To treat an MCL injury without surgery, you should:

1. Avoid Painful Movements: Stay away from activities that cause knee pain or make the knee unstable.
2. Take Medications: Use over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines to help with pain and swelling.
3. Wear a Brace: A hinged knee brace can help keep the knee stable by limiting side to side movement of the lower leg, such as the knock knee position.
4. Get Physical Therapy: Exercises can help strengthen the knee and improve mobility.

Usually, symptoms will get better within 2 to 4 months with these treatments. If your knee pain goes away and you can get back to your normal activities, you probably won’t need surgery.

There are two situations where MCL injuries might not heal on their own:

1. Knee Gaps Open: If your knee opens up on the inside when it is fully straight, it might mean both the MCL and another ligament called the POL are damaged. This type of injury is less likely to heal without surgery.
2. Meniscotibial MCL Tear: If the MCL tears where it attaches to the tibia (shinbone) and pulls away, it might get stuck above the hamstring tendons and won’t heal properly on its own.

In these cases, the knee will feel very unstable when pressure is applied, and a doctor may recommend surgery to fix the damage.