How to deal with knee effusion

Knee effusion is an inflammatory condition that causes the amount of fluid in the knee joint to increase abnormally, causing the knee to become swollen and painful. Knee effusion often occurs after injury or diseases that cause arthritis such as osteoarthritis, gout, and rheumatoid arthritis, which reduce joint range of motion.

MSc. Pham Thi Xuan Thu, Department of Musculoskeletal Internal Medicine, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that the typical signs of this condition are swelling of the knee joint accompanied by persistent pain, and joint effusion often occurs. larger than the other side due to excess fluid. Patients should go to the doctor to find out the exact cause of the effusion and other unusual signs, thereby receiving timely treatment to avoid dangerous complications.

In case of mild knee effusion, the cause is found and invasive treatment is not needed. The doctor will prescribe medication for the patient. During this process, in addition to following the doctor’s instructions, to reduce unpleasant symptoms, the patient can apply the following home care measures:

Apply cold compresses is a method that uses low temperatures to constrict blood vessels, reducing metabolism and blood flow to the knee to reduce swelling, pain and inflammation. Patients should use an ice pack or put ice in a thin towel, then apply it to the knee for about 15-20 minutes. Avoid applying ice directly to the skin or applying ice for too long because it can cause cold burns.

Compression bandage or wrap and elevate the knee, promoting faster fluid reabsorption, preventing the fluid from getting worse as well as protecting the knee joint. This method is especially effective in cases of knee joint effusion due to injury or degeneration. However, the patient should not wrap it too tightly because it can heat the knee joint or irritate the skin, and can even lead to anemia in the tissue area below the knee.

Exercise moderately to avoid joint stiffness. People with knee effusion exercise excessively, such as running, jumping, going up and down stairs frequently, bending their knees… making the condition more serious. On the contrary, not moving, just lying in one place, can also cause joint stiffness.

Doctor Thu recommends that patients with knee effusion should not apply heat, apply oil or massage. At this time, the knee joint is in a state of inflammation, applying hot compresses or applying oil will cause the temperature in this area to increase, making the disease more serious. Meanwhile, massage stimulates inflammatory cells in the knee joint to become more active, releasing more inflammatory substances, making inflammation and effusion worse.

In severe cases or ineffective home care measures, depending on the cause of the effusion, the doctor may prescribe intervention methods including:

Aspiration of joint fluid by inserting a specialized needle into the knee joint area and sucking the fluid out. In some cases, patients may be injected with anti-inflammatory drugs into the joint. The fluid is taken for testing to determine its nature, thereby providing appropriate treatment.

Arthroscopy so that the doctor can directly observe the condition of the joints, menisci, and ligaments around the joints. The doctor can take biopsy samples (in difficult cases), remove the joint capsule, suture the meniscus, reconstruct ligaments… in severe cases or injuries.