While teeth are essential to relishing food, eyes allow us to see the world around us, it is our legs that take us around, and healthy knees play a major role here. Knee pain may strike suddenly, making it hard to walk, stand, and perform other routine tasks. Causes may be diverse ranging from injury and poor posture to arthritis and overuse. While some kinds of knee pain may require long-term solutions, here are some ways that can be used for immediate relief.
The RICE Method
Applying the RICE method - Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation - can work as a first-line of treatment that can help alleviate knee pain effectively.
What you have to do is:
- Give rest to your knee(s) by avoiding weight-bearing activities.
- Apply ice to the knee area for 15-20 minutes every 2-3 hours to control inflammation.
- Use an elastic bandage as compression to minimize swelling.
- Elevation (keeping the knee in a raised position with some support) can reduce blood flow to the injured knee - to ease pain and swelling.
Over-the-Counter Pain Medication
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Ibuprofen, naproxen, and paracetamol, may offer quick relief from knee pain and reduce inflammation. Although these medications can be bought over-the-counter, we advise you not to take them for over 10 days at a stretch without consulting your healthcare provider, especially if you have kidney or liver disease.
Topical Pain Reliever (Analgesics)
You can rub pain-relief creams, gels, or sprays containing menthol, capsaicin, or diclofenac in the areas around your knee for instant soothing effects.
Gentle Stretching
Light yoga or stretching exercises can help relieve stiffness and improve blood flow. Try hamstring and calf stretches or simple leg lifts while lying down. However, you should avoid high-impact movements as they may worsen pain. Additionally, it is always good to seek a professional physiotherapist’s advice in this regard.
Heat and Cold Therapy
For chronic, arthritis, or stiffness-related pain without swelling, a warm compress or heating pad can help relax tight muscles and improve circulation. But you should avoid heat if the area is inflamed or feels warm when touched. For fresh knee injuries, an ice pack is generally more effective.
Knee Brace
Knee braces are meant to support your knee and maintain stability by holding them in place. They are generally made of hard plastic or metal and have cushions along with straps for wrapping them around your knee and leg. They may be particularly helpful if you are on the move. Using knee braces can reduce pain and prevent further injury. Your ortho doctor can guide you regarding the kind of brace and how to wear it.
When to See a Doctor
If your knee pain is severe or persistent, you should meet a doctor. Also, if your knee has swelling, feels unstable, or seems to lack weight bearing ability, consult a doctor immediately. We have given you tips for fast relief, but addressing the root cause is essential to long-term solution.
The fastest ways to relieve knee pain include rest, heat and cold therapy, medication, and gentle movement. With these methods, you can get temporary comfort. At the same time, working with a healthcare provider can help find a long-term solution. To exemplify, for a patient with advanced arthritis, none of the temporary solutions may prove effective. In such cases, knee replacement surgery may be the only way out of pain and towards mobility.
Have ‘knee doctor near me’ on your mind or thinking of knee replacement in Chandigarh? A trusted healthcare institution worth visiting would be Sohana Hospital, Mohali. With its international-level facilities that include the latest CUVIS surgical robot and modular OTs, doctors par-excellence and a patient-first approach, the hospital has consistently been rendering quality treatment to knee patients for over three decades now. Feel free to get in touch. Rest assured that you are in safe hands.
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