Do you feel pain or aching in your knees, especially when moving around or after sitting for extended periods of time? Are injuries, inflammation or overuse keeping you sidelined from the activities you enjoy? While there are many reasons that could be the culprit of your knee pain, this article discusses some strategies you can use to soothe your painful knees. Give these tips a try to reduce and avoid knee pain and discomfort— so that you can spend more time doing the things you love.
As a reminder, if your knee pain is acute, be sure to talk with a doctor or physical therapist who can diagnose the problem and give you advice on moving forward.
Stretch before working out
Stretching is one of most commonly prescribed or advised ways to prevent knee pain, and it can also help you recover from injuries. It’s a great way to ease into exercise, especially if you haven’t been working out lately or are new to an exercise routine.
Stretching helps improve flexibility and range of motion. This increases your chances of avoiding injury during physical activity, such as running or walking up stairs. It also improves performance when working out by allowing more oxygen-rich blood flow through the body —which means more energy in every movement !
Strengthen the muscles around your knees with resistance training
You can strengthen the muscles around your knees by doing exercises that target them. Exercises that involve squatting, lunging, and standing on one leg will help build up your quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves.
These exercises should be done at least three days per week with three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions for each exercise. You should also do them without weights until you’re ready for heavier weights. For example:
- Lunges (perform 10 to 15 repetitions)
- Squats (perform 10 to 15 repetitions)
Massage your feet and legs.
Massaging your feet and legs is a great way to feel better. Massage can help reduce inflammation, which can help with pain in the knees. The muscles around your knees are connected to other muscles in your body, so massaging them can help with circulation as well as mobility and flexibility throughout the rest of your body
Wear the right shoes
There’s a reason why we suggest you wear the right shoes. It’s because they are the most important piece of gear you’ll wear on your body, and if they’re not properly sized, fitted or designed to support your feet, then it’s entirely possible that your future holds knee pain.
Wearing shoes that fit properly and are suitable for your foot type is essential for healthy foot alignment and movement. When choosing your next favorite pair of running shoes, consider visiting a knowledgeable footwear fitting specialist, perhaps even one that utilizes foot scanning technology, to make sure your feet get the foundation they deserve— so you can stay active, healthy and pain free
Get custom insoles for your feet
Custom insoles are specially designed to fit your feet and help improve the biomechanics of your feet, which can help prevent knee pain
Don’t miss the obvious
- Don’t ignore pain. Pain is a warning sign that something isn’t right, and it’s crucial to take it seriously. Don’t wait to see your doctor if you feel any kind of pain.
- Don’t ignore swelling, either. Swelling can be an indication that you’re injured and need medical attention, so don’t just hope it will go away on its own or lie around with ice packs all day until the swelling goes down.
- Don’t ignore a limp, either! Limping is another thing that should send up red flags for you—along with anything else that makes movement difficult or painful. If something hurts when you move around but not while sitting still, make sure to talk to your doctor about what could be going on before proceeding as usual!
- And if there’s any change from how your knee feels normally when moving around (or even standing up)? You guessed it—get in touch with someone who can help set things straight ASAP!
These steps can help you avoid knee pain but do talk with a doctor if you have chronic or debilitating knee pain
These steps can help you avoid knee pain but do talk with a doctor if you have chronic or debilitating knee pain. If you have a serious injury, see a doctor right away.
Take it easy during this healing phase by avoiding activities that cause stress on the affected joint such as running, jumping up and down stairs or hills.
If the pain persists longer after an acute injury has occurred without proper treatment, consult with your physician immediately because there may be more serious underlying causes of pain present which require additional medical attention beyond simple over-the-counter remedies like ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
If you’re concerned about knee pain, try some of these steps to reduce the pain and keep your knees healthy. But if your knee pain doesn’t improve or it becomes worse, be sure to talk with a doctor or physical therapist who can diagnose the problem and give you advice on moving forward.
Sources:
- American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. “Knee Pain.”
- Mayo Clinic. “Knee Pain.”
Read in Sinhala: වේදනාකාරී දණහිස් සමනය කිරීමට උපදෙස් සහ විසඳුම්
