When it comes to knee pain relief, most sufferers are willing to try just about anything. The good news is that you have a wide range of options at your disposal for finding that relief from discomfort.
Knee pain can come about as a result of many different impacts, whether it’s an awkward step that becomes a slip and fall incident or you have developed arthritis in the knee, the symptoms that come with these impacts can be varied and sometimes unpredictable.
That’s part of why you have so many treatment options from which to choose when you need to find relief from the swelling, stiffness, and pain that can come with any of the most common knee issues in sufferers of all ages. Depending upon your threshold for pain and your willingness to go with traditional, organic, or less conventional methods for pain treatment, you may want to consider one of more of the following pain relief options:
The RICE Method
It’s an acronym that stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. This combination of treatment is ideal for alleviating the pain that you might experience in the knee due to an injury or a flare-up of arthritic conditions. The relief you seek can be found by resting the knee, using ice to reduce any swelling, wearing a compression brace or bandage, and elevating the knee.
Weight Loss
This is a more of a preventive measure that can be accomplished over a period of time, instead of a treatment option that targets the problem immediately. Reducing the weight you carry on your knees can be very helpful for reducing the amount of stress you’re putting on them.
Less weight can make the pain less frequent and working to take even a little bit weight off your knee can make it hurt a lot less.
The Right Shoes
A great way to alleviate the pain in your knee is to ensure that you’re wearing the right shoes. Many sufferers don’t even realize their shoes are the problem until they visit an orthopedic doctor Richmond, VA or physical therapist who explains to them the difference that cushioned insoles can have on reducing the stress that causes pain in the knee.
Your medical professional can suggest which insoles can prevent the discomfort that comes from arthritis of the knee. Orthopedic shoes are also very good for reducing knee pain by providing support in the foot and knee where it is needed most.
Pain Medications
Certain types of painkillers are best-suited for reducing the pain and swelling that can crop up in knees. For most sufferers, analgesics are the drug of choice as they can tackle knee pain due to arthritis, surgery, even injury. It’s also available without a prescription.
After analgesics, you can try nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs which can be available over the counter or by prescription. These are ideal for dealing with knee pain that comes with significant swelling. For knee pain that comes with routine swelling, you might turn to a corticosteroid.
