WHAT YOU SHOULD
KNOW
Knee injuries can take the form of a sprain or a strain.
Sprains result from suddenly stretching or tearing the
ligaments that hold the bones together. A strain is an injury
to the muscles or the tendons that connect the muscles to the
bones. In most cases, either type of injury will take about 6
to 8 weeks to heal.
Causes
Sprains are usually caused by an
accident, such as tripping, falling, or twisting the knee.
Strains usually result from over-use.
Signs/Symptoms
Typically, there will be pain,
tenderness, swelling, or bruising of the injured area. If the
injury is serious, you may have trouble moving the
knee.
Care
You'll probably need to wear a
splint or ace bandage to keep the knee from moving. The doctor
may take an x-ray of the area; and if you also injured the
skin, you may need a tetanus shot.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
-
Stay off your feet for 24 hours. After that, you can
gradually increase the amount you use your injured knee
when walking, as long as it doesn't hurt too
much.
-
Use crutches or a cane until it is no longer painful
to put weight on the knee when you
stand.
-
Put ice on the injury for 15 to 20 minutes each hour
for the first 1 to 2 days. Place the ice in a plastic bag
and place a towel between the bag of ice and your
skin.
-
After the first 1 to 2 days, you may put heat on the
injury to help ease the pain. Use a heating pad (set on
low), a whirlpool bath, or warm, moist towels for 15 to 20
minutes every hour for 48 hours.
-
To rest your knee and allow it to heal, wear your
splint or elastic bandage (ace wrap) as directed by your
doctor.
-
You can loosen or tighten the splint or bandage to
make it more comfortable. It should be tight enough to
provide support, but not so tight that it causes numbness
or tingling in your toes. If you are wearing an ace
bandage, take it off and rewrap it once a
day.
-
You may take over-the-counter medications to relieve
the pain. If the doctor prescribes any medicine, take it
exactly as directed. If it makes you drowsy, don't
drive.
-
If you have been given a tetanus shot, your arm may
get swollen, red, and warm to the touch at the shot site.
This is a normal reaction to the
medicine.
Call Your Doctor If...
-
The bruising, pain, or swelling grows
worse.
-
The skin on your lower leg turns white or blue and
feels cool to the touch.
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