How to Get Rid of Fluid on the Knee: Caring for a Knee Effusion

Some amount of fluid around your knee is necessary — it helps cushion your bones and keeps the joint limber. But if too much fluid accumulates, it can lead to an effusion and cause pain, swelling and stiffness. Luckily, knowing how to get rid of fluid on the knee can help relieve this discomfort.

Here's everything you need to know about fluid on the knee, including why it happens and how to remove fluid from your knee.

A knee effusion occurs when the joint swells with fluid, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It can cause symptoms like:

• Pain
• Trouble moving the joint
• Fever
• A feeling of heaviness in the joint
• Redness
• Stiffness
• Warm skin

There are a number of reasons you can develop fluid in your knee. Per the Cleveland Clinic, the most common causes are:

• Infection
• Inflammation, often from conditions like arthritis or gout
• Overuse
• Injury
• A tumor in the area

Well, it depends on the cause of the effusion. For instance, sometimes resting, heating and icing the area is all that's needed to take care of fluid that accumulates as the result of overuse, per the Cleveland Clinic.

That said, you should visit your doctor if you experience severe pain, an obvious injury or any of the following issues:

• Fever
  
• Inability to move your joint
• Inability to bear weight on your joint
• Loss of feeling in your joint

If you have a chronic underlying condition like arthritis or gout, you might not be able to get rid of effusions for good. Fortunately, though, there are treatments to help ease or prevent excess water in the knee if you regularly deal with this issue (more on that later).

Again, how long water on the knee lasts depends on the cause of the buildup.

In some cases, fluid on the knee does go away by itself. For instance, if the cause of the effusion is temporary — like an injury — then the fluid should subside once you've healed, according to the Cleveland Clinic. How long that takes depends on the severity of your injury.

But if you have an underlying disease that contributes to the effusion, then you may not be able to eliminate your symptoms entirely.

The best treatment for an effusion depends on the cause. Here are some of the most common solutions:

One of the main ways to reduce fluid in the knee joint is to rest — especially if the cause of the effusion is overuse or injury, according to the Cleveland Clinic. That means holding off on activities and perhaps even using support while you walk, like a cane.

While you're resting, elevate your leg to further reduce knee swelling, per the Mayo Clinic. Elevating your knee above the level of your heart can help fluid drain from the joint.

Applying cold or heat to your knee may help reduce pain and fluid buildup, particularly if you have an injury or arthritis, per the Cleveland Clinic.

When using ice or freezer packs, don't place them directly on the skin — instead, wrap them in a towel before placing them on your knee.

In some cases, a knee brace can help stabilize and heal your joint. For instance, if you have an effusion due to a ligament injury, you may benefit from a wrap, according to a January 2022 ‌StatPearls‌ article.

Talk to your doctor before trying a brace or wrap, though, to make sure it's the right approach for how to get fluid off your knee.

Over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve) may also help relieve the pain in your knee, especially if it's the result of an injury or arthritis, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

If over-the-counter medications are ineffective, ask your doctor about prescription medications. If your knee effusion is due to rheumatoid arthritis or gout, your doctor may prescribe medicine specific to these conditions, per the Cleveland Clinic. Similarly, an effusion caused by septic arthritis or an infection may require antibiotics.

In certain cases, your doctor may recommend removing the excess fluid in your knee.

So, what is the best way to drain fluid from your knee? Through a needle inserted into the joint (a procedure called arthrocentesis), according to the Mayo Clinic. This can help reduce swelling and may also help determine the cause of the effusion, as your doctor will likely send a sample of the fluid to the lab for analysis.

Another potential method for how to get rid of fluid in your knee is through physical therapy exercises, according to the Mayo Clinic. Your doctor may recommend this treatment if your effusion is the result of an injury and you need to rebuild strength and mobility in the area.

So, what exercises can you do for water on the knee? Well, that ultimately depends on the type of injury you have. Talk to your physical therapist to get a customized set of knee exercises to reduce inflammation and fluid buildup.

Massage can be an effective way to relieve pain and inflammation from osteoarthritis-related knee trouble, according to an October 2020 review in ‌Medicine‌. It may also help to get rid of fluid on the knee.

How to massage fluid out of your knee depends on the severity and cause of the effusion, so follow your doctor or physical therapist's instructions for the best, safest technique.