--- title: "Knee Pain Self-Care | Sutter Health" description: "Follow this advice to treat common causes of knee pain." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/knee-pain-self-care" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Health and wellness](https://www.sutterhealth.org/health) / 3. Knee Pain Self Care # Knee Pain Self-Care Follow this advice to treat common causes of knee pain. * * * September 26, 2024Medically reviewed by Amol Saxena, DPM Knee pain can be caused by a wide range of problems, from sprains and strains to tendinitis and bone chips. The good news: many knee problems respond well to self-care, says Amol Saxena, M.D., a sports medicine doctor at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Follow his advice to treat these common knee complaints. ![Woman wrapping knee](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/SutterHealth/Images/health-topics/orthopedics/knee/white-woman-wrapping-knee---600x300.jpg) ## For Mild Sprains: - Follow RICE — rest, ice, gentle compression and elevation — and take medication for pain and swelling. - Rest the knee as long as it aches. - After the first three days, soak the knee in a warm whirlpool or bath. - Use crutches if needed. - When the pain is better, use gentle stretching exercise to strengthen the muscles around the knee. Leg extensions are a good strengthening exercise. - See your doctor if things don’t improve. ## For Severe Sprains, ACL Injuries, and Cartilage Tears: - See your doctor. - Follow RICE — rest, ice, gentle compression and elevation — and take medication for pain and swelling. ## For Runner's Knee, Tendinitis, Bursitis, and Bone Chips: - Follow RICE — rest, ice, gentle compression and elevation — and take medication for pain and swelling. - Check your shoes to make sure they provide proper support and wear evenly. - When the pain is better, use gentle stretches to strengthen the muscles around the knee. - See your doctor. If swelling from bursitis lasts for more than 10 days or is very bad, a doctor may drain the fluid with a needle and then inject the bursa with cortisone. ## For Iliotibial Band Syndrome: - Perform the following stretch three to five times a day, until you no longer feel pain when you run. To prevent it from happening again, do this stretch before and after each run. IT Band Stretch: Stand and cross your right leg in front of left leg. Push left hip out to the side, leaning torso to the right, for a slow, controlled stretch. Hold for 5 counts. Repeat 3 to 5 times on one side and then switch to other side. Do not bounce. - If symptoms aren't better in 10 to 14 days after you have begun stretching, see your doctor. ## Explore related topics [Bones, joints and muscles](https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/articles?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_healthTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Bones%2C+joints+and+muscles%22%5D%7D%2C%7B%22i%22%3A%22builtin.entityType%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Sutter+Health+Page%22%5D%7D%5D&limit=10&verticalKey=health-and-wellness)[Knee](https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/articles?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_healthTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Knee%22%5D%7D%2C%7B%22i%22%3A%22builtin.entityType%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Sutter+Health+Page%22%5D%7D%5D&limit=10&verticalKey=health-and-wellness)[Pain Management](https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/articles?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_healthTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Pain+Management%22%5D%7D%2C%7B%22i%22%3A%22builtin.entityType%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Sutter+Health+Page%22%5D%7D%5D&limit=10&verticalKey=health-and-wellness) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebPage","name":"Knee Pain Self-Care | Sutter Health ","description":"Follow this advice to treat common causes of knee pain. 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