How to Treat a Contusion of the Knee

The knee sticks out and does not have a lot of cushioning, so it is prone to contusions (bruises). When your knee hits a hard surface or object, the muscles and soft tissue get injured. Blood from capillaries enters the area causing discoloration. A bruised knee may be swollen, painful and suffer a range-of-motion loss. Good initial treatment will minimize pain, inflammation and stiffness.

Things You'll Need

• Elastic bandage
• Crushed ice
• Plastic bag

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Instructions

• 1

  Stop movement and rest. You may think that a bruise is no big deal, but continuing to move around will increase symptoms. Get off the leg by sitting or reclining. Elevate the knee if possible. Then begin treatment right away.

• 2

  Wrap the affected knee. Place something soft over the kneecap, such as a stack of gauze squares or a felt pad. Then wrap elastic bandage around the knee. Start behind the knee and wrap firmly to the front of the knee. Repeat wrapping until the knee is fully covered. Create an X-shape with the bandage if you want to get full coverage. Pull the wrap tightly enough to apply compression without cutting off circulation.

• 3

  Apply ice to the knee area. Put crushed ice in a plastic bag that can be sealed and place the bag over the wrapped knee. You can place the plastic bag in a towel if any surrounding skin could potentially be affected by the ice. Leave the ice on the injured area for five to 20 minutes, depending upon your cold tolerance. Take the ice off for 20 to 60 minutes. Repeat the process for several intervals of ice on and off.

• 4

  Perform gentle stretching when knee swelling subsides. When inflammation diminishes, you can massage the area or do range-of-motion stretches such as bending and lengthening the lower leg. The Health Care Clinic.org's website says massage can provide comfort and continue to lessen swelling.