Knee pain is sadly very common, and many of us have experienced knee pain in some shape or form in our lives. It can be caused by many things, such as body mechanics; habits; what type of exercise you do (or don’t do); age and degeneration, as well as increasing activity or a change in activity.
There are many things that you can do on a day to day basis that can help your knee pain. Whether your knee pain is due to too much exercise or the start of osteoarthritis, here are … small changes you can make in your day to help your body to heal and recover from your knee pain.
1. Unbend that Knee
Whether sitting long hours at a desk, driving a car or resting whilst reading your favourite book – all require keeping the knee in a bent position for long periods. This puts a stretch on your main front thigh muscle, the quadriceps. It also positions your knee cap or patella, in a position of pressure. Both of these can aggravate and irritate your knee if you sit with that bended knee for long periods.
2. Get Moving
So instead of sitting for long periods, ensure you get up often – every 30 minutes or so – to move your body and stretch your legs. Movements like walking help to increase blood flow to your muscles. As you move the muscle contractions help to facilitate the blood flow around your body and help to deliver much needed oxygen to your muscles, tissues and organs. This increase in blood flow can take the pressure off stretched or tight muscles.
3. Invest in Good Footwear
When you are walking and moving around, it’s important to have the right footwear. Be sure to pick the rights shoes for the task. If you are going to be on your feet all day, maybe consider a flatter shoe to avoid too much pressure in a high heel. If you are going for a run or a walk, pick good quality trainers. Whatever it is that you are doing, keep your footwear in mind as it can help to support your feet, and therefore help to support your knee.
4. Strengthen the Muscles
Even though you may be experiencing pain in your knee, resting completely isn’t the solution. If the injury is very new, then a little bit of rest can be good, but the more you gently return to exercise, the more it will help to strengthen and mobilise your knee. You may need to adjust the type of exercise you do to ensure it doesn’t aggravate your pain, but strengthening is a must.
5. Get Rid of Excess Weight
Whether your knee pain is from exercise or from degeneration, if you are carrying extra weight it will put strain on your knees, your hips and your lower back. By eating more healthily, increasing exercise and dropping some weight, you can help your joints and muscles to cope better and reduce your pain.
Shedding kilos can be as simple as reducing the weight of the things you carry around with you like a backpack or hand bag, even heavy shoes. Equal weight distribution is also helpful to taking strain off the knees.
6. RICE
Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. If your knee injury is new, or even if it just feels swollen and hot, it is best to use the principle of RICE. Resting initially when it is swollen, helps the inflammatory process to calm down. By icing and compressing, you are again helping your body to not cause too much inflammation and keep it under control. By elevating your leg, you are helping your body to drain away excess fluid from the area.
7. Take the Right Medication if Needed
If you are having constant pain in your knee, or swelling and sharp pain then it is important to look at taking some medication to assist you to be more mobile. We don’t want to block out your pain completely so that you do too much and don’t know when your knee is in pain. However, relieving pain slightly can help you to be a bit more mobile which will help your pain. It is best to chat to your doctor or pharmacist about what medication is right for you.
8. See a Physiotherapist
If you have been experiencing knee pain and just aren’t finding any relief with the tips above, get in touch with your physiotherapist. They will be able to fully assess your knee and help you to find the root cause. They will then coach you on how to exercise and program your return to activity to get you going again as soon as you can.
Disclaimer
Although this advice and information is based on sound knowledge it is still followed at your own risk. I cannot take any responsibility for injuries or health conditions that may arise as a result of my advice. Videos and advice are generalised and cannot replace the individualised advice provided after a medical assessment by your local healthcare professional.