Medicine
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What are Some Remedies for Knee Pain?

Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

Knee pain can be very intense, often interfering with the natural pronation of the knee during walking. When the natural flexing and rolling of pronator muscles around the knee are not working properly, the result can be a greatly inhibited ability to get around. While some instances of knee pain will require surgery to repair some sort of damage, there are often a number of remedies that will help painful knees to heal. Here are some examples of remedies to try if your doctor has determined the situation does not merit invasive surgery or prescription medication to alleviate the pain.

When knee pain first strikes, it is important to remember that with any type of muscle pain, you should use ice for the first twenty-four hours and then heat from that point on. The application of the ice will help to prevent swelling and inflammation during the first hours of the injury. Applications of heat later on will help to keep the muscles from locking and becoming stiff. For a quick treatment of knee pain that is a result of an accident, this can be your first defense in bringing the pain under control.

A person wearing a knee brace.
A person wearing a knee brace.

For situations in which the knee pain is established and recurring, the purchase of a brace may be desirable. However, make sure to spend the extra money to obtain a brace that has been configured to fit your knee. The varieties that are commonly sold in sporting goods stores are cheaper, but they also will not do much other than prevent additional injury to the area. A good quality knee brace that is adjusted to fit the contours of your knee will not only prevent more injury, but also help the body to begin healing.

A person with a swollen knee.
A person with a swollen knee.

Using over the counter pain medications may also help in the management of recurring pain. They will help to help with inflammation and may allow you to get the rest your body needs to begin a natural process of healing. Along with over the counter medications, you may want to try herbal complexes as well. For instance, bromelain, a natural ingredient found in pineapple, is said to contain some of the same pain and inflammation fighting agents that are found in prescription NSAIDs. While herbs take longer to get into the system and begin to impact the condition, persons suffering from recurring pain may find the use of bromelain extract very helpful.

Pain medication can help with knee pain.
Pain medication can help with knee pain.

While exercise may seem like a painful way to deal with aching knees, the fact is that stretching and working the muscles of the knee can have a beneficial effect in many cases. Strengthening the hamstrings with simple stretching exercises will help prevent the knee from freezing up. Since the knee depends a great deal on strong ligaments and muscles to operate properly, simple limbering exercises that are not done in excess can have a beneficial effect on painful knees.

Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that can help fight knee pain.
Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that can help fight knee pain.

A growing cause of aching knees in our society is obesity. Carrying around a lot of excess weight puts additional pressure on the knees. Even a drop of ten to twenty pounds will make a big difference in the amount of strain that is put on the muscles of the knee. As an added incentive, the changes in diet and exercise required to effect a weight decrease will also provide a number of other health benefits for the body, including an increased ability to fight off inflammation in the joints.

Stretching the hamstring can keep the knee from freezing up.
Stretching the hamstring can keep the knee from freezing up.

Knee pain can often be managed by making a few lifestyle changes and making good use of stretching and strengthening exercises for the ligaments and muscle surrounding the knee. Before beginning any type of regimen, however, be sure to consult your physician and make sure the steps you have in mind are right for your condition.

Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseGEEK, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.

Learn more...
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseGEEK, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

valeen

Wintergreen and birch essential oils are excellent for joint pain and inflammation. You may wish to dilute it with a carrier oil like almond or wheat germ.

galen84basc

Thanks for this! My daughter fell a few weeks ago and sprained her knee, so now we're in the midst of doing all the knee pain therapy exercises.

It's crazy just how many different ways that you can manipulate a knee -- you never really think about it until you have to, I guess.

Anyway, this was a really informative article, and gave me some great ideas to help with my daughter's pain. Thanks!

pleats

Hi -- One treatment that I've found to be surprisingly effective is TCM chiropractic massage. I fell a few years ago and had been having chronic knee pain on and off before a friend told me she had heard that TCM therapeutic massage could really help.

She is big into TCM, so she gave me this oil that was a blend of eucalyptus, camphor, peppermint, cinnamon, and a few other kinds of natural oils, and we found a practitioner who taught us how to use it. It is different from a regular massage in that you have to really work the oil down into the muscles and tendons -- it's actually really painful at first!

But I was so shocked afterwards to see how well it worked. My knee pain was completely gone after doing the massage a few times, and I even saw some residual swelling go down.

Apparently, according to the TCM practitioner, the tendons and muscles around my knee were out of alignment, and the oil, combined with the massage, helped to get them back into alignment.

Well, whatever happened in terms of alignment, I can definitely tell you that it worked, because I am still pain free. Just another home treatment to keep in mind...

pharmchick78

Really nicely written. I would like to add though that knee pain is really a very serious problem, and you shouldn't try to make a knee pain diagnosis by yourself (or with the help of an online knee pain symptoms checklist, etc).

Knee injuries and pain of any kind can be something very serious, and as anyone with chronic knee pain knows, even debilitating.

Though it is possible to cure knee pain, a lot of people just try to get knee pain relief with OTC medications, and fail to treat the underlying cause, which can cause long-term pain and even more serious damage.

So just be smart about taking care of your knees, and if you are experiencing any kind of chronic knee pain, you really should see a doctor, or at the very least an orthopedist, who can give you a better idea about how to treat the underlying cause and even give you some knee pain exercises to help cope with the pain.

catapult43

Physical therapy might provide some relief for knee pain too.

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • A person wearing a knee brace.
      A person wearing a knee brace.
    • A person with a swollen knee.
      By: soupstock
      A person with a swollen knee.
    • Pain medication can help with knee pain.
      By: underdogstudios
      Pain medication can help with knee pain.
    • Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that can help fight knee pain.
      By: Malyshchyts Viktar
      Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that can help fight knee pain.
    • Stretching the hamstring can keep the knee from freezing up.
      By: Ruslan Solntsev
      Stretching the hamstring can keep the knee from freezing up.