| Whether you have just injured your knee or you have a long-term problem with it, the swelling of the knee can cause a good deal of discomfort. Trying to find the answer to "How do I relieve knee swelling?" doesn't need to be a difficult one to answer. There are some things that you can do quickly that will help cause the swelling to go down and with it the pain and discomfort you might be feeling.
The first and probably most obvious thing is to get the load off your knee. You don't need to be applying pressure to it as that might make it swell more.
After you have done that, then you need to get the knee elevated. This will help to get the blood drawing away from the inflamed and swelling area. If you can stay off it for a full day it would be best.
Take some form of anti-inflammatory medication like aspirin or ibuprofen. This will reduce the swelling.
Apply cold for the first hour or two. Do NOT apply heat as this might cause clotting and would be harmful for your leg. Applying cold might hurt, but it will help in the long-term. Cold temperatures applied to the swelling area will numb the nerves and will also reduce swelling. Put cold on it for 15 minutes and then take a five minute break. If you don't have a cold pack then get a bag of frozen peas from the freezer and apply them.
When you do get back on your legs and start using your knee, try to have it supported. Use an ace bandage or some other type of support to help keep it from getting stressed. Using a cane or crutches might be in order if there is much in the way of pain. As much as you can, though, try staying off your leg for two days.
What has been known for centuries is using Epsom salts to help bring down the swelling. After the injury has had a little time to heal, and it has been kept cold, either soak a towel in very warm water that has had Epsom salts dissolved in it and wrap your swollen knee or take a warm to hot bath with Epsom salts. Epsom salts have a high concentration of magnesium which helps quite a bit with reducing inflammation. The magnesium sulfate in Epsom salts has quite a bit more medicinal qualities about it and also helps to relieve stress. If it is in hot water it can be absorbed into the skin really well and will help bring quick results.
It might be a good idea to have it checked out by a doctor to make sure that there isn't something serious wrong if the pain goes on for too long. If it is the result of an injury, then seeing a doctor should be near the top of your list of things to do. If there isn't serious injury then you should see these answers to your question, "How do I relieve knee swelling?" having a quick effect. |