Knee pain is no fun. Even the most mundane of daily tasks become grueling when it is hard to get around. We have a few knee pain home remedies you can try to help ease bouts of knee pain as they flare up. If you experience recurring knee pain, you may have knee osteoarthritis. Read to the bottom of this page or take our quiz to find out if you may need osteoarthritis treatment.
At-home knee pain treatment
Knee pain that is infrequent and mild can often be alleviated with these steps:
- Apply ice throughout the day—every hour for up to 15 minutes at a time. If the pain persists the following day, apply ice at least four times throughout the day.
- Keep your knee elevated as much as possible to bring down any swelling.
- Gently compress the knee by wearing an ace bandage or elastic sleeve. Both can be purchased at most pharmacies. This may reduce swelling and provide support for the knee.
- Take oral pain relievers — acetaminophen for pain or ibuprofen for pain and swelling. As always, check with your doctor whenever changing medication regimens.
- Sleep with a pillow underneath or between your knees.
Reduce knee pain from overuse
Some causes of knee pain, especially those related to overuse or physical activity, can be reduced with these tips:
- Avoid activities that aggravate the pain, especially weight-bearing activities.
- Avoid staying in one position for too long. Prolonged inactivity and immobility can cause stiffness and increased pain. Gentle range-of-motion exercises (bending, stretching and extending) should be done daily.
- Balance activity and rest. When your body is telling you that it has had enough, rest. You will be able to do more, even if it takes longer, and you will be protecting your joints at the same time.
- Reduce excess body weight. Extra weight adds stress to weight-bearing joints.
Recurring knee pain may be a sign of osteoarthritis
When you have knee osteoarthritis it can take over your life removing you from activities you love. Our knee pain home remedies can help alleviate some symptoms, but it is important to address the cause. Osteoarthritis is characterized by progressive wearing away of your joint cartilage, causing persistent stiffness, tenderness, swelling and pain with activities.
Reflex offers a non-surgical treatment for osteoarthritis knee pain. Knee injection therapy, also known as viscosupplementation, quickly relieves pain and increases joint mobility by supplementing the natural fluids in your knee joint. This innovative procedure only takes a few minutes and is covered by Medicare and most insurance plans.
If you suffer from chronic knee pain from osteoarthritis, we can help.
Call Reflex to set up an initial evaluation at (503) 719-6783.
Portland, Oregon