You need to see an orthopedic specialist. He/she will bend/twist your knee joint in ways you didnít know were possible, and determine if you have ligament damage. If you donít, then you probably have a torn meniscus. An MRI can confirm this, and the operation is day surgery. In three days, youíll be walking without crutches, and in a month youíll be more or less back to normal. If you have ligament damage, the operation is more complicated and the recovery time is longer, and depending on how bad the damage is, you might not get back to 100%. Even if itís a torn meniscus, you may not get back to 100%-- I certainly didnít.

Whatever the case, youíll get an MRI. A normal X-ray is useless for diagnosis of these problems. If your doctor wants a simple X-ray, find another doctor.

As to pain management, beware! Orthopedic doctors love NSAIDís. Take them for 10-20 years and you can kiss your kidneys goodbye. Your best bet is that surgery will fix your problem, and also, knee braces are wonderful. I can play decent racquetball with a couple of $15 knee braces, but without them I canít.
D.