Guest guest Posted August 13, 2010 Report Share Posted August 13, 2010 Zaz: That is very strange. I think you should find out exactly what he means by " not being liable for an infection. " Doesn't make any sense to me. Anyway, I wouldn't be to upset if that particular doctor doesn't want to see you. I don't think he can really help if he's going to have a lousy attitude like that. Stick with the PT and the prolo doc and see how it goes. Did you report back to the prolo doc about the swelling after playing soccer? How many treatments did he give you in your knee? It often takes more than one. In my case, I went back about 5 times before I was 100%. - Doug > > Hi all, > > I was wondering if any of you had ever had a problem similar to the one I am having. Here's the story: > > Last fall, my right knee (that I had a lateral release on in 2006) started swelling up when I did vigorous exercise. It didn't hurt really, but it swelled up enough that I took notice. I took a few months off and when that didn't help, went to an orthopedic surgeon's office. His PA took a look and sent me to a rheumatologist to get checked out, because I'd only had chronic pain issues and inflammation (e.g. synovitis), rather than acute trauma. > > The rheumatologist checked me out, ran a zillion tests, which were all negative. I told her I had been considering prolotherapy for awhile. She said she had had arthritis patients that said it had helped them. I told her I was going to try that and go back to the ortho guys if it didn't help and she seemed to think that was reasonable. This rheumatologist is in the same clinic as the ortho surgeon. > > The prolo guy I saw was great. I did my Achilles (I have been struggling with chronic tendonitis, which up until the swelling thing, had troubled me more than the knee) and the right knee. The pain in my Achilles improved dramatically. With the knee, it was more difficult to tell, but after I was finished treatment I tried playing soccer (what I'm trying to get back to). For a few weeks it seemed okay, but then my knee swelled up again pretty dramatically, such that my range of motion was affected and they removed 30 ccs of fluid. > > So I had the rheumo test the fluid (all negative for everything, maybe a little inflammation, ~ 200 where 220 is the cutoff). The PA finally had me see the actual surgeon. He said my right VMO was weak and sent me to physical therapy, and asked for the notes from the prolo doctor. Today was my last PT appointment and my follow up with the ortho was scheduled for Thursday (in 2 days). But also today, the nurse for the ortho called me and said that the surgeon was canceling appointment because he didn't want to be liable for an infection. I never had any symptoms of infection (heat, pain, fever, etc.), just effusion ( " water on the knee " ) so these seemed really strange to me. > > I feel like I'm being punished for trying prolo and I have no idea what is going on. Has anyone else experienced this kind of issue? This surgeon is supposed to be extremely good and is a proponent of another rather similar treatment (PRP) so I thought he'd be more open-minded. > > Any insight would be so greatly appreciated... > > Thanks, > Zaz > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 13, 2010 Report Share Posted August 13, 2010 Hi Zaz, I agree with Doug that prolo definitely takes time. If it doesn't subside after a while, you might want to have the doc look at your MRI to rule out a cyst. Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 24, 2010 Report Share Posted August 24, 2010 Hi folks, The mystery has been solved for those interested... it turns out the prolo doc faxed over the notes I requested about my earlier treatment 3 or 4 weeks after my initial appointment with the surgeon. The surgeon assumed I must have gone back in the interim and the infection that the prolo doc mentioned was a new one, so he completely flipped out and had his nurse cancel my appointment. He also seemed to be professionally offended by something about how the notes were worded. After I had called all around the clinic and left very distressed messages, the surgeon seemed to realize what had happened or at least felt it warranted a call, so he called me personally the next day, listened to my explanation, apologized (in a doctor way), and restored my appointment. I got a long lecture about how prolotherapy is untested and to never let a " chiropractor " (he's not that, but I wasn't about to get into it) inject me with anything again. He also said if I ever did that again, he wouldn't treat me. Doug, about prolotherapy, I had 5 or 6 treatments on my knee. My intuition is that it didn't help my particular issue (the swelling, which predated the prolo) and that there is something else going on, perhaps a little tear that the MRI missed. But I also think it's probably not a bad thing to strengthen the ligaments and tendons in the area and/or increase the joint spacing and it may have done that. And I don't care what anyone says, prolo dramatically helped my Achilles. Anyway, I think the lesson is that interactions between doctors can really matter! Good luck! Zaz > > > > Hi all, > > > > I was wondering if any of you had ever had a problem similar to the one I am having. Here's the story: > > > > Last fall, my right knee (that I had a lateral release on in 2006) started swelling up when I did vigorous exercise. It didn't hurt really, but it swelled up enough that I took notice. I took a few months off and when that didn't help, went to an orthopedic surgeon's office. His PA took a look and sent me to a rheumatologist to get checked out, because I'd only had chronic pain issues and inflammation (e.g. synovitis), rather than acute trauma. > > > > The rheumatologist checked me out, ran a zillion tests, which were all negative. I told her I had been considering prolotherapy for awhile. She said she had had arthritis patients that said it had helped them. I told her I was going to try that and go back to the ortho guys if it didn't help and she seemed to think that was reasonable. This rheumatologist is in the same clinic as the ortho surgeon. > > > > The prolo guy I saw was great. I did my Achilles (I have been struggling with chronic tendonitis, which up until the swelling thing, had troubled me more than the knee) and the right knee. The pain in my Achilles improved dramatically. With the knee, it was more difficult to tell, but after I was finished treatment I tried playing soccer (what I'm trying to get back to). For a few weeks it seemed okay, but then my knee swelled up again pretty dramatically, such that my range of motion was affected and they removed 30 ccs of fluid. > > > > So I had the rheumo test the fluid (all negative for everything, maybe a little inflammation, ~ 200 where 220 is the cutoff). The PA finally had me see the actual surgeon. He said my right VMO was weak and sent me to physical therapy, and asked for the notes from the prolo doctor. Today was my last PT appointment and my follow up with the ortho was scheduled for Thursday (in 2 days). But also today, the nurse for the ortho called me and said that the surgeon was canceling appointment because he didn't want to be liable for an infection. I never had any symptoms of infection (heat, pain, fever, etc.), just effusion ( " water on the knee " ) so these seemed really strange to me. > > > > I feel like I'm being punished for trying prolo and I have no idea what is going on. Has anyone else experienced this kind of issue? This surgeon is supposed to be extremely good and is a proponent of another rather similar treatment (PRP) so I thought he'd be more open-minded. > > > > Any insight would be so greatly appreciated... > > > > Thanks, > > Zaz > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 24, 2010 Report Share Posted August 24, 2010 Yeah Zaz. You know the drill as well as anybody. Keep digging! You'll figure it out. Not sure what is causing the swelling in your knee. I suppose it could be any number of things. I know I don't need to get into an " that idiot still thinks prolo is untested " rant with you. Yeah... its untested except for the thousands of people (including the two of us and the others in this Group) that it has helped, the hundreds of doctors (MDs and DOs) that use it, all the double-blind, placebo-controlled studies that prove prolo's effectiveness and Dr. C. Everett Koop's ongoing battle to have prolo recognized and accepted by the " mainstream " medical community and insurance companies. So frustrating. If you're feeling motivated and patient, try to educate the doc that seems anti-prolo. Probably not worth your time though (sad face). Take care and good luck, Doug > > > > > > Hi all, > > > > > > I was wondering if any of you had ever had a problem similar to the one I am having. Here's the story: > > > > > > Last fall, my right knee (that I had a lateral release on in 2006) started swelling up when I did vigorous exercise. It didn't hurt really, but it swelled up enough that I took notice. I took a few months off and when that didn't help, went to an orthopedic surgeon's office. His PA took a look and sent me to a rheumatologist to get checked out, because I'd only had chronic pain issues and inflammation (e.g. synovitis), rather than acute trauma. > > > > > > The rheumatologist checked me out, ran a zillion tests, which were all negative. I told her I had been considering prolotherapy for awhile. She said she had had arthritis patients that said it had helped them. I told her I was going to try that and go back to the ortho guys if it didn't help and she seemed to think that was reasonable. This rheumatologist is in the same clinic as the ortho surgeon. > > > > > > The prolo guy I saw was great. I did my Achilles (I have been struggling with chronic tendonitis, which up until the swelling thing, had troubled me more than the knee) and the right knee. The pain in my Achilles improved dramatically. With the knee, it was more difficult to tell, but after I was finished treatment I tried playing soccer (what I'm trying to get back to). For a few weeks it seemed okay, but then my knee swelled up again pretty dramatically, such that my range of motion was affected and they removed 30 ccs of fluid. > > > > > > So I had the rheumo test the fluid (all negative for everything, maybe a little inflammation, ~ 200 where 220 is the cutoff). The PA finally had me see the actual surgeon. He said my right VMO was weak and sent me to physical therapy, and asked for the notes from the prolo doctor. Today was my last PT appointment and my follow up with the ortho was scheduled for Thursday (in 2 days). But also today, the nurse for the ortho called me and said that the surgeon was canceling appointment because he didn't want to be liable for an infection. I never had any symptoms of infection (heat, pain, fever, etc.), just effusion ( " water on the knee " ) so these seemed really strange to me. > > > > > > I feel like I'm being punished for trying prolo and I have no idea what is going on. Has anyone else experienced this kind of issue? This surgeon is supposed to be extremely good and is a proponent of another rather similar treatment (PRP) so I thought he'd be more open-minded. > > > > > > Any insight would be so greatly appreciated... > > > > > > Thanks, > > > Zaz > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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