Breaking myths about knee pain: Options outside of Dr. Google

After a knee injury, a 17-year-old football player from Calgary spent months waiting for an MRI, when he could have had his injury diagnosed by a sport medicine doctor within days of his injury.

The young player was about to shell out hundreds for a private MRI, but thanks to a last-minute decision to see a physiotherapist, he was referred to Dr. Trevor Trinh, a sport medicine doctor in the Sport Medicine Centre at the University of Calgary, where he was finally provided the diagnosis for his knee injury and sent for the appropriate management.

“This young man was waitlisted for an MRI for 18 months, so he continued to play football, but his knee wasn’t stable as he had a tear in his ACL. If he would have known where to go, he could have had his treatment prescribed within days of the injury,” says Dr. Trinh. “Surgery is the last resort, but in his case, it was necessary.”

The family was grateful to Dr. Trinh for the help and relieved to finally have an answer after months of pain and frustration.

Debunking myths

“So often with knee injuries, people look to the Internet for advice, and if they get the wrong information, they end up waiting for months to see a surgeon when they may not require surgery, or they wait for an MRI when a clinical exam would do,” says Dr. Trinh.

Kinesiology’s Sport Medicine Centre is hosting a free information session on April 30 to debunk myths about what to do about knee pain and injury.

“We want to help people make the best decision possible so they can return to work and sport, and have a better quality of life without unnecessary delays.”

In the two-hour session, Dr. Trinh and other sport injury experts will explain basic knee anatomy, traumatic and overuse injuries, treatment options and take questions from the audience.

“While the Internet can help to locate a professional, it is not the place to find an accurate diagnosis,” says Dr. Trinh.

Free information session

“At this session, we also want to provide people with nonsurgical options, such as good physiotherapy rehab programs, proper exercise, diet and lifestyle changes.”

The Sport Medicine Centre in the Faculty of Kinesiology provides quality care in physiotherapy, massage therapy, athletic therapy, performance nutrition and x-ray services alongside a team of sport medicine physicians and orthopaedic surgeons. It is the hub of sport medicine research since being established at the University of Calgary during the 1988 Winter Olympic Games. It delivers integrated care to elite and recreational athletes on campus and in the community. Find out more.