10 Tips To Banish Knee Pain

Ease Knee Pain With These 10 Remedies

Knee pain is a common problem that impacts millions of people worldwide. Whether it happens due to injury, arthritis, or overuse, knee pain can severely restrict movement and quality of life. Thankfully, many remedies can help remove the pain and get people back up on their feet again. In this article, you’ll learn the causes of knee pain and provide various solutions for it.

Causes Of Knee Pain

Before exploring remedies for knee pain, it’s essential to understand what are some common causes of knee pain. This includes:

Arthritis: Arthritis is a joint disease that causes inflammation and discomfort in the joints, leading to knee pain. It mostly affects senior citizens.

Injury: Injuries such as torn ligaments or meniscus caused by sports activities or accidents can cause intense knee pain.

Overuse: People who overuse their knees by doing activities like running and jumping can also experience knee pain.

Obesity: Extra body weight puts strain on the knees; this could be a reason for knee pain too.

10 Tips To Ease Knee Pain

Now that we know some of the causes of knee pain, let’s see the remedies:

Ice and Heat Therapy

Ice therapy and heat therapy are two effective home remedies for knee pain that you can do easily. Ice reduces swelling and inflammation, while heat increases blood flow to the affected area.

Apply ice as soon as possible after an injury or if you do intense exercise, apply heat before and/or after exercise. And ensure to wrap the cold or hot packs in a towel or cloth to protect your skin from damage.

Stretching Exercises

Stretching exercises can help reduce knee pain by increasing joint flexibility and range of motion. Some effective stretching exercises are quadriceps, hamstring, and calf stretches.

If you can’t do stretching exercises yourself, get the help of someone. Make sure you don’t overdo it. The stretching exercise may take some time to show its effect, but pushing over the limits will only hurt you more.

Apart from the three stretching exercises given here, you can search more on Youtube, and if you’re not sure, consult a physical therapist.

Herbal Supplements

If your knee pain is mild, you can try some herbal supplements. Turmeric and ginger are the most advantageous herbal supplements with anti-inflammatory properties that may give you some relief.

However, if you’re already taking some kind of supplements, it’s best to consult a healthcare professional before adding new supplements to your regime.

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy increases blood flow and provides relaxation, and relieves discomfort. In addition, this alternative treatment can be used to effectively reduce knee pain through techniques such as kneading, friction, and effleurage.

Kneading involves applying pressure to the muscles around the knee joint with hands in a circular motion, which can help loosen tight muscles and increase circulation. Friction on the skin in this same circular motion also reduces scar tissue around this joint. Effleurage, a gentle yet effective sweeping technique, is used to warm up the muscles before applying deeper pressure.

Although massage therapy can be a beneficial remedy for individuals experiencing knee pain, it’s best to consult a licensed massage therapist specializing in this area to avoid further injury.

Knee Braces

You can also get knee braces. They offer support and stability to the knee joint, which reduces pain. In the market, you may find different types of knee braces, such as hinged braces, compression sleeves, and unloader braces.

Hinged braces can be helpful for people recovering from knee surgery, while compression sleeves can be worn during physical activity or throughout the day to reduce pain and swelling. Unloader braces are custom-made and often recommended for people with knee arthritis or conditions that cause pain on one side of the joint.

You can find all these varieties of braces in most medical stores. But if you want to purchase knee braces in the comfort of your home, you can consider Medi Brace.

Physical Therapy

What’s better than getting the help of an expert? A physical therapist will accurately examine the reason for knee pain and create a tailored exercise program to strengthen the muscles surrounding the joint.

The program consists of several exercises to strengthen the muscles around the knee joint as well as ease mobility. Furthermore, they can also suggest manual therapy, which involves using the hands to bring movement in the muscles.

In addition to exercise and manual therapy, the physical therapist may also educate you on proper body mechanics and techniques for performing daily activities to reduce stress on the knee joint.

Weight Loss

Legs bear the weight of the whole body, as we know, and when we sit or jump, knees reduce the impact of the body weight on the legs, just like shock absorbers. And if we put more weight on the knees, they will hurt.

Even a slight decrease in body weight can have an immense impact. And to achieve this result, adopt healthy eating habits along with regular exercise.

Low Impact Exercise

If you experience knee pain, you may think exercise is out of the question. However, low-impact exercise can actually be beneficial.

Low-impact exercise refers to activities that are easy on the joints, such as walking, cycling, and yoga. These exercises can help improve flexibility, reduce stiffness, and enhance knee joint mobility without putting too much pressure on it.

You can start with walking for a few minutes daily. This will warm up the joint muscles. Then you can switch to cycling. If you’re using a stationary or recumbent bike, keep the intensity low first, then gradually increase both intensity and duration as your pain decreases.

In addition to walking and cycling, you can try some yoga poses such as Warrior 2 pose, Tree pose, or Pigeon pose.

Corticosteroid Injections

Corticosteroid injections are a widely-used option for people who experience knee pain due to inflammation or joint damage. These injections contain inflammatory drugs which help reduce swelling and discomfort.

Corticosteroid injections, administered directly into the knee joints by a healthcare professional, can provide quick relief from pain that lasts for weeks or even months.

You can think of this option if you tried other treatments like physical therapy or pain medication and didn’t see results.

However, corticosteroid injections should only be administered with the advice of an expert doctor, as overuse may cause side effects such as increased risks of infection, weak tendons and ligaments, and loss of bone density.

Conclusion

Knee pain drastically reduces someone’s mobility and quality of life. Fortunately, there are ways to alleviate this problem and get people back on their feet. From home remedies such as ice & heat therapy and stretching exercise to medical treatments like physical therapy and corticosteroid injections — there are plenty of ways to address knee pain.

Additionally, by taking steps such as wearing appropriate footwear and maintaining a healthy weight, people can reduce their chances of experiencing chronic knee problems in the future. If you’re currently suffering from knee pain, and home remedies aren’t helping, we suggest you seek medical advice to identify its underlying cause and explore all available treatment options.