Knee Pain Relief Remedies

WELLNESS

Research states that, about 15 to 50 pounds of pressure gets added to joints, with an increase of additional 10 pounds of weight. If you are experiencing a long-term health problem, which is causing knee pain, weight management may be the necessary measure to go about.

Knee pain and injuries are very common. It is likely that you have injured your knee at some point of time or experienced a sprain. Irrespective of whether it is a sprain or if you are experiencing arthritis, there exists many effective ways to manage it. Some minor pain, inflammation, injuries can be resolved without much medical help. However, moderate or severe pain requires medical check-up and proper treatment. Here are some effective home remedies to treat minor knee pains.

Tai Chi: An ancient Chinese mind body exercise, which has proved to be effective in improving balance and flexibility. Research has proved that Tai Chi facilitates reduction of pain, while also increasing one's range of motion. The exercise also involves deep breathing and relaxing which helps in the reduction of stress. This can further help you in dealing with chronic pain.

Overweight: Overweight and obesity can surely put additional pressure on your knee joints, which can further increase the pain in your knees. Research states that, about 15 to 50 pounds of pressure gets added to joints, with an increase of additional 10 pounds of weight. If you are experiencing a long-term health problem, which is causing knee pain, weight management may be the necessary measure to go about. Your doctor may suggest a target weight if you have a high body mass index (BMI), if you have knee pain.

Willow Bark: A practice of using extract of willow bark to treat joint pain prevails as it helps in relieving pain and inflammation. However, there doesn't exist enough medical evidence to prove its effectiveness. It is advised to check with your doctor for gastrointestinal problems, diabetes, and liver problems before using willow bark extract. Also, ensure that you are not using blood thinners, anti-inflammatory drugs, acetazolamide, or your age is below 18, before using willow bark extract.

Ginger Extract: Studies have shown that ginger is effective in reducing arthritis pain, when a patient uses it with the prescribed treatment for arthritis. It is an easy to avail home remedy as it comes in various forms of supplements, ginger tea, ground spice or as roots.

Herbal Ointment: A salve made of cinnamon, ginger, mastic and sesame oil was found to be similarly effective as arthritis cream, by a research study in 2011. Although, there does not exist enough scientific evidence to validate the effectiveness of such home-made herbal treatments, many people found such remedies to be working effectively for them against knee pain. It is advised to cross-check with a doctor before using such remedies.

Exercise: Exercise helps in maintaining mobility of your body and in keeping your muscles strong. It is one of the most effective ways to treat knee pain. Resting and limiting movement of your leg will surely help in reducing pain. However, this will make your knee joint very stiff and lead to the recovery being very slow. In the case of osteoarthritis (OA), ignoring exercise will just speed up the damage process to the joint.

Low-impact activities such as cycling, walking, swimming, Tai Chi and yoga are effective options. However, if you were experiencing a sprain, strain, severe knee pain, or a flare-up of symptoms, you would require to rest from exercise. While coming back to exercise after such an injury, you have to pick up a gentle option than the one you usually go to. Your doctor or physical trainer will be able to guide you in choosing the right exercise for yourself.

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