A knock on the knee is painful and may cause serious injury. Trauma to the knee may result in ligament damage. When you suffer a knock to the knee and see swelling, exercise will not help reduce the inflammation. Instead, get the swelling down and get medical help. When swelling subsides, exercise will be helpful to strengthen the knee.
Reduce Inflammation with RICE
The RICE acronym is the standard recommendation to treat inflammation in the knee. It stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. What this means is that you should stop flexing your knee and stop putting pressure on the joint while you have pain and inflammation. You must rest your knee and elevate it on pillows. Ice it for 20 minutes at a time using the ice pack of your choice. Finally, wrap the knee in bandages or a brace to help compress the knee and reduce swelling. It may take several days before the pain and inflammation go away. You may also want to take anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, but check with your doctor first.
At the Doctor's Office
Get to your doctor as soon as possible to determine if you've suffered a serious knee injury. He will ask you questions to determine what type of force caused your injury. A lateral knock to the knee may indicate a tear or rupture of the medial collateral ligament. A knock to the knee when it's bent may indicate a tear or rupture of the posterior cruciate ligament. Expect your doctor to palpate your knee, move the knee and order knee imaging such as an X-ray and MRI. If your inflammation has not subsided after several days, your doctor may also give you a cortisone shot.
Rehab
Once your knee is no longer inflamed, your doctor may prescribe physical therapy to strengthen the knee. This will focus on strengthening and stretching the muscles that support your knee, including the quadriceps, the hamstrings, and the gluteal muscles in the buttocks, also known as the hip abductors. All of these muscles support the knee and its functions. The stronger they are, the better able they will be to absorb the pressure and stress you place and your knee, which will reduce the load on your knee and reduce your knee pain. By stretching these muscles, you will also stretch your knee ligaments.
Other Treatment
Other treatment possibilities depend on the extent of your injury. If you have suffered a minor ligament tear, also known as a sprain, you may need only the RICE treatment, a leg brace and physical therapy. If you have a severe ligament tear or a complete rupture, you will likely need surgery. This will be done by an orthopedic surgeon. Afterward you will have to undergo a physical therapy program.
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