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How can you care for your child who has knee pain or injury?
- Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
- If the doctor gave your child a prescription medicine for pain, give it as prescribed.
- If your child is not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if your child can take an over-the-counter medicine.
- Be sure your child rests and protects the knee.
- Put ice or a cold pack on your child's knee for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your child's skin.
- Prop up your child's sore knee on a pillow when icing it or anytime your child sits or lies down for the next 3 days. Try to keep your child's knee above the level of their heart. This will help reduce swelling.
- If your child's knee is not swollen, you can put moist heat or a warm cloth on the knee.
- If your doctor recommends an elastic bandage, sleeve, or other type of support for your child's knee, make sure your child wears it as directed.
- Follow your doctor's instructions about how much weight your child can put on the leg. Make sure your child uses crutches as instructed.
- Follow the doctor's instructions about activity during your child's healing process. If your child can do mild exercise, slowly increase their activity.
- Help your child reach and stay at a healthy weight. Extra weight can strain the joints, especially the knees and hips, and make the pain worse. Losing even a few pounds may help.
Knee pain or injury: When to call
Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:
- You have symptoms of a blood clot in your lung (called a pulmonary embolism). These may include:
- Sudden chest pain.
- Trouble breathing.
- Coughing up blood.
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
- You have severe or increasing pain.
- Your leg or foot turns cold or changes color.
- You cannot stand or put weight on your knee.
- Your knee looks twisted or bent out of shape.
- You cannot move your knee.
- You have signs of infection, such as:
- Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.
- Red streaks leading from the knee.
- Pus draining from a place on your knee.
- A fever.
- You have signs of a blood clot in your leg (called a deep vein thrombosis), such as:
- Pain in your calf, back of the knee, thigh, or groin.
- Redness and swelling in your leg or groin.
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
- You have tingling, weakness, or numbness in your knee.
- You have any new symptoms, such as swelling.
- You have bruises from a knee injury that last longer than 2 weeks.
- You do not get better as expected.
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The content above contains general health information provided by Healthwise, Incorporated, and reviewed by its medical experts. This content should not replace the advice of your healthcare provider. Not all treatments or services described are offered as services by us. For recommended treatments, please consult your healthcare provider.