If you hurt your knee (or any part of your body), how can you know if it is serious? Can you put ice on it and stay off of it for a couple of days? Or should you see a doctor right away? What if you can’t straighten the knee?

In this Ask Dr. Geier video, I talk about one sign – for a knee injury, at least – that suggests your injury could be serious and needs surgery.

Tracy asks:
My daughter does cheer. She was tumbling yesterday, landed funny and hurt her knee. She has pain on the side of her knee and the back of the knee. She can’t straighten her leg. I’m just wondering what this might be. Should I call her doctor or just ice it and have her take Motrin? She is currently wearing a knee brace and limping.

People understandably want to know how they can tell if they suffered any damage to their knee or if it isn’t a big deal. I have a popular post on this site – 7 signs your knee injury is serious – that discusses worrisome signs about your knee injury.

I talk about one of those 7 signs in this video. This knee issue – you can’t straighten the knee, especially in a middle school or high school athlete – could be a sign of an injury that needs surgery.

Runner can't straighten the knee

Also read:
7 signs your knee injury is serious
Ask Dr. Geier – Should I go to the doctor after a knee injury?

Recommended Products and Resources
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