A sprained knee is an injury to the knee ligaments, which are elastic and strong, and connect the bones and joints. A sprain can affect many of the ligaments in the knee by tearing the tissue fibers, leaving you with pain, swelling, and bruising. If you have been diagnosed with a sprained knee, follow the simple steps below to recover as quickly as possible.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Following the P. R. I. C. E. Method
Step 1. Protect (protect) knees. As soon as the knee is injured, protect it so it doesn't get worse. When a knee is sprained, do not continue to move or do activities that you did when the knee was healthy. If possible, sit down immediately and make sure your knees are not compressed.
- If you are in a public place, ask someone to help you go to the doctor. You don't have to walk so much to be able to check how bad your sprain is.
- See a doctor immediately. Since the P. R. I. C. E method is the most popular way to treat sprains, your doctor may ask you to follow it through to completion. However, if your condition is severe, make sure you follow your doctor's instructions as fully as possible.
Step 2. Rest (rest) knees. Within the first 48 hours, the knee should be rested. This way, the ligaments have time to heal and repair themselves. Your doctor may also instruct you to avoid using your knee as much as possible for a few days after the injury. He or she can also provide a walking aid for you.
Your doctor may also suggest a cast or brace if you have trouble keeping your knee in place in the first few days after the injury
Step 3. Ice (use an ice pack) on the knee. For the first few days, apply an ice pack to the knee to help relieve inflammation and pain. Place ice cubes or crushed ice in a sealed plastic bag or remove frozen vegetables from the freezer. If you are using vegetables, wrap them in a towel or cloth. Place an ice pack on your knee for 20 minutes and repeat four to eight times a day.
- Do not apply an ice pack to the calf for more than 20 minutes. You may cause injury or frostbite if you do this.
- You can also use a cold compress instead of ice.
- You should continue to treat the knee with ice for 48 hours or until the swelling subsides.
Step 4. Compress (compress) the knee. To help reduce swelling, you should compress the knee within a few days of the injury. You will need to wrap it with tape or an elastic bandage. Wrap the tape tightly to support the knee and keep it from moving. However, make sure you don't wrap it too tightly to keep the blood circulating.
- Remove the plaster while you sleep. This way, the blood in your knees has time to circulate freely and your knees won't move much while you sleep.
- You may be able to remove the compress after 48 hours. However, if your knee is still swollen, your doctor may advise you to keep compressing it.
Step 5. Elevate (sticky) sore knee. Support the calf as much as possible within a few days after the injury. Try to keep your knees higher than your heart to reduce blood flow and swelling. Sit or lie on your back. Place two/three pillows under the sprained knee to prop it higher than your heart.
The degree of knee blockage will depend on environmental conditions. If you sit up straight, you may need more pillows than lying down
Part 2 of 3: Using Additional Traditional Treatment Methods
Step 1. Use heat
After you treat your feet with the P. R. I. C. E. method. Over the course of 48-72 hours, you can start adding some extra treatment methods to help with knee pain and swelling. Use a heat pad or compress on the knee to relieve stiffness and pain. Use for 20 minutes four times a day or as needed. In this way, the knee muscles that have been rested for three days will return to weakness.
- You can also use heat from a sauna, pool, or bath.
- Do not apply heat until 72 hours have passed or the knee will get worse. The increased blood flow to the knee while it is still recovering can cause bleeding or more severe swelling.
Step 2. Take oral pain relievers
While you're healing yourself, over-the-counter painkillers can help. Try ibuprofen or acetaminophen for the pain you're experiencing and it's too difficult to manage without medication.
- Try common brands of ibuprofen, such as Advil and Motrin, as well as acetaminophen brands like Tylenol.
- You can also take anti-inflammatory drugs such as naproxen. You can buy them in brands like Aleve.
- Ask your doctor for prescription anti-inflammatory drugs if the pain and swelling in your knee persists for more than a week.
Step 3. Try topical anti-inflammatory creams
If you don't want to take oral painkillers, there are some topical creams that can help. Buy ibuprofen creams from the pharmacy. This method is best used when your pain has subsided, because the topical version of ibuprofen doesn't put too high a dose of the drug into the body (and so may not be useful for high pain).
There are other creams that can only be purchased by prescription. Ask your doctor if you think it's an option you can try
Step 4. Avoid alcohol
While you're recovering, don't drink any alcohol, especially in the first few days after your injury. Alcohol can decrease the body's ability to heal itself. Alcohol can also cause inflammation and swelling.
Ask your doctor before you start drinking alcohol. Make sure your knee has healed enough so that you don't hinder the healing process further
Part 3 of 3: Rehabilitating the Knee
Step 1. Exercise
Once you're healed enough to start moving your knee, your doctor may teach you mobility exercises to help you. These exercises aim to prevent stiffness, increase strength, mobility, and flexibility of the knee joint. You may be asked to do exercises that focus on balance and strength. You need to do it several times a day so that your condition quickly improves.
The type of exercise and the duration of the exercise depend on the extent of the injury. You may need more time if the knee sprain is severe. Ask your doctor to find out how long you should exercise
Step 2. Follow physical therapy if needed
If your injury is very severe, you may need to seek help from a physical therapist or do self-therapy for some time after the injury. In most cases, you won't need this therapy, but in some cases, you'll need to do it to completely heal the knee ligaments and restore them to their former state.
The exercises you perform will depend on your injury, but can generally help with stiffness, swelling and tingling, and return the knee to full range of motion without pain
Step 3. Increase activity gradually
Within a few weeks of the injury, your doctor may advise you to return to your daily routine without the aid of bandages, crutches, or crutches. If this happens, your doctor will likely ask you to slow down at first, to analyze your strength, flexibility, and range of motion after the injury.
If you do not experience pain, you can immediately resume normal activities, including exercise and other physical activities
Step 4. Have surgery if needed
In certain cases, your doctor may determine that you need surgery. One reason for surgery is to repair the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which is the ligament inside the knee that helps it move back and forth. Because these ligaments are so important, if you tear, injure, or injure them, they need to be restored to the best of their ability. Athletes have more frequent surgeries to ensure their ACL returns to its previous level of motion and strength.
- You may also need surgery if more than one ligament in the knee is injured. These different ligaments may have a hard time healing themselves.
- Surgery is usually the last option. Often, all other methods are performed before surgery is considered an option.
