2 weeks of knee swelling

I'm 20 years old, female and I recently sustained a knee injury. My right knee started hurting about 4 weeks ago following an intense workout routine. I am not overweight or anything, but I do not workout very often.

I felt a certain tightness in my knee every time I folded it all the way or dipped into a squat, which I do very often. It was painful but only when in those positions, and I did not experience any swelling or difficulty in walking, running, or sport (I play badminton leisurely).

Two weeks after that, I went on a hike. Strangely enough, even before I started on the hike, my knee tightened up even more so it hurt to walk even, but the pain faded away after a few minutes.

After the hike, I played some badminton and everything was fine. It was a few hours later that I noticed a swelling around the knee. After this, I had trouble bending it at all or even straightening it.

It's been two weeks since, and my condition hasn't exactly improved a lot, but it has definitely changed.

For the first 3-4 days I couldn't straighten the knee without pain, and I had to elevate it frequently. Now elevation and bending hurt, but straightening is fine. Swelling is still there, but it has reduced. I cannot run, jump nor make many sudden movements. I find myself massaging the knee a lot because pain comes and goes frequently.

I've seen a GP and orthopedic. No bone injury (had an x-ray). The ortho confirmed an effusion. After a lot of pulling and stretching, he noticed pain on the right side of the knee and mentioned something about a strained ligament but failed to clarify. The GP ordered an MRI but it's booked for 1 month later, she is conservative and believes I should limit radiation as much as possible so she wants to allow a month to see if I'll heal with time.

The pain is uncomfortable, and I'm really bumbed out because I was going to start playing badminton competitively this month but I can't do that now.

I don't have any diagnosis, and I don't know what I can do to get better (other than RICE). I've tried simple therapy exercise like slow cycling and stretching and that just makes the pain worse.

Maybe I'm impatient, but I just hate this uncertainty and unexplained pain I have to put up with and abstaining from sport.

Any advice as to what I should do to get better? My GP says if the pain is too much she'll get me an MRI sooner, but what kind of measure is 'too much'? I don't know what to make of that. I can walk and drive my car, but the pain is very frustrating.

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