knee injury

injured my knee from kickboxing, been swollen for 5 weeks and in pain. finally saw an orthopedist this past Tues. and said I might have a tear on my ligament. He said he won't bother to take xrays but to take Aleve, motrin,
for the swelling for 7 days and then go back and see him. If I'm still in pain, he said i should have an MRI done.
My question is since it's been 5 weeks, is there a likelihood that I have a torn ligament, if so what is the next step?
is it surgery? tks!

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Well, it would be difficult to determine the cause of the pain just based on the time interval, though it could still be the ligament. Physical examination may help get an approximate idea, while radiological tests are usually required to confirm a diagnosis. It would be best to have this reviewed by your treating orthopedician for suggestion of an appropriate management plan.
Hope this is helpful.

Take care!