Knee Pain - 9 Interesting Ways You Can Manage It!

Knee pain can be more debilitating than other body pains given that it can limit a person’s mobility. For a person who is used to moving about, limited mobility can be very upsetting. It can also lead to emotional issues like depression due to losing independence. While wear and tear with age (osteoarthritis) was the most common cause of knee pain, altered lifestyles have caused more people to have knee pain due to lack of physical exercise.

The age group which has knee pain and the severity have changed. However, there are various non-medical methods which have been proven to be safer and also effective in managing this knee pain and keeping a person on their feet.

1. Exercise: As soon as you realize that your joints are acting up, get expert help and get a set of exercise which will help you stay on the move. This should help both in pain relief and in arresting further damage of the joints. The ligaments and muscles should be worked routinely without exceeding limits and causing further damage. In most cases, guided by a good physio, pain can be managed well and disease progression arrested.
2. Hydrotherapy: Try warm water (or a warm towel wrap) to which Epsom salt can be added. This will improve blood circulation and reduce pain.
3. Acupuncture: Relieving the pressure points by using small needles help in managing the nerves and provides pain relief.
4. Massage: One of the best-proven techniques, using warm herbal oils like tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, etc., can provide very good pain relief. These penetrate into the skin and are also known to have medicinal benefits.
5. Yoga: Different asanas are meant for different parts of the body. There are asanas meant specifically to improve knee flexibility and function, which can provide great pain relief.
6. Quit alcohol: Alcohol can worsen any sleep issues, and this can further aggravate pain. A sound sleep is one of the best ways to get pain relief, so anything which comes in the way of a good sleep should be managed.
7. Quit smoking: Smoking affects blood flow adversely and reduces pain tolerance. One of the best ways to improve the overall quality of life is to quit smoking.
8. Pain tracker: Maintain a pain tracker and look for patterns. When is the pain worse, what worsens it, which part is affected, etc. This can help you identify exercises and methods which can help in controlling the pain.
9. Social support: Whether it is your earlier or the next generation, get physical and emotional help. Take your grandkids to play along with you, and see your pain vanish into thin air.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!