Regardless of the reason why it occurred, an injury to your knee can be a serious concern. If you've recently fallen on your knee, resulting in a direct, full impact on your knee, you need to be attentive to some of the key signs of problems. Here's a look at some of the symptoms you should watch for which indicate that you need to call a local health care center for medical attention.

Unable to Bear Weight

If you are unable to bear weight on the knee a day or so after the injury, despite icing and elevating it, that should be a cause for concern. The same applies if you've been bearing weight on it but still have to favor it significantly to avoid additional pain. Consider how long it's been since the injury and how much weight you're able to comfortably put on the knee. If it still seems limited considering how much time has passed, reach out for health care services.

Pain When You Kneel On It

If it's been a week or more since your injury and you still struggle with significant pain if you try to kneel down, that's an indication that you may have some internal damage in the knee. You should reach out to a local health care center for x-rays and a full evaluation. They can tell you if the pain is just due to inflammation from the injury or if there's something more going on.

Uncomfortable to Touch

After a few days have passed, your knee shouldn't be painful to a gentle touch. If you try to touch the knee, or your pet brushes past it, and you feel pain, that's another cause for concern. If it's mild pain that's just a little bit uncomfortable, it may just be part of the recovery process. However, if you're feeling significant discomfort when your knee is touched, that is an indication that you should have it evaluated.

Swelling or Unusual Appearance

In the first couple of days after the injury, you can expect some swelling and redness in the knee area. However, that should dissipate after a couple of days. If you're still seeing swelling or any kind of unusual appearance in your knee after that time, you should reach out to your local health care center. Sometimes, this is indicative of deeper injury.

Talk with a local health care center provider today about your knee injury. He or she can help you determine if it needs to be evaluated. Click on this link for more info.