Knee pain is one of the most common problems that people of all ages can experience due to various causes, such as injury or aging. Whatever the causes of knee pain are, it is an annoying problem that may impact your life and interfere with your daily activities. It may be a transient or a lifelong problem.
You may experience knee pain in various degrees of severity, according to the underlying cause. But, with knee pain, you usually experience redness, warmth, tenderness, and limited movement. In many cases, knee pain may be mild and respond to self-care actions. But sometimes, you may need to see a doctor because it may require medical or surgical treatment. See your doctor if you have severe pain after injury, feel fever, notice swelling or deformity in your knee or leg, feel instability, or can’t bear weight.
You may have knee pain at any age and due to many causes. Daily activities, such as walking and lifting, may cause wear and tear that often causes knee pain. Knee pain may occur due to injuries, which may cause fractures, torn cartilages, or sprained ligaments. Also, it may result from arthritis, either rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or septic arthritis. Also, you may be at a higher risk if you are overweight or play certain sports.
You have several options to manage your knee pain, depending on what causes it. According to that, your doctor can manage it by medications, injections, and surgical repair. Also, he should recommend lifestyle modifications to promote the efficiency of his management plan. Whether mild, moderate, or severe knee pain, you can enhance your comfort and relieve your symptoms through self-care actions.
Now, let’s discuss the natural ways that you can use to manage (or help manage) your knee pain.
1. The RICE method (Rest- Ice-Compression-Elevation)
All people are susceptible daily to minor knee injuries, like sprain and strain. When you have such an injury, remember the acronym RICE, which refers to rest, ice, compression, and elevation.
After the injury, you should rest to avoid further damage and give your tissues time to heal. But, know that rest doesn’t mean stopping all movements completely because this may cause stiffness and worsen the pain. A minor sprain usually needs rest for one or two days.
On the first day of injury, apply ice to the injured site after wrapping it in a cloth. Ice helps relieve inflammation and swelling. But, don’t apply it directly to the skin because it may cause further damage.
Apply a firm, not tight, bandage compression to your knee to reduce the swelling and improve your comfort. Compression provides support and stability to your joint. Avoid tight bandages because they may cut off the blood supply to your leg.
While resting, elevate your leg to improve circulation and reduce the swelling. Keep your knee above your heart level.
