...to think MRI scans AREN'T just for "people who can't walk?"

[OneHandFlapping]

DS has a knee injury from playing football. It first occurred 6 weeks ago, and he was referred for physio. They could find nothing major wrong and discharged him.

Now something has snapped with an audible sound. He can hardly walk. His GP refused to refer him for an MRI scan, saying he would just have to give up football, and that MRIs are for people who can't walk. He has referred him for more physio.

Is this what the NHS has come to? That a sporty 19 year old boy is consigned to the sporting scrap heap - no football, no skiing, no squash? Ever?

Because the GP can't be arsed to diagnose the problem?

I'm not being unreasonable to expect more am I?

The GP can't be arsed to refer.

Could you visit another GP for a second opinion? It's a pretty regular thing to do.

PS, are you sure this is what the GP said about MRI scans? Perhaps your son has misunderstood and got things a bit muddled because he's understandably worried.

Your GP is a divvy. See another one and ask for a referral to see an orthopaedic surgeon who can better decide if an MRI is the way to go.

I'm not sure an MRI scan should be used before exhausting other options. Physio sounds more suitable and they are very good at referring people to the hospital when needed ime.

Yes see another GP. Yours sounds like a tit.

You could also consider self-referring for a private scan if funds allow. I was refused one on the NHS for a knee injury 8 years ago and in the end paid for a scan at the local Bupa hospital. They did half price Wednesdays for people who self-funded so whilst it was eye-wateringly expensive (around £250 iirc) it was just about manageable.

I would have gone to a and e after the audible sound, not the GP as surely your son is injured because of an accident and now can can barely walk.
MRIs are for lots of reasons so your GP is not being very honest if they did say only for people who can't walk.

A physio is likely to be better at diagnosing and treating the problem than an MRI scan will.

Why do you want a scan so much? The treatment may well be the same with or without one.

It's a sports injury, the NHS never has and never will give the best treatment for a sports injury.

If you want the injury to be treated in the best possible way, your only choice is private. It just will not happen on the NHS.

My GP diagnosed pulled knee cap tendons and told me to wait 18 months as they should heal themselves. It see4med to get better but after 3 years it got worse.
He sent me to a specialist who manipulated my knee and said it was cartilage damage and referred me for an MRI scan. I could walk.
MRI confirmed it was a cartilage tear.
He must first be referred to a specialist consultant.

DH had an MRI scan for a shoulder injury presumably caused by cricket. Good job he didn't have your GP, that would have blown her mind

I'm sorry but I just flat out don't believe that the GP has told a 19 year old he'll have to give up football and MRI scans are only for people who can't walk.

What bollocks, mri scans are used for lots of things.

Physio may be able to rectify the problem but an orthopaedic Dr will be able to rule out other treatments first.

The answer to why a scan is wanted/ needed is to find out what is wrong! MRIs don't treat a problem but they may diagnose it! I would also have thought physio would be pretty limited without benefit of a scan. ...anyway I would pay privately for the scan and take it from there.
How an injury is caused is irrelevant -sports injury, walking down the street etc...still got a right to have the problem
investigated.

Your GP is not being brilliant, especially if you told them you heard something snap! See another one & ask for an ortho referral. Sounds like he's torn a ligament.

I would keep the physio appointment though as they should do the ligament tests and can send a supporting letter to the ortho consultant. Also, some consultants will say "go & have physio, come back in a few months & we'll look into it more then". If he's had physio already a) hopefully it might have helped or b) you can say he's done it already & it hasn't helped, scan please!
Also, if worst case scenario he has done something that needs surgery, pre-op physio/education is useful.

There is plenty that physios can do to diagnose a sports injury, and even if they can't, for example, diagnose exactly which ligament damaged, or which bit of cartilage, the treatment will often be the same regardless.

I had an MRI for persistent headaches. I had to go private as where I lived at the time had an 18 month waiting list and the pain was debilitating (exacerbated by talking and eating). So perhaps the GP knows the waiting list is too long and the interim solution is to just give up using the knee! Second opinion or go private (about £600 but that was a long time ago). A teenager at risk of never being able to do serious exercise is an obesity case for the future so money should be spent now getting him back to fitness.

You need to see a proper sports physio . Your local physio at the gp surgery will be used to seeing little old ladies with arthritic hips.
Ask his sports coach or speak to your local running club or football club.

I had an MRI when I tore my ACL which is a common footballers injury (complete with popping/horrid internal sound)

Get the scan. New GP for you!

It's not about doing an MRI.. Not sure if GPs can request these but he CAN refer your son to an orthopaedic surgeon.
It may be the GP thinks its a minor strain, but if you are not happy, ask for a referral.
If he injures himself again go to AE as it is an accident....and I am not one for suggesting AE for long standing issues or illnesses the GPs can treat ,but in the case of accidents it's the best place hence the name.

You don't need to see a sports physio - any physio worth their salt should be able to assess this problem.

It sounds very much like an anterior cruciate ligament rupture.

I tore mine in a bike accident 30 years ago, and ignored it. By the time it was discovered, the snapped ends had reabsorbed and my knee joint was at Grade 4 ( Grade 0 being normal). I may be able to walk to my 60th birthday party but: I cannot run, jump up or down, descend a step of more than six inches, sit for more than 10 minutes and then rise without pain, or go without tramadol after a walk of more than a mile.

I'm 53.

A chap at work plays football and has damaged his knee - he is having an mri as the swelling is too much for other scans apparently - not sure if that makes any sense but he can walk with crutches.

Maybe ask the dr if he is sure that it just requires physio as surely incorrectly applied physio exercises could cause damage!

I don't think that's true Grumble. Any physio will have been trained at the start of their career to deal with sports injuries, but a physio that has been working solely with neuro patients for the last 15 years might be a fabulous physiotherapist, but is never going to be as good at diagnosing complex sports injuries as a physio that specialises in sports injuries.

Really? Physios are great but I had an injury last year, Physio was helping but after MRI it turned out to be a fractured kneecap not spotted on xray. Second opinion needed I think.

I was given a 12month wait for an MRI scan when I couldn't walk properly. I had one done privately,through the same consultant,at the cost of £1200,1 week after my initial referral.

My BIL walked around with a fucked up cricoid ligament because his GP referred him for physio instead of an MRI.

Once finally diagnosed and operated on it took a year to recover.

BIL won't play sport again, but then again he couldn't even walk so sees his current state as a major breakthrough.

Seek a second opinion sharpish.