Recovery & Support for Knee Sprains & Strains

While you’re recovering from a knee sprain or strain, NYU Langone doctors and rehabilitation experts help you rebuild strength and restore function in the knee.

Most people with a sprain or strain who participate in physical therapy can return to athletics and other activities four to eight weeks after injury. Specialists at NYU Langone Orthopedic Center are specially trained to help people recover from a knee injury. They can customize a recovery plan for you based on your needs and goals.

Return to Activity

Your doctor determines when you are healthy enough to return to physical activity and recommends steps you can take to ease back into sports and exercise.

Our physical therapists and exercise physiologists may recommend that you use the Alter-G Anti-Gravity Treadmill to ease you back into physical activity without injuring your knee further. This device uses an inflatable apron that surrounds your torso to partially support your weight while you walk or run, allowing a gradual return to your usual level of activity.

Using the newest and most advanced equipment, specialists at NYU Langone’s Sports Performance Center can assess and refine your movements, such as a golf or tennis swing, during activities. Performing these movements incorrectly can contribute to injury. Our experts can teach you how to protect your knee during sports, build strength, and prevent a future injury.

Mind–Body Wellness

NYU Langone offers a variety of wellness programs, which may help ease your recovery. They include acupuncture and acupressure, which may be able to help reduce pain, decrease knee inflammation, and strengthen the immune system to aid in healing.

In acupuncture, practitioners insert thin needles into the skin to stimulate specific points on the body. This may enhance blood flow and speed healing. Acupressure is a type of therapeutic massage in which therapists apply pressure to specific areas of the body.