Originally Posted by teiaperigosa
yes...he should go see a doctor, but fam just said that he can't afford it right now...so the advice here is NOT worth zero...the OP should consider all the suggestions and related experience given and proceed cautiously in deciding what path to take
that said...if you strain a muscle or ligament (and especially if there is swelling) I wouldn't call icing it "messing around" at all...icing during the post injury 48 hour period is pretty standard practice, and it is certainly not going to do more damage (assuming you're resting as well)...and what the hell is "armchair voodoo"?...besides the illogic of the term, I hope that wasn't in reference to the mention of acupuncture...
If something on my bike becomes so screwed up that I cannot fix it, I do not take it to the grocery store - I go to a bike shop. Put that in your logic pipe and smoke it. I made no reference to preventive, non-Western medical practices. Do not put words in my mouth or make foolish assumptions like that.
MKRG - do whatever you can to see someone about this. If you let it go long enough, it may only get worse. Joint injuries rarely heal on their own if they are of a serious nature. The healed ACL story is pretty amazing, but the first I have ever heard of in regards to people that have torn or blown out their ACLs (myself included). And from what you have described, I would say it warrants proper medical attention and perhaps no riding until you can get in to see someone.
Sorry if you want to save the money and try to heal up on the cheap MKRG, but look into something. Semi-decent BlueCrossBlueShield runs my now unemployed ass about $100 a month. Not sure though for you as this may be deemed an "existing condition"
best of luck