Knee sprains are when one of the ligaments in the knee is overstretched or slightly torn. There are many ways Caledonia, Michigan, residents can get this type of injury. For instance, landing wrong after dunking during a pickup basketball game can sprain a knee. Mild to moderate knee sprains generally take between two and four weeks to heal, but there are knee sprain treatment options you can use to reduce your recovery time.
1. Elevation
One of the most common symptoms of a knee sprain is swelling in and around the knee. Swelling occurs as part of your body’s natural response to an injury. What happens is that the overstretching or tearing of the knee ligament causes your immune system to kick in. It responds by sending blood, other fluids and white blood cells to the injured knee, and the increase in fluid is the direct cause of the swelling.
To combat this symptom, elevating your knee is a good treatment option. This treatment allows the excess fluid in your knee to naturally drain away, and it’s most effective if your knee is raised above the level of your heart. One way to accomplish this is to elevate your knee with pillows while lying down on a bed or couch, and you’ll also want to make sure your knee is slightly bent to reduce strain on the injured ligament.
2. Knee brace
Another factor that’s important to knee sprain treatment is stability. Your knee joint may actually feel unstable after the sprain occurs, and this is especially true if the ligament in question has been partially torn. This lack of stability can make it harder to move around, but it can also cause your injury to worsen while you’re moving if you aren’t careful.
Using a knee brace is an option that can help increase knee stability. In turn, this can help decrease your risk of further injury, but you’ll want to consult your doctor about how long to use the brace. This is because braces can cause the muscles around the knee to weaken if used for too long.
3. Physical therapy
Participating in physical therapy is a third treatment option for knee sprains, and it can also be one of the most effective. You may be wondering where to go in Caledonia for physical therapy.
Advent Physical Therapy in Caledonia offers high-quality therapy for knee sprains and many other injuries and medical conditions. The way a knee sprain affects you is different from how it affects someone else, and this is why we’ll do a free screening to start off your treatment with us. Then, we’ll build you a personalized treatment plan that’s designed to address your specific needs with therapy methods like:
Are you ready to get our help with your knee injury? Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.