When You Slip, Fall, And Dislocate Your Knee: What Your Doctor Might Prescribe Next

Falling and popping your knee out at an odd angle is never a good thing. At best, it will only be a sprain for a few days. At worst, you will dislocate the joint and it will be painful for days and require a doctor's immediate attention. If the knee popped itself back into position, there is still some possible damage to the ligaments and tendons. Your doctor may prescribe several treatments to make sure the knee repairs itself properly. 

Anti-Inflammatories to Reduce Swelling and Address Pain

Any injury to a joint is going to produce swelling and pain. Your doctor wants to reduce the swelling, speed healing, and make it all a lot less painful for you. They will prescribe an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain reliever to accomplish this. Prescription painkillers are only prescribed after surgical procedures, and only when absolutely necessary because of their potential for addiction and abuse. 

Muscle Flexion Support System

This is a device that will wrap around your injured knee and provide a lot more support until the knee is fully healed. Its many metal disks and wires make it look medieval, but it does in fact simultaneously provide immobility for the injured joint while still allowing you to move your leg and walk. You will have to adjust the way that you move for a while, but you can still get around and do most of the things you usually do. Adjustments are made to the support system/brace according to the doctor's treatment plan, which may be weekly, biweekly, or monthly until your knee has fully recovered. 

Watching for Signs of Weakness and Instability

If deeper tears to your knee's ligaments and tendons have resulted (e.g. the meniscus is one such concern), then your doctor will be looking for signs of weakness and instability. Your knee will still be wobbly after the prescribed treatments have been in use for a couple of weeks. If that is the case, the doctor may want to do a lesser surgery to scope out the knee and find out how bad the damage to the knee really is. A scope will reveal if more intense surgery is necessary for your knee, or if you're able to continue your current treatments of muscle flexion support, bracing, and OTC pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medications. Physical therapy may be an intervention leading up to a scope surgery, so that could help.

Learn more today about how a muscle flexion support system and other options can help you.

Share