HomeAnswersOrthopedician and Traumatologyknee painCan Alphintern be used for knee swelling?

I recently got a knee swelling. Should I rest or move around like I normally would?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Answered by

Dr. Atul Prakash

Medically reviewed by

iCliniq medical review team

Published At July 4, 2017
Reviewed AtJanuary 5, 2024

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I am a 28-year-old female. My height is 5 feet and 4 inches and my weight is 123 lbs. I was suffering from a knee problem, and I took a rest for a couple of days. I took Alphintern and used my resistance band to improve my knee range and everything was fine, except for a grinding noise during exercise. But, it did not bother me while walking. I sought medical help and I did an MRI and the results were 'increased girth and altered signals of the anterior inferior cruciate ligament, suggestive of a sprain with minimum knee effusion'. The doctor advised me to walk normally, not to fully bend my knee, and not to stand Later, I used the stairs and walked a little. This gave rise to an enormous amount of pain. I was unable to walk correctly or even bend my knee a little. Knee edema occurred. I took a Diclofenac epolamine 65 mg capsule, a Glucosamine sulfate capsule, and a pain relief gel. My doctor prescribed me these medications for a month, and he did not recommend any physiotherapy program. He just informed me that it is alright to walk, as I normally do. My question is, is the edema something that will normally occur whenever I use my leg or is it a complication? What are your recommendations and precautions? Should I rest or move around normally? If I have to keep at rest, for how long should I do it? I am a very active person and my concern is that things are getting worse. So, shall I begin a physiotherapy program or must I wait for a month until I take my medications?

Answered by Dr. Atul Prakash

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

    From your description, the MRI reports suggest an injury. You did not mention a specific incident or accident that may have lead to a sprain of the ACL. Without a real injury, the knee swelled up again, with the stair climbing. The entire presentation points towards patellofemoral compression syndrome rather than an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Kindly send me the MRI films and a clinical picture of your knee, before I can confirm a diagnosis. For the swelling, you need to put on a compression dressing. Ice the knee and rest it, till it is comfortable to walk. A physiotherapist will certainly be able to help you in getting the knee swelling down and improve your symptoms. Strength work in the gym only when the knee is quiet and pain-free. Continue with Diclofenac for a week to 10 days but not for a month as advised by your doctor. I will rely more on the ice than the tablets in the long run.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Atul Prakash
Dr. Atul Prakash

Orthopedician and Traumatology

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