How to Deal with a Knee Sprain
Rest your knee for the first 48 hours after injury., Ice your knee for two to three days following the injury., Compress your knee using a bandage., Elevate your knee above heart level., Avoid heat for the first 72 hours following the injury., Stay...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Rest your knee for the first 48 hours after injury.
Rest is the first and most important measure for knee sprain.
Rest will not only decrease pain but can also prevent further injury to the knee.
Consider the use of crutches to keep the weight off your injured knee.
However, many doctors say that you should actually not keep your injured knee immobile for too long.
You can usually start some exercises to help keep your knee joint moving and mobile.
Start these as soon as you can tolerate the exercises without them causing too much pain.
Talk to your doctor when you are considering starting exercises.
Your doctor may advise you to wear a knee brace to keep your knee immobile for few days until the ligaments heal. -
Step 2: Ice your knee for two to three days following the injury.
Ice application is an effective way of reducing pain and swelling caused by a knee sprain.
Ice mainly acts by cooling down that area, which can help to reduce blood flow and inflammation.Do not apply ice directly to the affected knee.
Instead wrap it in a plastic bag or cloth and then apply it over the affected knee for 15 to 20 minutes every 4 hours. , Compression will reduce swelling and pain.
Compression will physically reduce the swelling and enhance blood drainage from that area.Using an elastic bandage, wrap the knee starting from below the knee, and extend the bandage up past the top of the knee.
The wrap should not be too tight; otherwise it will cut off circulation to the leg and ankle.
Re-wrap the if bandage if it is too tight.
Remove the bandage before going to sleep. , Knee elevation will reduce swelling around the joint.
This is because when your knee is elevated above your heart, it speeds up the blood drainage in that area.
This, in turn, will limit the swelling in that area.Use a pillow to elevate your knee while you are sleeping. , Hot baths, saunas, and heat packs should be avoided for 72 hours.
Heat has the opposite effect of ice when it comes to blood flow; it actually encourages blood flow rather than slowing it down.However, after 72 hours, no further inflammation is likely to develop and heat may then be soothing to your painful knee. , Alcoholic drinks can increase bleeding and swelling and decrease healing, so alcohol should be avoided for first 72 hours after a knee sprain occurs., Running may cause further damage.
Try walking after two to three days.
Stop walking if you feel pain. , A massage may be soothing after 72 hours when inflammation has subsided.
However, if you massage your knee before 72 hours has passed, it could increase blood flow to the area and cause swelling. -
Step 3: Compress your knee using a bandage.
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Step 4: Elevate your knee above heart level.
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Step 5: Avoid heat for the first 72 hours following the injury.
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Step 6: Stay away from alcoholic drinks.
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Step 7: Do not run on your sprained knee.
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Step 8: Don’t massage the knee until 72 hours have passed.
Detailed Guide
Rest is the first and most important measure for knee sprain.
Rest will not only decrease pain but can also prevent further injury to the knee.
Consider the use of crutches to keep the weight off your injured knee.
However, many doctors say that you should actually not keep your injured knee immobile for too long.
You can usually start some exercises to help keep your knee joint moving and mobile.
Start these as soon as you can tolerate the exercises without them causing too much pain.
Talk to your doctor when you are considering starting exercises.
Your doctor may advise you to wear a knee brace to keep your knee immobile for few days until the ligaments heal.
Ice application is an effective way of reducing pain and swelling caused by a knee sprain.
Ice mainly acts by cooling down that area, which can help to reduce blood flow and inflammation.Do not apply ice directly to the affected knee.
Instead wrap it in a plastic bag or cloth and then apply it over the affected knee for 15 to 20 minutes every 4 hours. , Compression will reduce swelling and pain.
Compression will physically reduce the swelling and enhance blood drainage from that area.Using an elastic bandage, wrap the knee starting from below the knee, and extend the bandage up past the top of the knee.
The wrap should not be too tight; otherwise it will cut off circulation to the leg and ankle.
Re-wrap the if bandage if it is too tight.
Remove the bandage before going to sleep. , Knee elevation will reduce swelling around the joint.
This is because when your knee is elevated above your heart, it speeds up the blood drainage in that area.
This, in turn, will limit the swelling in that area.Use a pillow to elevate your knee while you are sleeping. , Hot baths, saunas, and heat packs should be avoided for 72 hours.
Heat has the opposite effect of ice when it comes to blood flow; it actually encourages blood flow rather than slowing it down.However, after 72 hours, no further inflammation is likely to develop and heat may then be soothing to your painful knee. , Alcoholic drinks can increase bleeding and swelling and decrease healing, so alcohol should be avoided for first 72 hours after a knee sprain occurs., Running may cause further damage.
Try walking after two to three days.
Stop walking if you feel pain. , A massage may be soothing after 72 hours when inflammation has subsided.
However, if you massage your knee before 72 hours has passed, it could increase blood flow to the area and cause swelling.
About the Author
Kevin Hernandez
Experienced content creator specializing in organization guides and tutorials.
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