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Preparing for your appointment

By Mayo Clinic staff

You're likely to start by seeing your family doctor. Depending upon the cause of your problem, he or she may refer you to a doctor specializing in joint diseases (rheumatologist), joint surgery (orthopedic surgeon) or sports medicine.

What you can do
Prior to the appointment, you may want to write a list that answers the following questions:

  • When did you begin experiencing symptoms?
  • Have your symptoms been continuous or occasional?
  • How severe are your symptoms?
  • What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
  • What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
  • Do you exercise or play sports?
  • Do you experience any swelling, instability or locking of the knee?
  • Are you experiencing symptoms in other areas, or just in your knee?
  • Have you ever had knee pain before? If so, do you know what the cause was?

What to expect from your doctor
During the physical exam, your doctor is likely to:

  • Inspect your knee for swelling, pain, tenderness, warmth and visible bruising
  • Check to see how far you can move your lower leg in different directions
  • Push on or pull the joint to evaluate the integrity of the structures in your knee
Tests and diagnosis Complications
References
  1. Questions and answers about knee problems. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Knee_Problems/default.asp. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  2. Huddleston JI, et al. Hip and knee pain. In: Firestein GS, et al. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: W.B. Saunders Co.; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/211216621-3/1029261530/1807/290.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3285-4..10042-7--s0010_1200. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  3. Anderson RJ, et al. Evaluation of the adult patient with knee pain. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  4. Common knee injuries. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://www.orthoinfo.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00325. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  5. Zeller JL, et al. JAMA patient page: Knee pain. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2007;297:1740.
  6. Pallin DJ, et al. Knee injuries. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00054-2--s0150&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00054-2--s0460&uniq=211216621&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&sid=1029279549. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  7. Pseudogout. American College of Rheumatology. http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/diseases_and_conditions/pseudogout. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  8. Pallin DJ, et al. Diagnostic strategies. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00054-2--s0150&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00054-2--s0470&uniq=211216621&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&sid=1029395050#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00054-2--s0100%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-0-323-05472-0. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  9. Care of the aging or post-traumatic knee. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00344. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  10. Knee bracing: What works? American Academy of Family Physicians. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/physical/injuries/490.html. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  11. Roberts WN. Intraarticular and soft tissue injections: What agents to inject and how frequently? http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  12. LeBlanc KE, et al. Musculoskeletal disorders. Primary Care Clinical Office Practice. 2010;37:389.
  13. Knee implants. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00221. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  14. Anderson BC. Patient information: Knee pain. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 26, 2010.
  15. Acupuncture for pain. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/acupuncture-for-pain.htm. Accessed July 26, 2010.
  16. Laskowski ER (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 26, 2010.
DS00555 Sept. 9, 2010

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