Knee > Plica Syndrome > Treatments

   Rest and Ice

Home Recovery

If you are suffering from plica syndrome, you will most likely get better without having to undergo surgery. But you will need to take steps to reduce inflammation and swelling. One way to do this is to apply ice to the affected area of your knee after exercise. This can be done by using an ice pack, which can be placed on your knee and left for 15 or 20 minutes at a time, or by manually massaging the area with ice for three or four minutes. Raising your knee above heart level also will reduce blood flow to the area. It often helps to sleep with pillows under your ankle to achieve this. Wrapping your knee in an Ace-type bandage also may help reduce swelling. Equally important to your recovery is that you reduce ­ or stop altogether ­ the activities that led to your knee pain. This can mean easing off temporarily on the intensity or duration of your workouts, particularly if they include repeated bending and straightening of the knee.

The most important component of rehabilitation for sufferers of plica syndrome is relative rest. This means modifying your workouts to avoid the activities that cause pain. For example, instead of riding a bike or running, you could swim or rollerblade instead. Or, if your pain is not severe, you could reduce the intensity of your workout- for example, using less resistance when you ride, or eliminating hills from a running workout. Depending on how serious you are about the relative rest and physical therapy, you may be able to return to a normal level of activity in six to 12 weeks.

While it is always important to stretch and strengthen the muscles around your knees, particularly the quadriceps and hamstrings, these will not by themselves prevent plica syndrome, which is primarily caused by overuse. However, you may be able to reduce your chances of recurring plica syndrome by avoiding a sudden increase in activities that require repetitive motion that irritate the plicae, such as cycling or using a stair-climbing machine, and instead, easing into a routine.