15 Nov Wondering if you need to have scans for your knee pain

Or what type of scans you need for your knee pain
XRAY, CT, MRI, all sound like alphabet soup to you
Or perhaps you have had scans and they showed nothing’s wrong but you still have knee pain

If you are experiencing knee pain and is feeling confused about the different types of scans available, here’s a quick summary to explain the difference between the different types of scans:

1. X-Rays uses radiation to create a picture of the inside of the body. Knee X-rays will show you how your knee bones look like and the soft tissue around your knee. It is useful for determining if you have arthritis or swelling in your knee.

2.A CT scan is a type of x-ray which creates three-dimensional images of your body. Knee CT scans will show the soft tissues such as ligaments and muscles more clearly than traditional X-rays, so they are more useful for diagnosing certain knee problems, such as a torn meniscus.

3. MRI uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to generate signals from the body. An MRI of the knee will show the soft tissues as well as the bones, it is particularly useful for diagnosing injuries to the cartilage, tendons, ligaments tendons and menisci, as well as areas of swelling.There is more details shown using an MRI than a CT scan.

But why do scans that show nothing “wrong” with your knee joint when you are limping with knee pain or unable to bend your knees to even get up off the toilet because of knee pain This is often because tight muscles or minor swelling and inflammation within the muscles so not show up on scans. Muscle tightness, scar tissue or muscle corks in your knee muscles can only be picked up when an Expert Physiotherapist assesses and feels your muscles and knee joint.

So if you are experiencing knee pain and scans show “nothing wrong”, what you need to do is to see an Expert Physiotherapist who can correctly assess and treat the muscle tightness, chronic swelling and inflammation in your knee joint to help you overcome your knee pain and get you back to active living. Ring My Favourite Physio on (02) 9790 4233 to speak to one of our Expert Physiotherapists today!