Treatment

Treatment varies, depending on the cause of the swollen knee, its severity and your medical history. Treatment generally involves pain medication and procedures to remove fluid from the knee joint.

Medications

Your doctor might prescribe oral pain medication, if over-the-counter pain relievers aren't enough. To ease inflammation, your doctor might suggest an oral corticosteroid, such as prednisone. Other types of steroids can be injected directly into your knee joint.

Surgical and other procedures

Treating the underlying cause of a swollen knee might require:

• Arthrocentesis. Removing fluid from the knee can help relieve pressure on the joint. After aspirating joint fluid, your doctor might inject a corticosteroid into the joint to treat inflammation.
• Arthroscopy. A lighted tube (arthroscope) is inserted through a small incision into your knee joint. Tools attached to the arthroscope can remove loose tissue or repair damage in your knee.
• Joint replacement. If bearing weight on your knee joint becomes intolerable, you might need knee replacement surgery.

Your doctor might also recommend physical therapy to improve your knee's function and strength.