several times a day. The ortho will likely order an MRI, and go from there. If you do have a tear, the ortho will likely want to operate. If you have an operation, it's about a 6-month recovery process. Best of luck to you, as I know knee injuries are NOT fun!!

Call another orthopedic surgeon. Check your health care site for one in your network. And keep calling backthe one you alreay called - or drop in if it's local to make an appointment.

I torn my MCL totally and completely and I was told by my ortho that they would not do surgery since it would be like sewing a rubber band. I had a custom made brace, since i am very athletic, and had physical therapy to strengthen the other ligaments. Since my legs are very strong I had to work more on the cardio since when the muscles get tired that's when they get injured and require the other ligaments to help out. I will say that I did play my sport, soccer, for about 4 months before going to the Dr. since I can use both legs,feet to play it was just a minor inconvenience. Since I got the brace, went to therapy and slowed way down for about 6 months all is well and I can play without my brace. Keep your chin up and if you don't like what the 1st dr says find another and keep going until you find an answer that makes sense to you and makes you feel good.