You may have injured your knee by damaging either the ligaments or the tendon or cartilage. This will cause pain, swelling, stiffness, bruising and a limp.

You should:

• Use ice-packs(frozen peas wrapped in a damp towel will do) for 10 minutes, 4-6 times a day until the swelling decreases.
• Rest your leg for the first 72 hours and elevate your leg whenever you are resting.
• Wear a support bandage over your knee if we have advised you to (try not to get wrinkles in it).
• Take tablets such as ibuprofen or paracetamol(both available from a chemist) to relieve the pain. Check with a doctor first if you are on any medication.
• Keep your knee moving regularly and continue to walk but only as pain allows you to, you must rest your knee if it becomes painful.

You should not:

• Wear the support bandage in bed.
• Stand still for long.

If you are getting better, go to a doctor

• Exercise your knee gently 4-6 times a day once most of the swelling has gone down. If the movement hurt, try to make it smaller.

ACUTE KNEE INJURY EXERCISES

When the knee is injured the muscles on the front of the thigh can lose their strength very quickly.

If the thigh muscles are weak the knee does not work properly. Even if the original injury heals there may then be pain and the knee may give way. It is therefore very important you do these exercises to prevent complications.

It is also important to keep the knee moving to prevent stiffness, unless advised not to by the casualty doctor/practitioner.

If you are in pain, it is advisable to take some pain killers about half an hour before doing your exercise.

Exercise one

Lying on your back. Bend and straighten your knee as far as pain allows.

Exercise two

Lying on your back. Pull your foot up so that your toes are pointing to the ceiling. Push the back of your knee down onto the floor and feel the muscles in the thigh tighten. Hold for five seconds.

Exercise three

Lying on the back, place a cushion under the affected knee. Exercise the knee by pulling your foot and toes up, tighten your thigh muscle and straighten the leg (keep knee on the cushion). Hold for five seconds and slowly relax.

Exercise four

Lying on your back with one leg straight and the other leg bent. Exercise the straight leg by pulling toes up, straightening the knee and lifting the leg 20cm off the bed. Hold for five seconds and slowly relax.

Ref. Basildon Uni. Hosp/ Southend Univ, Hosp UK