Knee pain can be frustrating. Whether you are an athlete, an office-goer, or an adult performing your routine chores, knee pain can make even the simplest tasks challenging. You may come across many exercises and pain-relief methods that claim to ease your joint pain, but it’s best to consult an orthopedic doctor in Mumbai to get a personalized treatment plan if you experience debilitating pain that doesn’t get better with home remedies. In the meantime, let’s explore some practical tips that may help reduce the pain.
Immediate Home Remedies
The RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) strategy is often recommended for knee pain. Here’s what it involves.
i) Rest and Ice Application:
Resting allows your body time to heal. If you keep using the injured knee, it might cause further strain, leading to inflammation and swelling. It’s best to limit your physical activity, especially tasks that put excessive weight on your knee joint. Applying ice is another way to relieve swelling and discomfort.
ii) Compression and Elevation:
Wrap the affected joint with the knee wrap to provide support to your joint during movements. That said, do not wrap too tightly, as that may stop blood flow to the area, causing a delay in the healing. Keeping the affected joint elevated promotes blood circulation and fluid buildup, and speeds up healing.
Over-the-Counter Solutions
a) Pain Relief Medications:
For knee pain, doctors usually recommend NSAIDs that relieve inflammation, which is considered the root cause of pain. Make sure you take pain-relief medication as per the recommended dosage.
b) Topical Creams:
Topicals, in the cream and gel form, are also commonly used to get immediate relief from knee pain. These provide warm and cooling sensation to the affected site, reducing discomfort. Do not use topicals on the injured site or sensitive areas.
Stretching and Strengthening Exercises
Gentle exercises and stretching can help improve your knee’s flexibility, minimizing discomfort and strengthening your knee joint. Hamstring and calf stretches are your best options. If your pain occurs due to weakened surrounding muscles, exercise can help manage it. However, you need to be consistent with your exercise routine to see results.
When to Seek Professional Help
If you experience sudden and extreme pain that occurs from a visible knee injury, such as sudden tiwsting or turning, or from experiencing a major fall, or meeting an accident, immediate medical care is needed.
This might indicate torn ligament, fracture, or a dislocation. Medical attention is also needed if you have severe swelling. This can possibly be due to an infection, gout, or joint effusion. Other than that, if your pain persists despite the above remedies, it’s better to seek knee pain treatment in Mumbai.
Depending on the severity of the pain, the doctor may run imaging tests, like X-rays, MRIs, and blood tests to get an accurate diagnosis. Treatment is decided based on the underlying cause. These are a few effective ways that can help manage mild to moderate knee pain. See a doctor if your symptoms get worse or persist.
