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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou're likely to start by first seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. However, in some cases, you may be referred to a physical therapist, an orthopedic surgeon or a sports medicine specialist.
Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
- Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements, that you're taking.
- Take copies of any imaging tests you've had done, such as an X-ray, MRI or CT scan, or arrange to have these test results sent to your doctor before the appointment. Ask your doctor's staff the best way to do this when making your appointment.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For patellofemoral pain, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What is likely causing my symptoms?
- Are there any other possible causes for my symptoms?
- What kinds of tests do I need? How do I prepare for these tests?
- Is my condition likely temporary or chronic?
- What are my treatment options?
- What is the best course of action?
- Are there any alternatives to the primary approach that you're suggesting?
- Are there any restrictions on activity that I need to follow?
- How long do I need to restrict activity?
- Are there any exercises I can do at home that might help?
- Is there anything else I can do that will help ease my symptoms?
- Should I see a specialist? What will that cost, and will my insurance cover seeing a specialist?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend visiting?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions if don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:
- When did you first begin experiencing symptoms?
- Have your symptoms been continuous, or occasional?
- How severe are your symptoms?
- What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
What you can do in the meantime
The first thing you need to do is rest, and stop participating in any activity that causes you pain. Applying ice to the injured area and elevating your knee may help. If needed, take acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers, such as aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), until you can get in to see your doctor.
