You've got some spraining to do

November 18, 2005 8:36 AM

I sprained my knee a week ago - I can walk on it as of yesterday. Would I be insane to go to a judo class tonight?

There was no bruising when I sprained it, and the sharp pain has subsided, occasionally replaced by a dull ache, which is made a bit better by stretching. I have full range of motion again but have no idea how long these things really take to heal, especially since I'm used to a bit of knee pain anyway from cycling. Research tells me that sprains take anywhere from a week to two months to heal, depending on severity, so I'm looking for advice from people who've experience with knee sprains.

posted by poweredbybeard to health (11 comments total)

I would give it a bit more rest... I've never sprained my knee, but any other sprains I've had, I've found that even when they start feeling better, any strenuous activity just aggravates it even more.
posted by antifuse at 8:44 AM on November 18, 2005

I've talked with people who do Judo, and any sprains like that, it is usually best to rest it a week or two past the time when you feel pain.

The reality is, you've got only one knee (well, two, ok), and the amount of training you'll miss while recovering is minute compared to the amount you would miss if your knee gets wrecked and you can't do Judo ever again. Or if it just gets progressively worse and never gets better because it's not given enough time to rest.

It's always good to consult a physician, too.
posted by splice at 8:50 AM on November 18, 2005

Ouch. It's been a long while since I had a knee sprain, so I can't remember how long it took to heal. I do know that judo can be pretty rough on the knees. If your teacher and your training partners are okay with you training light, you might be able to work some careful uchikomis or possibly some very light ne-waza. I would definitely wait on practicing or receiving any complete throws, and absolutely wait on doing randori. It would probably just be smarter to wait until next week before going to class at all, however.
posted by tdismukes at 8:53 AM on November 18, 2005

The reality is, you've got only one knee (well, two, ok), and the amount of training you'll miss while recovering is minute compared to the amount you would miss if your knee gets wrecked and you can't do Judo ever again. Or if it just gets progressively worse and never gets better because it's not given enough time to rest.

Excellent point. There are a lot of older judo folks who have messed up their knees and hips to where they can't fully train any more. If you train too soon on an injured joint, you may become one of them.
posted by tdismukes at 8:56 AM on November 18, 2005

I am old and wise and have a bad knee, therefor you should heed my advice! If you have to ask the question, you should not be going to judo class.

Several years ago I sprained a knee while playing soccer. I decided to play the next game anyhow. Because the knee was weak, I injured it more severely. Much more severely. Meaning: I tore the ACL clean away and ripped up the cartilage. One day of stupidity led to one very expensive appointment with the knee surgeon.

Let me put it this way: the maximum possible upside of going to judo class is that you get a little better at judo, but the maximum possible downside is very, very costly.

Stay home. Rest the knee.
posted by jdroth at 9:13 AM on November 18, 2005

Yes. You would be insane.
You want to take good care of a joint or soft tissue injury. They don't get better until you do, and they may get worse if you don't.
posted by unrepentanthippie at 9:32 AM on November 18, 2005

You would be nutso crazy coocoo insane to go to Judo tonight. Settle back on the couch and watch a martial arts movie instead. They say that mentally practicing free-throws improves your accuracy when you actually shoot free throws later. I bet the same holds true for Judo!
posted by Hildago at 10:35 AM on November 18, 2005

Can you go and just observe?
posted by Morrigan at 10:41 AM on November 18, 2005

I'd like to chime in and also say, wait!

I once hurt my knee very slightly. I thought it was better in two days, as it seemed like nothing, and went on a 20 mile hike in snowshoes to 14k feet. I literally thought I was going to die by the time I was on top of the mountain -- my knee hurt so bad, I wasn't sure if I could hike the 10 miles back.

I did it, painfully. But the part that really sucked was that, that knee was in a permanent state of FUBAR for months. Indeed, I thought I might have a bad knee forever.

Finally, though, more than a year later I broke the femur in that same leg, and 6 weeks of complete immobility healed the knee up completely.

I don't recommend that route. So stay off the knee, it needs more time.
posted by teece at 10:59 AM on November 18, 2005

thought it was better in two days, as it seemed like nothing, and went on a 20 mile hike in snowshoes to 14k feet.

not that that really compares to doing some stretching and ground work (light upper-body grappling), which is all i'd been planning on :) ... but your point is taken. i do tend to hate waiting for convalescence to run its course, and that's probably gonna bite me in the ass if i'm not careful.

Can you go and just observe?

yes. maybe i'll do that.

i mean... what kind of immoblilization are we talking about here? i've been icing and elevating it, doing a lot of reading, taking advil, but i've also had to go out on assignment a couple of times this week and, y'know, get some groceries and such. certainly for a light sprain some mobility is acceptable, yes?
posted by poweredbybeard at 1:09 PM on November 18, 2005

I'm late, but what are you, nuts???? Let it heal-or at least help it out.
posted by YaelNYC at 11:30 AM on November 22, 2005