Most Effective Ways To Overcome Knee Pain Relief At Home
August 29, 2018
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| Knee Pain |
Most Effective Ways To Overcome Knee Pain Relief At Home
Knee joint is the weight-bearing joint of the body, which helps us to move around. A knee pain can be caused by both short-term and long-term problems. You generally do not need any help from doctors for many short-term knee problems and with recover on it’s own. Knee pain can literally bring your life to a standstill be it is a short-term temporary jerk in the muscle, a sudden reappearance of an old injury or that post-exercises pain. This unbearable pain in the knee joint of the body can last for either few hours or even days. So, it becomes imperative to figure out the basic causes behind the awful pain.
CAUSES OF KNEE PAIN
The following are some of the most common causes of knee pain.
1. Arthritis – Arthritis may be of 3 types. 1) Osteoarthritis, 2) Rheumatoid arthritis and 3) Gout.
Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis is caused by wear and tear in the knee joint. This is one of the most common causes of long-term knee pain, mostly older people over 65.
Rheumatoid arthritis involves swelling of the knee accompanied with be redness, tenderness, warm, and swollen.
Gout is characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, tenderness and redness in the joints and is caused by the deposition of uric acid crystals in the joint.
2. Injury – Being one of the more complicated joint of the body, knee is susceptible to various injuries. Some common knee injuries include fractures, sprains, sprains, dislocations and tear of ligament that ultimately leads to severe knee pain.
3. Obesityand Advanced Age – Both are very common cause of knee pain. With advance in age, the cartilage begins to degenerate and muscle weakness. The joints are exposed to wear as the cushioning effect of the cartilage reduces. Friction among the cartilage and joint can lead to painful swelling in the joints. Pain in the weight-bearing knee joints in obese people is due to the biomechanical forces the joint.
4. Overuse – Overuse knee injuries result from trauma associated with exercise or physical activity that exceeds the tolerance capacity of the supporting tissue of the knee. These repetitive forces, though less intense, causing ware and tear of the muscles, tendons, cartilage, or bone leading to knee pain.Bursitis can develop in the knee joint due to overuse that ultimately results in intense knee pain.
5. Sprain- A knee sprain is an injury cause by unnatural movement to the four ligaments that supports the knee by connecting bones together and holds joints in place. This happens due to sudden unnatural movement of the knee and causes pain as well as restriction of movement of the knee joint.
6. Dislocation of the knee cap – A dislocated kneecap is a common injury caused by a blow or a sudden change in direction when the leg is planted on the ground. This generally occurs during sports or dancing.
Your knee pain could be an outcome of a damaged muscle, ligament or weakened bones. Stop popping pills for your knee pain and treat them in the comfort of your home. The following are simple home remedies and preventive measures that can help you to cope with different forms of knee pain.-
TEN Home Remedies and Preventive Measures for Knee Pain:
v HEAT THERAPY- Heat therapy is best to use to ease the stiffness in the join and muscle. Appling heat pack helps to warm up your knee, lubricate joints and ease a muscle spasm before staring any activity. Heat works better in case the pain is due to any an old injury or any kind of muscle pain due to overuse.
v COLD THERAPY- Use ice pack if the knee pain accompanied with swelling. Cold therapy reduces swelling by slowing the blood flow to the aggravated joint. Knee pain due to arthritis and over activity relived with Cold as it reduces inflammation, swelling, and pain. Do not ice the knee for more than 20 minutes at a time.
v ALTERNATING HEAT AND COLD- In many cases an alternate between heat and cold therapy gives best relive. For example:
§ Use heat therapy to lubricate a joint(s) before physical exercise and apply cold therapy after exercise.
§ An osteoarthritis knee can be relaxed using heat therapy in the morning and after a few hours use cold therapy to reduce swelling. Repeat his process throughout the day.
§ Alternate between heat and ice to find what works best for you.
2. PROPER POSTURE AND SUPPORT
v If you have to stand long in work place, you should avoid it, and try to do the same work in sitting position. Again, do not bend your knee more and avoid sitting like cross-position to minimize the compression forces on the knee joint.Avoiding couches in which the sitter "sinks" or chairs that are low to the ground. Using a pillow will help while sitting in these type of chair or couches. But never put a pillow underneath the knees, as this may worsen the problem.
v Wear proper shoes. Right shoes are helpful to give support to your knee, ankle and the legs as whole. Using shoes with broken arches causes pain due to abnormal frictional force and damage on the knee joint. Do notwearing heels if you are suffering from knee pain.
v Watch your posture while you are at work, sitting or driving. Avoid staying in the same position without any movement for long time. Make sure to get up and stretch at least once in an hour. Simply sitting still too long can produce stiffness and knee pain, especially in case of osteoarthritis.
v Wearing a knee brace gives support to the knee from further injury, especially for those who is go through osteoarthritis or have previous injury. Knee brace also helps people with overweight to shape pressure over the knee.
3. PRICE FOR KNEE SPRAINS
An unusual stretch, over activity, or an awkward twist in the knee muscle cause sprains and strains knee injury. Easy way to get rid of knee pain due to sprain or strain is to remember - "PRICE":
§ P-Protect your knee from further injury
§ R- Rest the knee for 2 to 3 days
§ I- Ice - Apply ice pack for 10 to 15 minutes daily
§ C-Compression – Compress the affected knee and apply a bandage to minimize swelling
§ C-Elevate the leg - raise you leg in an elevated position above the level of heart with a pillow
Generally, pain due to knee sprain resolves by itself, but some injuries may be serious and may require medical attention. An injury to the meniscus, the pad of tissue in the knee joint, may require surgical intervention.
4. GET ENOUGH MOVEMENT & STRENGTHENING EXERCISE
People who lead sedentary lifestyles also need to take care of their knees. Exercise is important to the keep the cartilage tissue of the knee healthy. Joint pain in the body is cause by stiff muscles due to inactivity and this can worsen condition of arthritis. If the knee pain is due to osteoarthritis, physical activity also helps to retard the progression of osteoarthritis.Tension in the leg muscles may be accountable for added stress on the knees joint. A weakness in these muscles can make the body instability and vulnerable to injuries. Strengthening the quadriceps muscle can ease pain in the knees as these muscles supports the knee on bearing the weight.Exercising regularly strengthen and stretch the knee joints and muscles, improving the blood circulation and easing the pain.
v Weight gain put additional pressure to sore weight-bearing knee joints. An added benefit of regular exercise is this helps you to stay active and agile to prevent weight gain.
v Never indulge in an intense physical activity all of a sudden. Gradually try to increase your flexibility, coordination and strength in weak region. If you experience knee pain, it is best start with some low-impact exercises like swimming, water aerobics, cycling, and walking or yoga.
v Doing water aerobics is especially beneficial for knee joint pain because the benefits come without any strain on the knees.
v Wearing a knee brace or wrap around a painful joint will prevent stress and injury.
Consult your doctor or a physical therapist for advice about the appropriate workout routine you should follow.
Being overweight puts unnecessary extra strain on your knee. Gaining 1 kg of weight increases three times pressure on the knee. Obese or overweight people are more prone to have knee pain than others are. If your joint pain is due to bone disorder like osteoporosis, being overweight will speed up the process of bone degeneration. Shedding a few kilograms can relieve pain and may avert future complications. Generally, reduction of 5-10 percent of your total body weight is recommended in order to see if it really works.
6. DIET MODIFICATIONS
A well-balanced healthy diet will aid you to ease pressure and keep weight off on the knees. Remember, there are no particular diet plans that are especially good for knee pain or arthritis.
v Long-term inflammation in the joint weakens the adjoining tissue and starts degenerative changes. Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory property. Taking foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids relives the joint pain cause by swelling and inflammation. Foods like cold-water fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, chia seeds and walnuts are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and are helpful to lower inflammation in the body.
v Antioxidants present in fresh fruits and vegetables restrict the age related change and quicken the healing in case of injury.
v Avoid processed foods, trans-fats and added sugars, as these causes painful inflammation in the soared joint.
7. EPSOM SALT BATH
Epsom salts contains magnesium and sulfates ions, is an age-old remedy for any muscle or joint pain. This magnesium ions present in Epsom salts gets easily absorbed through the skin and provide quick relief to muscle spasms by relaxing them and lowering the inflammation.
v Take a relaxing bath with warm water mixed with two cups of Epsom salts for at least twenty minutes.
v Also, apply Epsom salts directly in knee joint by compressing with a towel soaked in Epson salt solution for few minutes.
8. COLLAGEN
Collagen is a protein-based building block of our joints and connective tissue. Collagen is natural “glue” in the body and binds our skin and joints together. Collagens helping us recover from workouts and stay pain-free by supporting healthy muscle growth, decreasing arthritis symptoms, healing the walls of our arteries and boosting energy. 19 different amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, are essential for collagen. The main dietary sources of collagen include foods that are very high in protein, such as chicken, fish and egg. Collagen also consumed in form of supplement, such as in collagen protein powders.
9. PROTEOLYTIC ENZYMES
Proteolytic enzymes digest protein to amino acids required to repair damaged tissue. Recent studies on athletes and subjects suffering with joint pain have shown that taking proteolytic enzyme supplements can reduce recovery time from knee pain by up to about 50 percent. This enzyme supplement helps to reduce inflammation naturally and improve the absorption of protein/amino-acid. Proteolytics enzymes can work as an alternative to Aspirin. Proteolytic enzyme like Bromelain present in the core of pineapples shown to reduce swelling and causes of pain.
10. OTHER HELPFUL SUPPLEMENTS
i. Calcium – Calcium is the essential mineral for bones and joints, not naturally produced in the body. Therefore, we must supplement it with dietary source. Dairy products, dark leafy greens, and almonds are natural sources rich in calcium.
ii. Vitamin D – Human body requires adequate amounts of vitamin D to absorb Calcium. Sunlight is free source of vitamin D. Fish, eggs and sunlight are the dietary sources of vitamin D. When you choose to take Calcium, as supplement be sure that it contains Vitamin D.
iii. Glucosamine – Glucosamine is a natural amino-sugar found in the cartilage of knee joint. This is taken as dietary supplement, available in liquid or powder, is effective for knee pain due to arthritis.
iv. SAMe- S-Adenosyl methionine (SAMe ) is a biomolecule having an effective anti-inflammatory and analgesic property for people with osteoarthritis. Dietary supplement of SAMe helps to make joints stronger by delivering sulfur to cartilage. Studies suggest SAMe has equal pain reliving effect as Aspirin or ibuprofen. SAMe is to taken as supplement as there is no natural food source of SAMe.
v. Anti-Inflammatory Herbs — Some common kitchen ingredients has magical propertiesof natural painkiller. Herbs like turmeric ginger and boswellia has anti-inflammatory properties. Using them in cooking relieves pain naturally. Turmeric has healing properties. When taken with warm milk, it heals the wear and tear in the knee joint and pains as well.
vi. Electrolytes (like Potassium and Sodium)— Electrolytes controls fluid retention, swelling, muscle cramp and pain, nerve activity. Low levels of potassium cause stiffness, muscle cramp, knee pain and swelling. Consumption of less fruits and vegetable in the diet may lead to intake much less potassium than our daily requirement. Bananas, coconut water, sweet potatoes, avocados and leafy greens vegetables are rich in electrolyte.
When to see a doctor
After adoption these knee-pain relief measures, you may still require to consult a doctor and be examined, if:
1. If the symptoms persist, the pain also felt in other joints, and pain associated with morning stiffness. These may due to rheumatoid arthritis or Gout. The consulting doctor may recommend you medicine for the disease and pain.
2. You need immediate medical attention if it is due to knee injury, caused by accident or fall. A doctor need to check the knee if there is unbearable pain, deep cuts, swelling, or the person is unable walk or move.
3. Seek urgent medical help if a swollen knee is very hot, red, tender and painful, and accompanied with fever or other general symptoms of feeling unwell. This could be due to knee infection, and serious infection can be dangerous. A case of septic knee needs urgent hospitalization.
4. The knee pain persists and unable to do day-to-day activities. The pain gets worse progressively. Consult your doctor.
5. If you are going through some treatment and feel, the joint pain is due to drug side effect. Visit your doctor.
