Knee pain is a common problem these days. It may be caused due to an injury, or certain medical conditions like arthritis, infections, or gout. The overall predominance of knee pain in women is 20%.
| According to a study, in the U.S. itself, approximately 23% of women of age 60 years or older to that reportedly suffer from knee pain. |
In the modern world, the physical fitness of people is fast deteriorating. So, not only the aged but people from all age groups are suffering from knee pain. The medical world is filled with a range of treatments. What’s good for knee pain? You would be happy to hear that there is a range of home remedies for knee pain which might turn out as an easy answer to your persistent problem of knee pain.
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‘RICE’ here does not mean the grain, rather it an acronym for the basic first aid to be given in case of an injury. RICE- Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.
When you feel a sprain, strain or injury the first thing is to sit or lie down quickly. Now attend to your knee by applying a cold compress or ice bag. If these are not available use a packet of frozen vegetables instead. Follow it by wrapping a compression bandage on your knee. The compression bandage might prevent swelling, however, do not wrap it so tightly, so as to interfere with blood circulation. Lastly, keep your foot elevated while taking rest.
RICE is the most important among the home remedies for knee pain when the cause is an injury. It is advised that you should take as much rest as you can for the first 2 days. It is better to avoid putting pressure on your injured knee. You should remember that this is a first-aid technique so the sooner it is given to the injured, the better effect it has on the knee pain.
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Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese practice which is now becoming popular as an excellent home remedy for knee pain. According to a study, tai chi is most beneficial for people who have osteoarthritis which causes painful knees.
Osteoarthritis affects mostly aged people and is called the ‘wear and tear’ joint disease, resulting in chronic pain, mostly in the knees. Tai chi helps in reducing knee pain, increase in range of motion, improving balance and flexibility. It also helps in dealing with chronic pain with the help of meditation.
Tai chi is a practice that involves both mind and body. It includes slow movements, meditation, deep breathing, and relaxation. It is very important that you do your tai chi practice correctly, as wrong postures or techniques may alleviate your knee pain.
You can practice tai chi for around 15 minutes every day. It is better to make this a part of your daily routine instead of opting for longer periods of tai chi exercise 2-3 times a week.
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If you are suffering from arthritis, restricting your movement to avoid pain, might in fact increase the knee pain due to stiffening of the joint. Daily exercises could help to keep your knee pain in check. Exercise is a must, not only as a home remedy for knee pain but also for weight management. Your excess weight might add to your knee pain.
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If you are suffering from knee pain, you might not want to exercise. But these simple exercises could help reduce your knee pain. You could do a few basic exercises daily like leg lifts, kick-backs, leg cross and some easy stretches for knee pain. You could also try recumbent cycling and swimming if you want.
The first thing is that if you have arthritis, you should get a ‘go-ahead’ from the doctor before trying any form of exercise no matter how simple it appears. Second, you should start slowly with these exercises. If you feel the pain aggravate, stop immediately. Third, do these exercises regularly and stay moderately active throughout the day.
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Heat and cold therapy is an easy way to get knee pain relief at home. Heat therapy has its own advantages and cold therapy has its own set of advantages. So to get the best of both, you could opt for an alternating hot and cold therapy, also known as contrast therapy.
Use a heating pad for knee pain when you are resting. This will help prevent the joint from stiffening. Using a cool compress or ice pack could help in reducing swelling and pain in the knees. Use these 2 alternatively to get a contrast therapy. You could go for only cold or only hot therapy if you are not sure about contrast therapy.
This therapy could be done by using alternatingly cold and hot therapy for a few minutes each. This treatment can be done 2-3 times a day. It is advised to take more cold therapy during the first 24 hours of injury.
According to research, a herbal balm was found to be equally effective as any medication for knee pain. In this research, the balm or cream was prepared using mastic, cinnamon, ginger, and sesame oil.
You could make or either purchase a good herbal ointment. You could make one for yourself with mastic, ginger, cinnamon and sesame oil. You could also make an ointment using cayenne. Alternatively, you could try a massage of castor oil for knee pain followed by a hot water pack which will help to relieve pain.
These ointments are for topical use and bring temporary relief. So, it should be used carefully.
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Willow bark is a good way to get natural knee pain relief. According to a study conducted in 2001, willow bark helps to relieve pain in arthritis patients. It also helps in curing fever, inflammation, and pain.
Willow bark is available in the form of capsules and liquid supplement. The most natural way is to prepare a tea using the dried willow bark. Instead of willow bark, you could also opt for apple cider vinegar for knee pain. You could take apple cider vinegar in diluted form to benefit from its anti-inflammatory properties.
You could take a small amount of around 120-240 mg of willow bark for not more than 12 weeks. It is very important to take the correct dose of this as overdose might result in rashes or inflammation in your body. Moreover, it should not be given to people allergic to aspirin or people who are on blood thinners. Also, kids below 4 years of age should not be given willow bark.
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Ginger is a one-stop solution for many health issues. It is the most versatile among the home remedies for knee pain. It helps in indigestion, nausea, cold and pain. It boasts of a list of curative properties like anti-inflammatory properties, anti-bacterial properties, detoxifies your body, improves blood circulation and boosts your immunity.
Ginger can be taken in many forms to get natural knee pain relief. You could take it as tea, or use it as a seasoning for food, ginger lozenge or ginger powder. According to a study conducted on arthritis patients, ginger reduced pain when used with a prescribed treatment of arthritis.
You could take 170-255 mg of the ginger extract 2-4 times daily, depending on the severity of symptoms.
Glucosamine Sulfate is fast gaining popularity as a supplement and can be used for knee pain relief at home. This supplement helps to compensate the drop in the level of natural glucosamine in your body which is responsible for the health of the cartilage around your joints. According to research, glucosamine along with chondroitin benefitted people with severe pain. But, they had less effect on people suffering from mild or moderate osteoarthritis.
You should opt for a good quality of glucosamine supplement as different brands have different glucosamine content. To prevent an upset stomach, you could take it with meals.
You could ask your doctor how much glucosamine sulfate supplement you should take. Generally, the recommended dosage is 500 milligrams thrice a day.
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There might be various reasons behind your knee pain. To know the specific reasons behind your moderate or severe knee pain, you should consult your doctor. If advised, you should get blood tests and X-rays done to find the real cause behind your knee pain.
Your knee might need surgery or other medical treatments. Yes, there are many natural home remedies for knee pain which are indeed beneficial. You could try these for knee pain relief at home in case of minor injury, arthritis or inflammation. You should take necessary precautions before taking these herbs or supplements for natural knee pain relief.
The various home remedies for knee pain are safe, easy and beneficial for getting natural knee pain relief. But there are certain precautions which can help us stay fit. Weight management is very important as excess weight not only aggravates knee pain but might cause other health-related issues. You should be active, do moderate exercise and practice meditation.
Follow a suitable diet based on your age, weight and health condition. Lastly, it is very important to make a few lifestyle changes if you want a healthy mind and body. This is not only true for people suffering from knee pain, but for everyone.
If your knee pain does not decrease in a few days or you notice something unusual, you should consult a specialist. The doctor will first get to know its symptoms from you. He would follow it with a physical examination of your knee.
If needed he might ask you to get a few tests done like an x-ray, MRI, blood tests, and even arthrocentesis. After a thorough examination, the doctor could help you get a clear picture as to what’s good for knee pain. You could then try the natural home remedies for knee pain.
There are various treatments for knee pain depending upon the symptoms and severity of the pain. Some of the treatments for knee pain are
Various Home Remedies for knee pain are also becoming popular these days which help people to get some relief from the pain.
There are various tests for knee pain. The doctor advises tests based on his examination and the symptoms. The various tests are