Most of the time, you can treat knee pain that is mild to moderate at home. Whether you have a sprain or arthritis, there are many ways to deal with pain.
Most pain caused by inflammation, arthritis, or a small injury will go away on its own. You can feel better and deal with your symptoms with the help of home remedies.
But if your pain is moderate to severe or if your symptoms don’t go away or get worse, you may need to see a doctor for a full checkup.
Read on to find out more about supplements and alternative treatments that may help your knee pain.
1. Exercise
If you work out every day, your muscles will stay strong and your mobility will stay the same. It is one of the most important ways to treat knee pain caused by OA and other things.
Resting the leg or limiting how much you move it can help you avoid pain, but it can also stiffen the joint and slow your recovery. People with OA who don’t get enough exercise may damage their joints more quickly.
Experts have found that people with OA can benefit a lot from practicing with another person. This could be a friend who works out with you or a personal trainer. Experts also say that people should find something they enjoy doing.
Cycling, walking, swimming, tai chi, and yoga are all good choices because they are low-impact.
But you might need to stop exercising if you:
injury, like a sprain or strain, pain in the knees
Symptoms are getting worse.
If you hurt yourself and want to start doing things again, you might need to choose something less intense than you usually do.
Ask your doctor or a physical therapist to help you make a program that works for you and change it as your symptoms change.
2. Weight management
If you are overweight or obese, your knee joints may be put under more stress. The Arthritis Foundation says that adding 10 pounds of weight to a joint can add between 15 and 50 pounds of pressure.
The foundation also talks about how obesity and inflammation are linked. OA of the hand is more likely in people with a high body mass index (BMI) than in people with a low BMI.
If you have a long-term health problem that makes your knees hurt, losing weight might help relieve the pain by putting less pressure on them.
If you have knee pain and a high BMI, your doctor can help you set a weight goal and make a plan to get there. This will probably require you to change what you eat and move around more.
3. Using heat and cold to treat
A heating pad can help ease the pain while you rest your knee. It can be helpful to treat inflammation with cold.
Here are some suggestions for using heat and cold:
Change from hot to cold.
You can use the heater for 20 minutes at a time.
For the first two days after an injury, put a cold pack on it four to eight times a day for 20 minutes each time.
During the first 24 hours after an injury, use a gel pack or other cold pack more often.
Don’t put ice on your skin directly.
Before using a heat pad, make sure it isn’t too hot.
If your joint is warm during a flare, don’t use heat therapy.
After a warm shower or bath in the morning, some stiff joints may feel better.
You can also use paraffin and ointments with capsaicin to apply heat and cold.
