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 MARCH 12, 2003 Sprained Knee Needs RICE Formula You can sprain your knee by twisting it in a fall on the ski slope, by stepping in a pot hole while running (a real hazard this time of year in New York City), or by being hit from the side while playing hockey. The knee will swell up, and you will have trouble walking on that leg. A knee sprain, by definition, is an injury to a knee ligament. The sprain may vary in severity from a slight stretch to a complete tear of the ligament. A mild, or grade 1, sprain simply stretches the ligament and causes pain and swelling. A moderate, or grade 2, sprain partially tears the ligament and is much more disabling. A severe, or grade 3, sprain is a complete rupture and often needs surgical repair. Here's a good rule of thumb for knee injuries: if you receive a blow to the knee and the pain is on the same side of the knee that was hit, it's probably just a bruise, and the pain will go away rapidly. If the pain is on the opposite side of the knee, consider this a serious injury that needs careful treatment. The immediate treatment for a sprained knee is the standard RICE formula (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). Rest the knee while it aches and ice it intermittently several times a day. Wrap it in an elastic bandage in between icings and keep it elevated as much as possible. Special wraps, such as those produced by The Cold One (www.coldoneinc.com), make it easy to apply cold to a sprained knee for 20 minutes at a time, which is the recommended amount of time to shrink blood vessels and limit bleeding into the affected area, which reduces swelling. |
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