Knee Bruised and Swollen...What should I do?!

Knee Bruised and Swollen...What should I do?

I went running last night after a 6 hr work shift. I was running up a hill when my left knee started to hurt so I went to rest and sit on the sidewalk. As I went to sit, my knee smacked the sidewalk. It didnt hurt too bad at first, so I decided to get up and run again. Well, after about 100 feet maybe, the pain in my knee was unbearable. I had to stop and limp home. When I got home, I noticed that my knee was a little swollen on the outter side, to the right and right below of my patella and was also bruised. I decided that I would try and sleep it off, but today i still looks the same. Am I just over reacting?? or could something be wrong? I cant put too much weight on it and kneeling is out of the question. I have a very high pain tolerance and was almost in tears trying to bear full weight on it. Help please!

i've had an injury that sounds similar. switch off between ice and heat therapy... ice it for 20 minutes, then heat with a heating pad. keep this up, trying to ice it for 20 minutes out of every hour. also, wrap with an ace bandage (or wear a brace) for extra support, especially anytime you are on your feet. an OTC anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen) will work well too, but you HAVE to take it every 4-6 hours like it says on the box. and try to stay off your feet as much as you can. no running!!! tiger balm or icyhot can also help relieve some of the pain. if you don't see results in 3 or 4 days, i'd see a doctor.