This is a reader supported website. By clicking on product links or other affiliate links, you help us keep producing independent objective analysis at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Contents
How to Address Knee Pain: The Most Common Causes
Before we can decide how to address knee pain, most people should understand the underlying cause, which could be on of the following ways:
- Injury: Knee injuries are common in sports, especially contact sports such as football and rugby. They can also occur in other activities, such as skiing, dancing, or running.
- Overuse: Repeatedly using the same motions or positions puts stress on the knee joint and may lead to pain. Activities that may cause overuse knee pain include walking, running, jumping, and cycling.
- Arthritis: Arthritis is a condition that causes inflammation and pain in the joints. It is the most common cause of knee pain in adults.
- Gout is a type of arthritis that can occur when uric acid builds up in the blood. This can happen when you eat too much meat or seafood, drink alcohol, or don’t drink enough water. Gout may also be caused by other medical conditions, such as diabetes, kidney disease, or HIV/AIDS.
Some Ways to Help Yourself with Your Knee Pain
Pain Relievers
There are many things you can do to help yourself with knee pain. For example, you can try using a pain relievers. If you have knee pain, you may be able to relieve the pain by taking a pain reliever. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, are often used to treat knee pain. Even aspirin, paracetamol, can give temporary help. Natural anti inflammatories like turmeric spice used as a paste directly on your knee. Or take a turmeric supplement.
Exercises
One of the best ways to help ease knee pain is to strengthen your quadriceps muscles. This stabilizes the joint. Exercises like the many variations of squats, or leg raises can help. Also stretches and yoga stretches create space in the knee joint.
Heat and/or Cold
Taking a hot bath helps relax you and aid circulation. Also, a heat lamp, heating pad, or even a tourmaline knee sleeve all bring soothing heat to your joint.
You can also use cold, such as an ice pack which brings down inflammation and pain.
If none of these at home treatment work, such as, if the pain is too intense, which is called acute pain, or if the pain is long lasting, called chronic pain. Then consider professional advice.
Help from a Physical Therapist
If you have knee pain and have tried some of the things mentioned above, you may want to ask for help from a physical therapist. A physical therapist can teach you exercises to do at home, show you how to use ice or heat to help reduce pain, and give you other advice on how to manage your knee pain.
A physical therapist may also give you other advice on how to manage your knee pain.
Physical therapists help people of all ages who have problems with movement and other issues related to health. People work with physical therapists for many different reasons, including recovering from an injury or surgery, improving balance or coordination, relieving chronic pain
Help from a Medical Doctor, such as an Orthopedist
If you are experiencing knee pain, you may want to ask an orthopedic doctor about the best way to treat it. Orthopedic doctors specialize in diagnosing and treating problems with the bones, muscles, and joints. They can help you find relief from your knee pain and figure out what is causing it. One of the best ways to find out what is going on with your knee is to get either an X-Ray, a Cat Scan, or an MRI. Only a medical doctor can prescribe this type of diagnostic treatment.
Orthopedic doctors can help people who have pain, injury, or a condition that affects their muscles and joints. They can provide different treatments, such as custom knee braces or physical therapy. They can give shots such as Hyaluronic acid, steroids or other prescription medications.
Indeed, if your condition is really more serious, then a qualified orthopedist can perform various forms of surgery, if other treatments don’t work.
Conclusion: Do Take Chances with Your Health and Your Knees
Knee pain can be debilitating and frustrating. It can keep you from doing the things you love, or even from walking around comfortably. If you are experiencing knee pain, there are many different things you can do to help yourself. You can try using a pain reliever, doing exercises, or try other things that you can do yourself, such as using ice or heat.
If your knee pain does not go away after trying these things, you may want to ask for help from a physical therapist. A physical therapist can teach you exercises to do at home, show you how to use ice or heat to help reduce pain, and give you other advice on how to manage your knee pain. And if your pain is quite severe or long lasting, it’s best to see a doctor.
In fact, before trying any kind of treatment, it’s advisable to seek the help of a medical professional.
The material on this website is intended for educational information purposes only. It should not be seen as definitive, but as part of research process. It should not substitute or delay medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
