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Do you remember the exact onset of pain? Anything that you can think of (i.e. during a leg exercise, or cutting during sports) that initiated it?
What you can do:
1. Get it diagnosed. It has been a month of pain, that is long enough. Visit your doc (and be happy that the visit is 'Free'!). There are many specific tests that the doc can do to isolate the cause - what they will do is have you lie on the table, and they will apply hand-forces to your joint, and check your range of motion to determine if it is ligamentous, cartilaginous, or even muscle-tendon related. If its a torn ligament (MCL, LCL, ACL, PCL), then you may notice some laxity.
2. RICE it up - rest, ice, compression, elevation. Although, this usually applies to short-term first aid, but it may help with pain and swelling - specifically ice and elevation. Also, check your aggravating factors. Is it getting worse over time? What are you doing that aggravates it? When it hurts more, what activities are you doing or did you do a few hours before? Keep off the knee, and train other muscles around it to help support it.
3. If it's a really long term thing, your doctor may suggest an MRI. Ligament injury will probably heal if it is not torn through, although meniscus injury may require repair (or removal) if the tear is located deep within the knee where blood and nutrients do not penetrate.
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