Knee Pain

All About Swollen Knee Treatment

Our knees have a big responsibility of bearing the body weight. Any discomfort or damage to the knees can disrupt our lives. Any injury, underlying disease, overuse, etc., can damage this joint of the body and make it difficult to perform daily tasks or even move. Whenever the knee faces a blow of any kind or is affected by a disease, one of the most common signs is swelling in the knees. One could easily get a swollen knee after a fall, after running, due to uneven terrain, etc. 

A swollen knee is not a pleasant sight to see. A swollen knee occurs due to fluid build-up in or around the knee. This condition is known as knee effusion. 

Swollen Knee Causes 

There are a lot of factors that could lead to a swollen knee, including: 

• A fall 
• An injury to the knee 
• An underlying medical condition 
• Broken bones 
• Cartilage tear 
• Overuse 
• Ligament tear 
• Arthritis 
• Knee bursitis 
• Tumors 
• Cysts 
• Obesity 

How to reduce a swollen knee? 

Here are some at-home remedies to reduce the swelling in the knee: 

1. Rest  

Resting is the only remedy for any discomfort in the body. Take complete rest and avoid any activity that could increase the pain and swell in the knee, such as walking, running, exercising, bending the knee, etc. 

2. Ice 

Apply an ice pack to the knee for 15-20 minutes with a gap of two to four hours. Keep a towel on your knee and ice it to avoid any damage to the skin. This will help reduce the swelling. Do this 2-3 times a day. 

3. Compress 

Slight knee compression will help relieve the pain and swelling in the knee. Make sure to apply only a little compression. Wrapping a bandage around the knee will help prevent fluid from worsening. 

4. Elevate 

Keep your leg on a stool or pillows to lift the leg higher than the heart level. This will reduce the blood flow to the knee and reduce inflammation.  

5. Anti-Inflammatory Medicines 

Use over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve the pain and the swelling. If the swelling does not reduce, consult your doctor, and take prescription medicines only. 

6. Using Heat Therapy 

Heat therapy is an alternative to ice packs. You can apply heat packs to the swollen knee just like the ice pack with a towel or take a warm bath to reduce the swelling. Do these 2 -3 times a day. 

7. Massages 

In the first 2 or 3 days, you can try to reduce the swelling with a massage. You can either take a professional’s help or do it by yourself. Massaging the knee will drain the fluid from the knee. 

8. Knee Exercises

Once the swelling is completely normal, and the knee is back in shape, start doing some mild exercises to strengthen the muscles and the joint. The knee acts as the shock absorber of the body. Strong muscles around the joint can easily absorb the pressure without causing any injury. There are a lot of swollen knee exercises that can help relieve the pain. You can also look for exercises to reduce fluid build-up in the knee and ease knee tightness. 

9. Reduce Excess Weight 

Excess weight puts pressure on the knees and results in wear and tear of the muscles and joints. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces unnecessary strain on the knee and avoids any injury, swelling, or breaking of the bones. 

Where to buy products for swollen knee treatment? 

HPFY carries a wide range of hot packs, cold packs, knee braces, and compression sleeves that can help relieve knee pain. Some of the top sellers are: 

1. DonJoy FULLFORCE ACL Ligament Knee Brace 

The DonJoy FULLFORCE ACL Ligament Knee Brace is the go-to knee brace for all athletes. It features DonJoy's 4-Points-of-Leverage System and FourcePoint hinge technology and puts less strain on the ACL and decreases the chances of injury. The Donjoy knee brace is lightweight and made of an aircraft-grade aluminum frame. 

2. Bottle Creek Thermophore MaxHEAT Moist Heat Pack 

The Bottle Creek Thermophore MaxHEAT Moist Heat Pack is designed for the back, hip, leg, and shoulders. It relieves arthritis pain, fibromyalgia, and atrophied muscles and relaxes all muscles. It has simple one-touch control features and an auto-off timer, producing intense heat without adding water.  

3. Sammons Preston Black Polyurethane X-Tra Durable Cold Packs 

The Sammons Preston Black Polyurethane X-Tra Durable Cold Packs are made of a durable polyurethane material that lasts long, is flexible, and conforms to the body. It is used for sore muscles, injuries, and after-surgery pain. It stays cold for up to 30 minutes. These packs are great to be used at home, gym, clinic, etc.  

4. 3M ACE Elastic Bandage with E-Z Clips

The 3M ACE Elastic Bandage with E-Z Clips provides comfortable support during intense activities. It also relieves a sprain/strain, swelling, or muscle soreness with the therapeutic heat retention feature. This compression wrap for the knee is easy to wrap and secures with clip snaps. It has been designed to be comfortable for the user even when worn for longer. The 3M ACE elastic bandage wrap gives an anti-microbial treatment to prevent bacteria from growing and reduce odor. 

Generally, the RICE method (Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevate) could resolve knee pain. The over-the-counter medication also provides knee pain relief. Maintaining a healthy weight, mild exercise, and proper rest also help avoid knee discomfort. If the pain persists, it is advisable to consult a medical practitioner. 

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