Our knees are some of the most important joints in our body, helping us to walk around and stay agile. Unfortunately, knee injuries and degenerative knee conditions are very common, particularly as we get older – studies on people over the age of 50 found that 47% reported knee pain in the last 12 months, while as much as half of people over 75 experience ongoing knee pain.
What is the best way to manage achy knees? There are quite a few different forms of pain management that can be worth exploring. In this post, we’ll take a walk through some of the most effective pain relief strategies.
Use Heat and Cold
Probably the most well known trick for dealing with any type of pain is applying heat or cold. Both can relieve inflammation – although cold tends to be better for fresh injuries, whereas heat is better for older injuries or chronic pain. This could include using a hot water bottle, a warm flannel or taking a hot bath. Try this before going to bed if you are often kept up at night by knee pain.
Apply Topical Anti-Inflammatories
Pain relief gels can provide direct swelling relief while also providing a coolness that helps reduce pain. Some people find these gels to be more effective than swallowing ibuprofen pills (you can take oral medication and apply topical anti-inflammatories together in some cases, but it’s worth consulting a doctor first). Check out this comparison guide to the best topical creams and gels.
Try Turmeric
Of all the herbal ingredients that may provide pain relief, turmeric is generally believed to be the most effective for joint pain. It’s consumed by many people with arthritis for its anti-inflammatory properties. You can take turmeric supplement pills, or mix a couple spoonfuls of turmeric powder into water or hot milk.
Consider Physical Therapy
Looking into knee pain, physical therapy is also advisable. A physical therapist can help provide massages, teach stretches and recommend exercises to help improve motion and reduce pain in your knees. Physical therapy is particularly recommended for knee injuries – it can help with recovery and may prevent a temporary injury turning into a permanent one.
Do the Right Exercises
Certain exercises that involve running or jumping can aggravate knee injuries and make them worse. You may want to avoid these exercises or do them less frequently if you have sore knees. Low-impact exercises like walking, cycling and swimming are often much less of a strain on the knees. Keeping active will help prevent weight gain (which can make knee pain worse) and also ease inflammation.
Invest in Injections or Surgery
There are medical procedures that you can look into if you are experiencing severe knee pain. This includes steroid injections to ease inflammation or surgical operations like knee replacement surgery. Medicare can often cover such treatments if they are deemed necessary. By seeing a doctor first, you can get tests carried out and work out the best-suited procedure to help treat your knee problem.
