- Knee water symptoms
- Treatment to remove water from the knee
- Medicines
- Physiotherapy
- Surgery
- Home treatment
Synovitis in the knee, popularly known as "water in the knee", is an inflammation of the synovial membrane, a tissue that lines the knee internally that promotes an increase in the amount of synovial fluid, generating symptoms such as pain, swelling and difficulty in movement. The water in the knee is curable and its treatment includes rest, physiotherapy, taking medication and, sometimes, surgery.
The accumulation of water on the knee can be caused by a blow to the knee or by situations such as direct trauma, which is when the person falls on their knees on the floor or after a sprained ankle, however, it can also arise in case of illness chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or osteoarthritis, gout, hemophilia, repetitive effort, as can happen in practitioners of physical activity, such as marathon runners. Less commonly, it is caused by pigmented villonodular synovitis of the knee, a disease of the tissue itself.
Synovial fluid is a lubricating fluid present in the knee, it is transparent or pale yellow in color. Its amount varies between 2 to 3.5 ml but in case of synovitis this amount can reach 20, 40, 80 and even 100 ml causing discomfort pain.
Knee water symptoms
Symptoms of synovitis in the knee arise due to the increase in synovial fluid within that joint, causing:
- Knee pain; Difficulty walking and fully stretching the leg; Swelling in the knee; Weakness of the thigh and leg muscles.
If these symptoms are identified the person should go to the orthopedic doctor for an evaluation. The doctor may perform a puncture of the synovial fluid by removing a part of this 'knee water' and sending it to laboratory analysis to identify whether there is glucose or an increase in proteins or antibodies in this liquid.
Treatment to remove water from the knee
Medicines
Treatment for synovitis in the knee is started by taking anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids (oral or injectable), followed by physical therapy. In some cases, the doctor may remove excess intra-articular fluid through a puncture.
Physiotherapy
As for physiotherapeutic treatment, electrotherapy will be an important part of the treatment as well as muscle strengthening and joint amplitude gain. Ultrasound, tension, current and laser are some examples of devices that are generally indicated in the physiotherapeutic treatment of knee synovitis, before or after surgery.
Surgery
Surgery is indicated in the case of chronic synovitis, when knee pain remains for more than 6 months due to rheumatoid arthritis or arthritis, with no improvement with medication, physiotherapy or puncture. The surgery can be done openly or by arthroscopy and consists of removing a good part of the synovial tissue and if the menisci are also affected, you can also remove some of them. After surgery, the leg is bandaged for 48 hours with the leg elevated to combat swelling, and it is recommended to move the feet to avoid deep vein thrombosis.
In 73 hours after the surgery you can start walking with crutches and you can start the isometric exercises, without the knee movement, and as the person improves, you can start exercises by bending the knee and using weights, always under the guidance of the physiotherapist. The recovery time for this surgery is approximately 6 to 8 weeks, in open surgery, and 7 to 10 days, in case of knee arthroscopy.
Home treatment
A good home treatment to remove water from the knee consists of placing a cold water bag over the swollen and painful joint, 3 to 4 times a day. To do this, just buy a gel bag at the pharmacy or drugstore and leave it in the freezer for a few hours. When frozen, wrap with paper towels and place directly on the knee, allowing to act for up to 15 minutes at a time.
Most of the time it is not recommended to put a hot water bottle on the knee, only under the recommendation of the doctor or physiotherapist.
A good exercise is to lie on your back and bend your leg to the limit of the pain, which is the point where it starts to bother you, and then stretch again. This movement should be repeated about 20 times, without straining the leg too much, so as not to increase the pain.
