Anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen and Aleve, may be part of the treatment plan, as well as a brace to support the joint. “The middle ground, so specifically talking about things like the medial collateral ligament, you can have a partial tear of that ligament but still not require any surgery,” said Dr. Calloway said. “That’s when we talk about wearing a brace to help support the knee. There is no magical brace that will take away all of your pain, or cure your symptoms, but a brace after a knee injury can really be helpful to get you back on your feet and allow your body to heal itself.” Surgery For Knee Ligament Injuries For some more serious knee ligament injuries, surgery may be needed to repair a tear or reconstruct the ligament. If you have lingering knee pain that doesn’t resolve with rest, reach out to your medical professional, or a Franciscan Health’s orthopedic specialists to create a plan of care to get you back to enjoying the activities you love. that you should see a specialist for your knee injury. “I think the biggest factor in those, what we would consider tweener cases where it’s maybe not a severe injury, but also not just something you can walk off, is swelling of the knee,” said Dr. Calloway. “When you start seeing swelling and it’s not going down or it’s lessening your ability to walk, that’s when you go and see an orthopedic surgeon.” “Some people will feel a ‘pop’ in their knee at the time of the injury, and they may have trouble with knee stability afterward. They may report that their knee seems to be ‘giving way’ underneath them,” said Dr. Callaway. “You don’t necessarily have to go to the emergency room, but you would want to call your orthopedic surgeon and obviously let them know.” How Are Knee Ligament Injuries Treated? Most of the treatment options for knee ligament injuries do not include surgery. Many common knee ligament injuries, such as knee sprains or knee strains, do not need to be treated with surgery. Minor sprains and strains can be treated with RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) and time. “The delay in you being able to take care of yourself can make this last much longer than it needs to,” said Dr. Calloway.
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