water on the knee

[theletch1]

My 14 year old injured her knee during kenpo training and has been having a problem with fluid build up on the knee since then. She didn't make the switch to aikido when I left so she hasn't been training on it but she has been doing a lot of running and walking to stay fit. She works out MA with me from time to time but we are always very careful of the knee. Any ideas on how to fix this with out going in to have it drawn off with a needle? She is terrified of the needle idea so I promised her I'd check here before I took her back to the doctor.

 

[arnisador]

Has she tried resting it?

 

[theletch1]

Yes, she rests it whenever it begins to ache. It will hurt for a day or so then be back to normal. The trick here is to understand when the pain is actual and intense and when (she's 14) it's just an excuse to get out of chores. I've had her to one physician who just gave here a brace (neoprene) and some advil. She hasn't complained for the last couple of days but I believe I will give her no other choice but to go to the doc next time around.

 

[pknox]

Originally posted by theletch1
I've had her to one physician who just gave here a brace (neoprene) and some advil.

The advil I see, but I wonder about the neoprene. Maybe the added heat from the wrap helps it? If so, then maybe making sure the area is thoroughly stretched out and warmed up before training might help as well. Did the doctor recommend modifying the activity at all?

 

[OULobo]

I had a partional reconstruction and had a lot of fluid on my knee from the surgury. I was told the standard line that most people know; elevation to ease blood flow, cold to reduce swelling, but here is the interesting one. I was told that light activity like walking was great for swelling. The movement of the knee helps to "pump" the fluids back into the bloodstream. The trick is to not overdo it and inso doing restart the swelling process. This is just what I was told, but I'm no doctor. Like most joints the knee doesn't have really great bloodflo, but it's even a little worse because it has a lot of hollow space inside that is filled with fluid that doesn't circulate well. Its a shame that an injury can put a youngin out like that. I wish her well in her recovery.

 

[theletch1]

Thanks for the well wishes. Now that school has been back in session for a while her activity level has dropped a good bit and she hasn't seemed to have much trouble. The knee injury didn't put her out of training. The reason she didn't make the switch to aikido from the kenpo school is a story more suited for the bad budo section.

 

[Shodan]

Good to hear the knee is better. I have always heard that having a knee drained is not the thing to do......the body develops that fluid for a good cause it seems and draining it hampers the healing process........if the things I have read are correct. I know they did not drain my hugely swollen knee when I blew it out on a belt test. In time, the swelling went down on it's own......then they pumped it full again for surgery!!

:asian: :karate: