How are your knees feeling?

While you do not necessarily have to get a diagnosis and treatment every time you hurt your knee, it is important that you consult with a doctor if the pain persists for more than a few days. Just about everyone experiences pain in their knees once in a while but if you have any of the following symptoms, you should see a hurt knee doctor right away:

o Swelling around the knee
o Fever accompanied by pain
o Pain that is getting consistently worse
o Severe pain that wakes you up at night
o Increasing stiffness in the joint

These symptoms can point to a wide range of conditions, which could be anything from a torn ligament to osteoarthritis. The treatment for the hurt knee depends upon the reason for the symptoms.

Treatment for a Hurt Knee Injury

If you have injured your knee and present with swelling as well as pain, you may have torn a cartilage or a ligament in the knee. A physician will take an x-ray of the knee and accordingly recommend the best course of action. In many cases, a knee brace and ice pack, along with rest, will help the knee get back to normal. Your doctor may also prescribe some pain medication that can be used to deal with the pain.

Treatment for an Underlying Knee Condition

In some cases, the hurt knee is not the result of an accident or injury but the result of an underlying condition such as arthritis or osteoarthritis. This is a debilitating condition that can present with swelling, stiffness and pain. It may mimic an traumatically injured knee but is really the result of the degeneration of the ligaments and cartilage in the knee. Fortunately, there is something you can do to help you go about your everyday life despite having a hurt knee.

Your physician will most likely prescribe conservative treatment if the knee pain is related to an arthritic condition, or some mild to moderate knee injuries. Although you may find walking painful, many physicians would recommend that you rest your knee completely, lest the knee gets even stiffer. This all depends on what is going on with your knee.

If they wish for you to remain active, it is always best to partake of non-weight bearing exercises such as swimming (without doing a breast stroke kick), which will allow the knee to remain flexible while not exerting unnecessary pressure on it.

If you have knee pain, then a low profile, light weight knee support may be the perfect supplement to your daily activities. If you believe that a reduction in pain and improved stability can help you, then you should seriously consider a brace today.