
They all sound complicated but, really, all they do is help drive excess fluid away from your knee. Only, specifically for elevation, gravity is the one doing the work by means of making sure your knee rests higher than your heart.Įffleurage, deep strokes, and lymphatic drainage are the most commonly used massage techniques used to treat knee swelling. Ice, compression, and elevation all have the same goal which is to help guide fluids away from the site of injury, reducing swelling. Take the compression off when you’re icing your injury and when you sleep at night. You can use elastic bandages (using the spiral wrapping method) or sleeves. This helps channel fluids away from the knee, reducing inflammation. Do this for 15-20 minutes several times a day for the first 2-3 days. Also, the coolness helps numb the joint which, in turn, decreases pain.

This slows down circulation to your knee, reducing inflammation. This is to prevent any more injuries but also so you have the time and opportunity to start the healing process.

R.I.C.E.Īs the University of Michigan says (and pretty much every other reputable source will tell you), the RICE method is used as soon as possible after injuries, most notably sprains and strains but arthritis sufferers and those who just underwent knee surgeries can also benefit from this method. These range from simple home remedies and over-the-counter medication to more serious procedures like joint aspiration and surgery. Now that we’ve got the basics covered, let’s move on to why you’re really here. Learn more: 9 common causes of knee swelling and their solutions For instance, malignant tumors are far worse than mild sprains, osteoarthritis is a localized issue whereas rheumatoid arthritis involves your entire immune system, and so on and so forth. Needless to say, the gravity of some of these conditions is worse than others. Strains (when there’s damage to your tendons).Sprains (when there’s damage to your ligaments).Here are a few examples: Injuries that may lead to knee swelling

If you break them down, however, a number of conditions come up. Large effusions, on the other hand, are what you have to watch out for (and are also what people typically refer to when they say they have a swollen knee) because they’re clear giveaways that something is wrong, which brings us to the next part of our discussion. That being said, you can basically group effusions into 2 kinds:Īccording to a study, small joint effusions don’t show any symptoms, can happen to anyone, and typically resolve on their own.
