My right knee

My rheumatogist has me on tramadol 50mgs 2 pills 3x a day despit this my right knee is in constant pain. I haven't found thing to even touch the pain. I've had arthritis for 17 years with a car accident that damaged cartilage in that knee.
Would it be completely out of my place to request mris of my knees. Maybe an increase on a different med or depending on what the MRI shows a referral to an orthopedic? I don't want to upset my dr but I feel like she is focusing on my back and ignoring everything else. I still have rotator cuffs in my right shoulder that have not been addressed. I can't even raise that arm over my head. Any advice would be great.

Angelic_Victory, your history sounds so much like mine I had to double check to make sure this wasn't an old post of mine that someone had bumped up.

I also had traumatic arthritis years after an auto accident which damaged the cartilage and ligaments in my right knee. I knew it was only going to get worse; in fact, the ortho who did that surgery told me I'd likely need a new knee in 20 years. I made it 35 years, but was in severe pain and walking bone on bone for the last five. Four years ago I finally had my replacement, and it was the best thing I ever did.

Yes, I definitely think it would be good to have an MRI. If it were me, I'd just tell the rheumy that I wanted a surgical consult to help me sort out future choices. Then I'd make an ortho appointment and let the ortho get the MRI.

The ortho will also be able to address the rotator cuff injury. I've had surgery on my right shoulder for rotator cuff and some associated injuries also. I had to triage and decide what order I was going to do things in, but I'm pretty much fixed now.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

Well Angelic_Victory you are now under medication so hope that you will be medicated with proper treatment. Cartilage once it is damaged it will allow the bones to rub with each other thereby causing pain though it can be regenerated.

I was hoping shed order the MRI soon but I guess she's just going to let my surgeon do that. She did prescribe voltaren for the pain. I'm a bit doubtful about that as all rubs I've tried before gave me hives. Thank you all for help and advice. I'm still trying to figure this stuff all out.