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Can I keep exercising with a slightly swollen knee?

Hi all,

I am a 20 year old student who really likes weightlifting. My biggest obstacle is my left knee, which was quite heavily injured 5 years ago while I was playing basketball. It was treated by a surgery followed by physical therapy. However, my left leg has been noticably weaker than my right leg ever since. One of the reasons I started weightlifting was so I could try to fix these imbalances. Foam rolling and wearing a knee sleeve helps me a lot when lifting heavy weights, as it makes me feel almost no pain even when doing, for example, squats or similar exercises. In the last week or so, I noticed that my left knee got a bit swollen. It feels tender to touch, as if it's filled with a liquid. (This is not the first time that this has happened) I feel no pain in the knee however, and I have full range of motion. I've been icing the knee 2 times a day for 20 minutes the last couple of days, but the swelling doesn't seem to be going away. (Given that I've continued strength training as usual)
My question is: Is it okay if I ignore the swelling and just keep exercising normally?

Thank you in advance!
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Avatar universal
Your body will most likely absorb the fluid! That being said I suggest also elevating your leg and see an orthopedist.
I wouldn't be doing squats or quads and hamstring exercises until you're checked.
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