The knee is one of the most important joints in the body. Most of the load of the body during the movement falls precisely on it. About 50% of all people are concerned about soreness in the knees. A high load, formed from the weight of a person and the walking process, also leads to a high probability of injury to the joint.
Structure and causes of sprain of knee joints
The most common injury is stretching the ligaments of the knee joint. The structure of the knee joint includes:
- two cruciate ligaments;
- two lateral ligaments;
- ligament of the patella.
The stretching of one of the ligaments can occur with a strong tension in uncharacteristic action. The reason may be:
- sports injuries (improper performance of elements, insufficient warming up of muscles before training);
- unsuccessful landings after jumping;
- abrupt stop during running;
- unsuccessful setting of the foot during the lifting of weights;
- a fall.
Symptoms of sprains in the knee joint
The main sign, of course, is pain in the joint. Over time, depending on the severity of the stretch, the following symptoms may appear:
- edema of soft tissues and, as a consequence, limitation of mobility of the knee joint for up to 10 days;
- increased temperature at the site of injury and redness of the skin;
- the appearance of a hematoma (usually one or two days after the injury);
- with the rupture of ligaments, it is possible to "loosen up" the joint.
Treatment of sprain of knee ligaments
Immediately after receiving the injury, it is desirable to occupy a horizontal position, placing something under the injured leg (a pillow, a folded towel, a jacket). The main thing is that the leg is in the plane above the heart - thus the outflow of blood will be ensured, and the edema will not be too strong.
In the first hours after injury, it is advisable to apply ice to the damaged area. This will cause a narrowing of blood vessels and reduce the likelihood of bruising or bruising.
In the next few days you need to give a damaged limb rest, keeping the bed rest. If you need movement, you either need to bandage your leg with an elastic bandage, or use a bandage. It is necessary to pay attention, that the bandage was not too tightly made, as this will cause an additional load on the vessels.
It is not superfluous to use therapeutic ointments or gels containing anti-inflammatory non-steroid drugs :
- Indomethacin;
- Ketoprofen;
- Fastum-gel;
- Troxevasin;
- Indovazin;
- Voltaren.
Perhaps the use of oral painkillers and supplements (mummies, chondroprotectors, calcium).
After five to seven days, additional treatment with physiotherapy (warming up, UHF, electrophoresis) is recommended.
Folk methods in treating the stretching of the knee ligaments
In addition to drug treatment and ointments, you can use some tips and alternative medicine:
- Not bad at stretching helps a hot milk compress - several layers of gauze, impregnated with milk, are applied to the sore spot until completely cooled.
- Excellent helps the decoction of the flowers of cornflower: 3 teaspoons brew with a liter of boiling water, insist one hour and strain, take a decoction of 0.5 cup 3 times a day.
- Kashitsu from the twisted flesh of onion and sugar in a ratio of 1:10 apply for 5-6 hours to the injured leg.
Prevention of sprains
In order to stretch the knee joint is not your usual business and did not lead to more serious diseases, you should adhere to simple rules:
- Use only comfortable shoes designed for sports.
- It is always good to warm up the muscles before starting sports, and after the end - a hitch that will allow the muscles to smoothly go into a quieter mode of operation.
- Control your weight and not neglect physical exertion: swimming, walking, cycling, running - all this will strengthen the muscles of your legs and help you better control ligaments.