How to Treat a Knee Injury at Home

A knee injury can be anything from a painful inconvenience to a nagging condition to a major medical emergency. Often, a minor knee injury can be treated at home. If you can't walk, if you can't move the joint or if it swells at the injury site, you'll know it's best to seek a doctor's advice. As directed by a doctor, at-home care after a more severe knee injury is often the same.

Things You'll Need

• Ice or a bag of frozen peas or corn
• Compression bandage (such as Ace or Spenco)
• Two pillows

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Instructions

PRICE Program of Care

• 1

  "P" stands for "protect." Guard against further injury by wrapping a knee with a minor sprain or overuse injury in an elastic compression bandage (Ace and Spenco are leading brands). A more severe injury may require crutches to keep weight off the injured joint, or possibly a brace for stabilization.

• 2

  "R" stands for "rest." Stay off your feet for at least a day in even the most minor of cases. More severe injuries will probably require more rest. Even after you can put weight on the knee, it's best to limit your daily activity until you're feeling stronger.

• 3

  "I" stands for "ice." An ice bag or a bag of frozen peas or corn laid over or even strapped onto the knee will minimize pain and swelling. Leave it on for 20 minutes, three or four times a day. If you leave it on too long (the skin gets numb or starts to hurt), you could be hurting your skin while trying to heal your knee.

• 4

  "C" stands for "compression." An elastic bandage around the knee will minimize fluid buildup around the knee joint. The bandage should be tight enough to hug the knee but loose enough not to cause red indentations in the skin.

• 5

  "E" stands for "elevation." When possible, keep the leg up by propping it over two pillows on a bed, couch or coffee table, or by sitting in a recliner with the footrest up. This also reduces fluid buildup and encourages healing.