Ask a PT

156 Posts
 
Posted - 01/30/2008 :  09:48:48  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Our user asked: "I have been using a knee dyna splint for 3 weeks now and the swelling and pain are getting worse daily! I went up to tension6 on the splint but it became to uncomfortable and I am back to tension5! I am supposed to wear it for 6 to 8 hours daily but can manage only 4 hours! I have no insurance and have to pay for every doctors visit, so I am not to sure about what to do! Should I go ahead and increase tension and time even though it is very painful with a lot of swelling!"

Ask a PT Response: "The Dyna Splint provides a low-load prolonged-duration stretch to your knee. This can irritate the knee if the knee is not ready to take on this added load. For my patients, who are utilizing devices which are designed to help an individual obtain greater range of motion, I usually have the patient abide by the manufacturer's recommendations in most cases. However, if my patient is not tolerating the device well and is experiencing more pain or edema, I always have the patient back off, whether it be in duration or intensity. It does no good to further irritate an area as this will result in more pain and edema. In fact, continued irritation can actually set a patient back both with range of motion and with function. In your case, if you were my patient I would have you wear the device to tolerance and decrease the tension. If you were still unable to tolerate the device than I would have you stop utilizing the device altogether and contact your physician to let him know about it. Otherwise, if you have additional questions, I would suggest you contact the individual for Dyna Splint that fitted you and issued you the device. Also it may be a good idea to just contact your MD and let him know about this in case he may suspect something else since I don't know your entire medical history. Ice and elevation are usually performed as well to help with controlling the swelling. Good luck and thanks for using CyberPT."