Knee injuries are very common, and a vast majority of them are due to sports, falls and motor vehicle accidents. There are several different knee conditions that can occur and affect your knee. If knee pain occurs for long periods of time that it affects your everyday life, then the first thing you should do is call your doctor right away.
In this article, we will learn about knee injuries and give you five tips on how to generally care for them and manage their symptoms.
Causes of knee injuries
High-impact sports such as running, basketball, football, rugby or American football or any activity that requires shoes with cleats or involves sudden changes in direction are all common risks for knee injury. Exercise, such as high-impact cardiovascular activity or yoga, can also cause knee injury. The elderly, especially those who suffer from osteoporosis, may be at higher risk for knee injury, as well.
Being overweight can be a risk factor for knee injury, as excess weight puts more stress on the lower extremity joints.
Overuse and overtraining in sports, not wearing the right gear or footwear or not properly rehabilitating acute injuries can also cause knee injuries.
Signs and symptoms of knee injury
The symptoms and signs of knee injury would depend on the type of injury and the part of the knee that was injured.
These are the common symptoms of knee injuries:
- Knee pain
- Swelling
- Heat
- Redness
- Tenderness
- Difficulty bending the knee
- Problems weight bearing
- Clicking or popping sounds
- Locking of the knee
- Feeling of instability
- Bruising
If the injury is acute, the symptoms will most likely be knee pain and swelling. If the injury is chronic or from overuse, the symptoms of clicking, popping and intermittent pain will be more prominent.
Knee injury specialists
A knee injury may first be examined and treated by a primary care provider (PCP), such as your family doctor, an internist or a child’s pediatrician. If you go to the emergency room for your knee injury, you will be seen by an emergency medicine specialist.
If you have a severe knee injury, you may be referred to an orthopedist. An orthopedist or an orthopedic surgeon specializes in injuries of the musculoskeletal system. If your knee injury is sports-related, you may see a sports medicine specialist.
Other medical professionals who may be involved in treating your injured knee include physical therapists, occupational therapists or other rehabilitation specialists.
5 tips to recover from a knee injury
Below are five general steps to ensure a quick and healthy recovery:
1. Get advice from a medical professional
You must consult with your doctor first to know how to correctly care for your knee. Your friends or family may attempt to give you unreliable advice on how to recover from your injured knee. Only physical therapists or doctors will provide you with the most accurate advice on how to treat knee injury or may give you a proper referral to a specialist. Dealing with knee injury without professional care may worsen your injury and may lead to other complications.
2. Strengthen the muscles around your knees
Your doctor or physical therapist may recommend a series of exercises that you must do to strengthen or rehabilitate your knee. There are many exercises that can be helpful while dealing with knee problems. It is important to routinely do the exercises that you’re assigned. By doing these exercises, you will be able to prevent recurring knee pain when bending and being active.
3. Nourish your body with a proper diet
If you don’t already, follow a strict diet. Dieting doesn’t just mean cutting calories to lose weight – it can also mean increasing the nutrients that you consume on a daily basis to make sure that your body is well taken care of. You may take multivitamins and make a daily effort to eat healthily. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables as they will provide your body with the nutrients necessary to promote the healing process. They will also help in preventing chronic knee pain.
4. Support your healing knee with a knee brace
Your knee joint will still be weak after the tendons begin to heal. Wear the brace as often as possible at the beginning of your recovery process in order to make sure you don’t cause stiff knee pain. There are many types of braces that can be useful during recovery, such as an open patella knee sleeve, which is commonly used in treating many types of knee conditions. They also provide the knee with warmth and compression, promoting blood flow and improving oxygenation of the muscle tissue. If you are suffering from a torn meniscus and looking to immobilize the knee completely, you can also use a knee immobilizer which creates a breathable and comfortable support for the knee.
5. Rest and move the knee with care
Make sure to get plenty of rest after your knee surgery, but keep in mind that it is still important to keep the knee moving to an extent to prevent it from stiffening up and causing more uncomfortable pain. The recovery process is not always easy, but following the above steps will help you ease your way through the healing period. Be sure to listen to all advice that your doctors provide for you.
Got a question or anything I can help with? My name is Steve Stretton, and I’m the owner and manager at Gelpacks.com. You can drop me a line here. Good luck!