Home Remedies for Water on the Knee
- Water of the knee is made up of fluid such as crystals, blood, bacteria, uric acid, or calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate. The affliction can be really painful and people who have it often experience symptoms such as swelling, limited mobility, inflammation, stiffness in the knee joint, and bruising around the knee. If water of the knee was caused by something unknown, other than severe trauma or a broken bone or from overusing the knee joint, you should go to the doctor so that they can run tests on the fluid to determine what the cause of the swelling is. The doctor will likely use tests like an X-ray to determine that no bones are broken or that arthritis is not present, an MRI may be done to determine that no ligaments, tendons or cartilage is torn. The doctor may also extract fluid from the knee to determine what it is made out of, to rule out gout or pseudo gout. Blood tests may also be taken to rule out other causes of water of the knee.
- Water of the knee can be treated using the RICE acronym--commonly practiced for sports-related injuries as an easy way to remember how to care for swollen joints. "R" stands for rest, meaning you should stay off the affected joint to allow it to heal itself and prevent further injury to it. The "I" stands for ice. You should apply ice your knee to reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation. Ice should be applied for about 15 to 20 minutes every two to four hours as long as swelling is present. The letter "C" stands for compress. A compress should be used around the knee joint to prevent it from accidentally moving and to provide stability. You should use a compress that is made from breathable materials. The letter "E" stands for elevate. Keep the knee joint elevated above the heart to keep swelling down and reduce fluid build up. Other remedies that may help reduce pain associated with water of the knee are using over the counter pain relieving medications such as Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin.
Use prevention to reduce your risk of developing water of the knee. Prevention can be done by simply building up surrounding knee muscles in the leg to help support the knee so that it does not endure all the strain. Weight loss is another way to prevent knee joint inflammation. If you reduce weight than the knee is not under as much strain as it is when it has to support a lot of load bearing weight.
