Be aware of your pain. Most of the time, you can treat mild to moderate knee discomfort at home. There are several ways to handle it, whether it’s from an arthritis flare-up or a sprain. Most pain caused by inflammation, arthritis, or a minor injury goes away. Home remedies might increase your comfort and aid with symptom management. However, you might need to contact a doctor for a thorough evaluation if the pain is moderate to severe or if the symptoms continue or worsen.
Learn more about complementary treatments and dietary supplements that could reduce knee discomfort by reading on.
Home Care For Treatment Of Knee Pain.
- RICE can help with sprains and strains.
The abbreviation “RICE” can be helpful to keep in mind if you’ve twisted your leg, fallen, or otherwise injured or sprained your knee:
- Rest
- Ice
- Compression
- Elevation
Get off your feet and place an ice pack or cold compress on your knee. Frozen vegetables like peas will also work if you don’t have any ice on hand. To reduce swelling, wrap a compression bandage across your knee, but not too tightly so that it restricts circulation. Keep your foot raised when you are taking a break.
- Exercise
Regular exercise can keep your muscles strong and your mobility intact. It is a crucial tool for treating Osteoarthritis (OA) and other knee pain sources. While resting the leg or avoiding strenuous activity may help you avoid pain, it also tightens the joint and delays healing. In the case of OA, insufficient exercise may hasten the rate of joint deterioration.
According to experts, training with a partner might be especially helpful for those with OA. This might be a workout partner or a personal trainer. Finding an activity you enjoy doing is another expert recommendation.
Example: Walking, running, swimming, or aquatic exercise
- Yoga or tai chi
However, ask your physician or a physical therapist to assist you in creating a personalized regimen if any of the following applies to you:
- an injury that causes extreme knee pain, such as a sprain or strain
- an increase in symptoms
While starting an activity, you might need to employ a gentler alternative than usual.
Management of weight
Your knee joints may experience increased stress if you are obese or overweight. An extra 10kg of weight can put between 15 and 50kg of pressure on a joint, according to the Arthritis Foundation.
The foundation also mentions the connections between inflammation and obesity. For instance, patients with OA of the hand are more likely to have a high body mass index (BMI) than those with a low BMI.
By relieving strain on your knees, weight loss may help with symptoms if a chronic health condition is causing knee pain.
Your doctor can assist you in setting a target weight and creating a strategy to help you get there if you have knee discomfort and a high BMI. Exercise and nutrition adjustments will probably be part of this.
Cold and heat therapy
While your knee is being rested, a heating pad can help with pain relief. Inflammation can be decreased by cold therapy. The following are some suggestions for using heat and cold therapy:
- Heat and cold should be applied alternately.
- Up to 20 minutes at a time, apply heat.
- Apply cold pads four to eight times daily for 20 minutes during the first two days following an accident.
- During the first 24 hours following the accident, apply a gel pack or other cold pack more frequently.
- Never apply ice to your skin directly.
- Before using, make sure a heating pad is not too hot.
- If your joint is heated during a flare, refrain from using heat therapy.
- In the morning, a warm bath or shower may help loosen up stiff joints.
Ginger juice
There are numerous ways to consume ginger, including:
- supplements ginger tea, whether it be store-bought or made at home using ground ginger or ginger root to flavor food.
- Avoid using glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and other treatments.
Other remedies that people occasionally take include:
- Supplements with glucosamine
- supplements with chondroitin sulfate
- Modified shoes and insoles for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) using hydroxychloroquine
However, recent recommendations caution against using these treatments. They are not proven to work by research. Some might even have negative outcomes.
When to visit a doctor
Many knee pain causes can be treated at home, but some require medical care. If you experience any of the following, consult a physician:
- extreme aches and swelling
- severely distorted or bruised
- symptoms in different bodily regions
- symptoms that last more than a few days or worsen rather than improve
- additional medical issues that can make recovery more difficult
- symptoms of an infection, like a fever.
