Question
I was in a MVA 2 years ago.  I tore my PCL and my lateral meniscus.  I had
surgery to repair, but am still having really bad pain that radiates into the
middle of my tibia(which did not break during the accident, but had a really
bad contusion).  I cannot kneel or squat.  I have a lot of pain and am unsure
what I need to do to correct it.  I am a healthy weight, do yoga and care for
my health.  I am 23 and due to graduate nursing school in 1 year...Do I need
another MRI, surgery, medication?  Please advise.

Answer
Hi, Natalie,

You've asked, "Do I need another MRI, surgery, medication?"

The answer is probably, No.

Medication will only dim symptoms; an MRI will reveal the results of the repair, but unless the radiologist can recognize muscles in contraction, (s)he will probably miss what I think is going on.

Injuries trigger a universal reflexive response:  muscles tighten up.  Tight muscles, tight joints:  both are sources of pain, which triggers further reflexive contraction in the form of cringing and can create pain at a distance from the contractions, themselves, i.e., your tibia.

If you were my client, I would be examining the muscles of your leg that cross the knee joint for contraction.  Found, we would do a training process that frees you from the reflexive contraction pattern and restores free voluntary muscular control.

I would also recommend Rolfing, as the fascial wrapping around the knee has almost certainly been distorted by the injury and subsequent surgery, both.

There are relevant articles to be found at somatics.com/page4b.htm.

with regard,
Lawrence Gold