What can I do to heal a knee cap injured through a fall from running?

Question

I fell on my right knee cap running. It was a hard fall and I was in intense pain. It's been 2 days and I still can't bend it and a thin transparent film has formed around the knee cap. I'm training for a marathon and have a 13 mile long run in 3 days. What can I do to speed up my recovery? I've been cleaning it and changing my bandage everyday. Been a runner for a long time and this has never happened to me!!

Answer 1

Same thing happened to me. exactly. i fell while trying to catch my run away dog and i tripped on Christmas lights. lol. i was out of school for 1 week and by 2 weeks it was healed enough to run. dont run until you can bend it practically all the way. if i tried it was just impossible. i physically couldn't. only time will heal it. good luck.

Answer 2

I hope you iced it when you got home - your knee is traumatized, bruised and probably fluid build up (water retention).  Its important to Rest/Ice./Advil to reduce inflamation and soreness.  Especially if you want to continue to train for your marathon. Take the time to recover.  See a physiotherapist to help you recover faster. :)

  Here's what you do:

Rest. Avoid weight-bearing activities as much as possible when your knee is painful and swollen.

Ice and elevation. Cold therapy can help control pain and swelling. Apply ice to your knee for 15 to 20 minutes every two to four hours. You may use a bag of ice, frozen vegetables or an iced towel cooled down in your freezer. When you ice your knee, raise your knee higher than the level of your heart, using pillows for comfort.

Pain medication. Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) is often effective at relieving pain. NSAIDs (Advil, Motrin, others) are effective for relieving pain and inflammation. If these don't relieve the pain, ask your doctor about prescription medications.

Muscle-toning exercises. If your thigh (quadriceps) muscle or hamstring muscles are weak, your doctor may refer you to a physical therapist to learn how to strengthen these muscles to better support your knee.

Good Luck and train smart :)

Answer 3

To speed up recovery.  

i) Don't run.  If you try running with an injured knee cap, it will only make it worst.

ii) See a professional. Have you seen a doc?  Do you know if there is a fracture?

iii) Keep the wound clean.  From the way it sounds (transparent film), it looks like it is an open wound.

iv) Don' t stress the knee.  Basically keep your weight and keep walking to a minimum.  Reduce using that knee will help recovery.

There is a lot more than this.  Without seeing the injury, it is hard to know how much damage your knee cap has suffered.

Here is my suggestion (I have run multiple half ironmans, one Ironman and one marathon), take it easy.  Be conservative on your training and don't jump back to training too fast.  Take it easy. and gradually.  You should see a specialist as well and they can offer what you can do to help out.

Answer 4

get a knee brace and ice it.... stay off of it