Understanding Knee Sprains
Talks about grade 1, grade 2, and so forth, do not necessarily mean one’s school year level. Instead, these may point out to the severity of a knee sprain.
Understanding knee sprains is not as complicated as it sounds. A knee sprain can be simply defined as a knee ligament injury. The degree of sprain, can however, vary from a minor stretch to a full ligament tear.
Grade 1, or mild knee sprains, are those characterized by simple and minor ligament stretching that result in swelling and pain. Grade 2, or moderate knee sprains, are characterized by partial tears in the ligament and are known to be more disabling. Grade 3, or the severe knee sprains, are characterized by the total rupture or damage to the ligament, which mostly require surgical means to repair.
Understanding knee sprains involves knowing its various causes. The most common ones are: abrupt stop when running; twisting the knee forcibly; awkward landing after jumping; trauma to the inner and outer sides of the knee; sudden shift in weight while doing physical activities; trauma to the knee when the foot is on the ground and the knee is bent forward.
Risk factors are those that heighten the likelihood of getting or developing a medical condition or injury. The risk factors associated with knee sprains include the following: poor coordination, engaging in sports, poor balance, loose joints, and not enough strength and flexibility in ligaments and muscles.
Understanding knee sprains also means knowing the different symptoms that come with the condition. People suffering from these are likely to have knee pains, may be unable to stand on or use the injured leg, may feel tenderness on the affected area, and may observe bruising or redness around the sprained knee.
Before the doctor will recommend a particular treatment for knee sprain, he will first investigate the symptoms and the potential causes of the injury. An examination of the sprained knee will give him an assessment regarding the degree of injury, as well as the stability of the affected joint. If the doctor is still unsure, he may advice you to undergo some tests to confirm his assessment. These tests may either be an x-ray or an MRI scan. X-ray tests are generally done to ensure that broken bones are not present. MRI scans, on the other hand, are performed to check whether or not a ligament was completely torn.
Although knee sprain treatment may vary, the basic option adheres to the RICE principle. RICE is actually an acronym for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Since sprains are damages to the ligaments, it is highly advised that patients refrain from putting unnecessary amounts of pressure on the injured knee. Rest is crucial to allow some natural healing to take place.
The use of ice on the sprained area has been proven to work wonders. Application should be done around 4 times in 24 hours, each lasting about 20 minutes. This can be done for 2 days, or until the pain and swelling is totally gone. The ice should be wrapped in a cloth and should not be applied directly to the injured area.
Since knee sprains come with swelling, compressing the area by wrapping bandage around it will control swelling. However, bandages should not be too tight. Elevating the sprained knee will also reduce swelling. The duration of this technique depends on how severe the sprain is.
Although this principle is known to work well for knee sprains, some patients may require medications to ease the pain. Moreover, if the injury seem unresponsive to any of these, a visit to the doctor may just give you the right answers.