How to Wrap Your Knee After an Injury

Get Your Knee in Position

Begin by getting your knee into the proper position. Sit down and extend your knee in front of your body. Bend it slightly but keep it in a natural position.

Begin Wrapping the Knee

Now you will be ready to wrap your knee. Unwrap the bandage and put one end on your kneecap.

Use your hand to hold it in place and start wrapping it around your knee. The bandage should extend both above and below the kneecap. You want to cover the muscles, connective tissue, and ligaments that support the knee.

Apply the Right Amount of Pressure

The bandage must provide the right amount of pressure. If it is too tight, it will cut off circulation, and that will impede the healing process. If it isn’t tight enough, it won’t provide the necessary support.

The key is to wrap it so that it is snug without being overly tight. It should be snug enough to stabilize the knee, but the blood should still flow to the joint.

Once it is wrapped, conduct an assessment. Do you feel uncomfortable? That means it’s too tight and you need to wrap it again. If you feel comfortable, get up and walk around. You should be able to move your knee, even when it is covered. If you cannot, it’s too tight and needs to be wrapped again.

Secure the Knee Wrap in Place

Once you are happy with the bandage, it’s time to secure it in place. Bandages usually come with a Velcro® strip. Use it to keep the bandage in place. If you don’t have a Velcro® strip, use tape to secure it. Make sure the tape doesn’t make the bandage tighter.

Do You Need Professional Attention?

Wrapping your knee will keep the joint in place while it heals. Sometimes that is all you need to do to rehab a knee injury. However, if you have experienced significant trauma to your knee, you need to get help from an orthopedic doctor. For example, if you experience knee pain after a car accident, visit the doctor.

Your knee injury could be due to a variety of issues, and a proper diagnosis is needed. The same is true if you have a worker’s compensation accident. Alert your supervisor and then visit a doctor who accepts a worker’s comp insurance and is authorized by the NYS Workers’ Compensation Board. Promptly seeing a doctor will help you support your worker’s compensation claim.

Protect Your Knees

Knee injuries can be debilitating if you don’t receive proper treatment. Don’t let the pain get worse. If your knee is swollen, extremely painful, unstable, or locked, medical attention is needed. Visit a New York physical therapist, orthopedist, or a physiatrist to get help with your knee injury.