Have had many injuries over the years playing sports. Too many to count. Comes with the territory. A week ago I was biking. I took a heck of a spill. Fell on my right side. Scraped my right side up pretty bad. Shoulder. Knee. Hip. Both hands. Road rash with some fairly serious bruising. One of those falls where you sit in the road for 5 minites trying to understand how a benign activity like biking could lead to such a traumatic meeting between flesh and pavement. I had a pretty good ride going so I checked out my Serotta, made sure there was nothing broken, made sure I had no bones sticking out and began the 11 mile trek home at about 20-21 mph. On the way home I noticed immediately I had some tendinitis type pain on the knee cap of my left knee...........but continued the ride. By the time I got home the tendinitis type sensation at the top of my left knee was pretty bad. I iced it etc. The next day I went out and rode 20 miles. The first mile it wasn't too bad but by about the 10 mile mark the tendinitis type feeling at the top of my knee was so bad I had to stop and rest {which I never do}. I rode the 10 miles home. By the end of the ride the pain was so bad I was almost in tears but pushed though it. ....................You're probably thinking I cracked it in the fall but there was no abrasion or visible bruising post fall. There did seem to be some swelling under the kneecap. In other activities of my life I was able to perform without noticable pain or discomfort. I can walk fine. Go up stairs fine. I can bend down and wash a floor on my knees.........................The only thing which bothers me is the one thing I most want to do which is ride my bike...........After the severe pain I took 4 days off the bike. Iced. Heat after 48 hrs etc.............Got back on the bike. Biked 22 miles with quite a bit of discomfort {after about 3 miles.} Iced. etc. Today I tried to bike and it was excruciating. I couldn't do it. I've had tendinitis before but nothing like this. It is like someone is sticking a hot poker into my knee cap. A radiating pain. Questions?
1. Can tendinitis be "that bad?" Can it be excruciatingly painful when you do the "thing" which seems to antagonize it?
2. It doesn't look like ice and heat are gonna do it. It's summer. I can't stay off the bike and look at the flowers for 4 weeks. {If that would help.} Would a cortisone injection help...............you think? {I've had them before after knee surgeries, shoulder, elbow etc............sometimes they've helped and sometimes...........not much. Know anything about patella tendinitis and cortisone shots?}
3. If I chipped a bone there isn't much they could do. Immobilize it. That's about it...............I'm worried about this injury. If I can't bike..................that is a problem. Thanks.