You may have injured your knee following a fall, or after twisting or bending your knee. This can cause sharp pain or aching in or around the knee. As you get older, normal age-related changes can mean that even a small incident can cause a flare up of pain.
Symptoms
Initially after an injury, you may have pain in your knee when resting. It is normal to experience amounts of swelling and/or bruising a couple of days after an injury.
Pain can be sharp and/or an ache, it can change overtime.
Even when symptoms are improving, it is still common to get pain during activities such as walking, going up or down stairs, kneeling, turning quickly and getting out of the car/chair.
You may have pain and restriction bending and/or fully straightening your knee but if this is significantly limited, please seek medical attention (see ‘should I get medical attention section below’).
Causes
There are many ligaments, muscles and cartilage that can get injured during a fall or twist. Knee injuries are common in sports but can also occur with minor accidents like miss-judging a step. Often, smaller injuries will heal with minimal to no medical input by following the advice provided below.
Should I get medical attention?
Please go to Accident and Emergency (A+E) or speak to your GP if you have any of the following symptoms:
- Your knee gives way causing you to fall to the floor.
- You cannot fully straighten your knee and it feels blocked.
- You are unable to put weight through your leg.
- You developed large amounts of swelling around your knee within 1-2 hours after your injury.
- Numbness or pins and needles in your leg below your injured knee.
Only continue to read if you have none of these symptoms.
Should I be resting or moving?
Recent Injury - For the first 24 to 72 hours
- Try to reduce your activity levels on the knee but avoid long spells of not moving at all.
- Try to gently move your knee forwards and backwards for 30 seconds every hour when you are awake.
- When going up stairs reduce the strain on your knee by leading with your better leg, if there is a handrail then use it. Lead with your injured leg on the way down.
After 72 hours
- Start to increase your activity levels gradually within the limits of your pain. You can follow the exercises within this leaflet to get you started.
- Avoid sports or heavy lifting until you have less pain and good movement.
Should I take pain relief?
- Over the counter pain relief can help you keep moving however, it is important to discuss this with your GP or a pharmacist if you are taking other medication.
Should I use ice or heat?
- If you have swelling in the knee, wrap crushed ice in a damp towel and hold it for 10 to 15 minutes against the part that hurts. You can do this several times a day. Make sure you use a damp towel between the ice and your skin to avoid ice burns.
- Some people find that heat is more relaxing. You can use a hot water bottle, wheat pack or a heat pad. Make sure it is not too hot and doesn’t directly touch your skin. You can use this for 10-20 minutes, several times a day.
- Alternatively, you could try sport sprays, creams, and gel packs, which do a similar job.
What about work?
- There is no set time frame for when you should return to work. However, it will benefit your recovery to get back to your normal routine as soon as possible. If you have concerns about your duties, it is advised to speak to your manager or Occupational Health team if you need any adjustments such as a gradual return to work or temporary lighter duties.
- It is normal to have a slight increase in pain as you gradually increase your activity. This is why it is important to remain active prior to your return to work.
What about sports and exercise?
- Before returning to sport or exercise you should be able to fully straighten and bend your knee and be able to walk without a limp. The strength/stability of your injured knee should feel similar to your uninjured knee.
- You should take a gradual approach returning to your usually exercise routine. For example, slowly increasing walking distance and exposure to different terrain.
- It is normal to experience a small increase in pain and/or swelling that resolves within 24 hrs of exercise.If you are struggling to make progress towards returning to your normal activities within 6 weeks, you may want to consider speaking to a healthcare professional for further guidance.
What actions can I take to improve my health?
Evidence tells us that making healthy lifestyle choices can have a big impact on influencing problems with your muscles and bones and can play a major role in your overall health. Some of the most effective areas to address are below:
Maintaining a healthy weight:
Link: www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/
Increasing levels of physical activity
Link: www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/
Avoiding poor sleep patterns
Link: www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and- tiredness/how-to-get-to-sleep/
Reducing alcohol consumption
Link: www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol- support/calculating-alcohol-units/
Stopping smoking
Link: www.nhs.uk/live-well/quit-smoking/
Maintaining a healthy mind
Link: www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/
The good news is that you are able to influence lots of these by modifying your lifestyle. Therefore it is important that you consider addressing these areas alongside your current treatment.
You may wish to discuss any of these factors with your treating clinician who will be able to work with you and guide your long term management and support you to improve your wellbeing.
There will be information about the local services that exist within the waiting areas of the physiotherapy department and your treating clinician will be able to help signpost you to appropriate services.
The websites listed below give more information on local services available:
• Blackburn and Darwen - https://refreshbwd.com/
• East Lancashire - http://www.upandactive.co.uk/
