Tripped, Fell, Hurt my Knee

I'm assuming you did not break skin. So possibly a bruise of your knee.

Not being a doc but one that's fallen...take three days off completely. Ice and Advil, no heat.

Thanks! Still continue to ice even a week after? Did not break skin but there is a bruise.

As the last poster said, yes. You don't want to stretch this out. No point in being a hero in the middle of January.

It’s been pretty sore in the mornings. I’ve been icing quite a bit the last few days. When can I start to run again? After the 3rd day off of wait until the pain completely goes away? Still can’t walk without soreness but the bruising is gone. It’s been 8 Days now. I’m surprised this is taking so long to heal.

I've done that and had the knee hurt for months, maybe dragging out to a year. So it might take a while. Though I also had a hard landing (without falling) injury on a fast rough trail downhill around the same time on the same knee that dragged on for 2-3 years, so the two blended together a bit. The hard landing injury was a lot worse. I still was able to run for the most part though.

I've had this happen a few times. Expect to be out for at least a month or two... I've never been able to get over it in less than two months.

A few months? For a fall and bruised knee? Sure, it’s still sore a bit over a week later but I was planning to be back working out next week and racing by the end of the month. I’ve fallen before and was fine a few days later. I’ve never had it take as long as it already has. Would trying to run through the soreness delay the healing? Should I keep icing it or switch to heat, stretching, and/or massage?

Walking. And look where you're going.

I fell a year ago near the end of a long run on foot path. I tripped on a ring shaped wire(from a car tire cap). Was running normally and suddenly I'm falling. Didn't see it on the path. Was cut and was painful but I think the adrenaline helped me and 5 minutes later I was able to run home(3 minutes away). A while later tough, I couldn't walk properly and struggled to walk for the week. I was able to go out for a jog 8 days later. I could walk and run normally after that but I still have a big scar on my right knee. The left knee isn't really noticeable any more. I feel on both knees and hands. I always fear them ring shaped metal things from car tyre covers. I think about it every time I'm on pavement. I try to avoid fast running on pavement. I do sessions on grass nearly always literally.

Banana Bread wrote:A while later tough,

though

Banana Bread wrote:I feel on both knees and hands.

fell

Banana Bread wrote: I always fear them ring shaped metal things

those

10 days out from the fall. Knee is still sore but starting to improve. It’s the worst in the morning but seems to loosen up throughout the day. Stopped icing a few days ago. Time to switch to heat and stretching? At what point should I try to run again?

Most frustrating injury I’ve ever had. Came off great summer training, fell on an easy run like you, and took months to heal. Ended up over compensating for injury and hurting other things.

It sounds like a bone bruise which annoyingly takes super long to heal. Ice/NSAIDs combo but if bruise is under kneecap, I never felt like ice did much.

Any access to a pool for aqua jogging? Cold temps and hard roads will only make things take longer.

The OP of this Thread wrote:

10 days out from the fall. Knee is still sore but starting to improve. It’s the worst in the morning but seems to loosen up throughout the day. Stopped icing a few days ago. Time to switch to heat and stretching? At what point should I try to run again?

Should've been using heat since day 4.

I did the same thing, but worse, back in college. I iced for a month straight and still couldn't run with pain. I finally went to see an ortho doc, and he said icing beyond 3 days is useless for this type of injury and to switch to heat. Within 3 days I was back running.

It’s been almost 6 weeks and practically no progress. I’ve tried to run a few times but my knee is still very sore. Little difference from the days after I first fell. I’d expect to be feeling a little better by this point but I’m very frustrated by the lack of progress. Any suggestions? I’m getting desperate to fix this!

You sound exactly like me. Fell right before Christmas. Feels great walking around, but starts up again when I run. I hit the top lateral corner of the kneecap and still have a bump there. Can't seem to shake it. Time off does nothing. Getting desperate too.

the OP of this thread wrote:

Thanks! Still continue to ice even a week after? Did not break skin but there is a bruise.

Keep icing until the bruise is gone, and your knee is completely healed.

The OP of this Thread wrote:

It’s been pretty sore in the mornings. I’ve been icing quite a bit the last few days. When can I start to run again? After the 3rd day off of wait until the pain completely goes away? Still can’t walk without soreness but the bruising is gone. It’s been 8 Days now. I’m surprised this is taking so long to heal.

You can run right away, as long as you're not getting injury pain. Icing helps with this. Ice, dry it off and then run. Ice again when you're done. Keep alternating brief icing & movement until the injury is healed.

Are you stretching your hamstrings and calves enough. Either of those muscles can pull on you knee and keep it inflamed. You may need to consider a knee brace as well. I've had knee braces that allowed me to finish a run when without the knee brace I'd have to plant my foot to tenderly to protect my knee.

So I can keep running? I was afraid running through the pain would slow the healing process. I’ve been icing more lately. Heat seems to aggravate it. I didn’t develop a bruise until recently. The bruise is on the upper left corner but I feel pain a little more towards the center of the knee cap.

I’ve been keeping up my stretching routine. I do the Wharton rope stretching at least one a day, sometimes twice.