[Brando]

I had the same thing earlier this year. My knee cap (and areas around it) had swollen up pretty bad. I would wake up in the middle of the night with immense, sharp, stabbing pain. Ice helped as did a brace. I went to an specialist my doctor recommended for 'sports injuries' and after an X-Ray and MRI ($ ouch), he determined it was Patellar Tendonitis and some other syndrome. The fatty tissue behind my knee had taken a bad impact which caused all the surrounding tissues to become inflamed, pinch nerves, cause more pain, etc.

6 weeks of physical therapy three times per week and I've never been better. It aches from time to time but stretching and working the joint helps a lot.

You've got the right idea with next steps. Typically physical therapy/rehab helps with keeping the muscles strong and reduces risk of more trauma. If you've torn ligaments and require surgery it's a whole 'nother ball game. I wish you a speedy recovery either way.