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Water On The Knee
How to get rid of excess water on the knees?
( 9 Apr 2009)
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“Water on the knee” is basically a condition that develops when fluid accumulates around the joint of the knee, causing swelling and pain. There are some simple measures that you can use to get relief from the pain and possibly even reduce the swelling, but it is important to find out why your knee joint is accumulating water in this manner. Fluid can accumulate around the knee joint as a regular symptom of a medical condition such as arthritis, or it may be a single instance caused by physical trauma.
If your knee is swollen due to some injury, there is of course nothing that needs to be done apart from symptomatically treating the problem. However, if you have some underlying condition that is causing the fluid to accumulate, this condition needs to be treated in order to prevent frequent episodes of swelling.
In general, when the swelling occurs, rest, ice, and elevation are the most effective treatments. You should avoid putting weight on the affected knee; if possible, you could even stay in bed for a day or two, but certainly avoid running or lifting weights. When you’re in bed, keep your leg elevated – this will prevent further accumulation of fluids in your knee and the entire leg. You should also apply an ice pack several times a day. You can either wrap a few cubes of ice in a soft, clean towel, or else put the ice in a plastic bag. This will reduce both the pain and the swelling considerably.
Knee swelling is often aggravated by weak muscles, so you need to exercise regularly to strengthen the leg muscles. This takes some of the strain off your knees by giving them better support. You should however be cautious with your exercises – walking and swimming are usually safe, but other strenuous workouts may put an unnecessary strain on your knees. It is often better to ask your doctor or a physiotherapist to guide you in this area.
Apart from this, any treatment can only be prescribed when the underlying cause is known. These measures will usually target the underlying condition itself, rather than the knee swelling. Many of these measures will also be lifestyle and diet related. Some however will involve medication or even surgery. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are sometimes used to treat the problem, but if you suffer from osteoarthritis, the last option may be to replace the knee joint itself. You need to ask your doctor about these options.
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answered by G M on 9 Apr 2009, 6:42:38
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