Knees are the most commonly injured joints and if you’re doing high impact exercises, you may run into your own knee pain problems. If you have injured your knee and want to know how to deal with knee pain, read on! You know just how painful a knee injury can be — sore, swollen, and/or throbbing, injuring your knee is not a pleasant experience. While some knee pain may not ever completely go away, there are lots of ways you can help to reduce the pain and learn to live with it. From applying ice to knowing when to apply heat to the foods you should be eating for joint pain, we answer all of your knee pain questions here! Read our guide below to to find out how to deal with knee pain.
How To Deal With Knee Pain
1. Apply Ice
The first thing to do is apply ice to the injured area. Ice acts as a pain reliever for knee pain and will also help to stop the swelling. To use ice to help treat a knee injury, place an ice pack or bag of ice cubes wrapped in a towel on the injured area. Make sure not to let the ice pack come into direct contact with the skin. Otherwise, it could cause damage to the skin. Apply an ice pack to the injured area for 20 minutes at a time, three or four times a day. Swelling should decrease.
2. Use Heat
For the first two days after the injury has occurred, avoid using heat to treat knee pain and swelling. Don’t take hot baths or showers and don’t use a heat pack to help treat it, as heat may cause the swelling to increase. If, after two days, the swelling has gone down, you can then start using heat to treat the injury. Use a microwavable heat pack or hot water bottle and place it on the injured area, this will help to stop the joint seizing up. You may find it beneficial to alternate between using heat and ice to treat your knee and reduce the pain.
3. Don’t Put Too Much Pressure On Your Knee
Avoid doing any strenuous activity that could damage your knee further. Activities like cycling, running, and hiking should be avoided while you let the injury heal. However, some light exercise that’s not high impact, like swimming, may be beneficial. For advice on exercising while you have an injury, speak to your doctor.
4. Make An Appointment With A Physiotherapist
To discuss the ways in which you can strengthen your muscles and joints in your affected knee, make an appointment to see a physiotherapist. A physiotherapist will be able to discuss what types of stretches you need to be doing, as well as the best form of exercise you can do to aid your knees healing.
5. Eat Foods That Are Good For Your Joints
Certain foods and herbs are said to be good for different parts of the body. To improve the condition of your knee, it might be a good idea to eat foods that are good for the joints. These foods include berries, ginger, flax seeds, omega-3-rich-fish, avocado, and soy. To see the results these foods can have, incorporate them liberally into your diet. Have a look online to find recipes that include these foods.
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