The following are simple remedies that can help with many forms of knee pain.
Exercise
Strengthening certain muscles like the quadriceps can ease pain in the knees.
Exercise helps to slow the progression of osteoarthritis, a common cause of knee pain. Physical activity is important to the normal health of cartilage tissue.
Exercise is also good for strengthening the body’s support for its joints. For the knee, strengthening the leg muscles is particularly helpful.
Water aerobics is especially helpful for joint pain. This is because the benefits come without any strain on the knees.
Strengthening exercises
Physical therapists can help work out the best exercises and programs for an individual to follow.
Exercises to strengthen the muscles in the upper leg can help to protect the knee joint. Known as the quadriceps muscles, these muscles are at the front and sides of the thighs.
Simply raising a straightened leg while sitting or lying down is an exercise that will strengthen these muscles and help them to stabilize the knee.
Other exercises that might reduce knee pain include stepping – putting one foot up on a step followed by the other, stepping down again, and repeating the step-ups.
Posture and support
Simple measures to avoid putting strain on the knee include avoiding chairs that are low to the ground or couches in which the sitter “sinks.” Sitting on a pillow may help with this. Putting a pillow underneath the knees can make the problem worse, however. A good sitting posture is also important.
Shoes that are supportive are helpful. Shoes with broken arches may produce abnormal force and wear on the knee causing pain.
Long periods without moving should be avoided. In osteoarthritis, for example, prolonged sitting can produce a stiff, painful joint.
Weight loss and diet
A healthy diet helps people to keep weight off and ease pressure on the knees.
People who are overweight or obese are more likely to have knee pain than others.
Carrying extra weight gives the joints more work to do. Losing it helps to reduce long-term knee pain, including pain caused by arthritis.
Eating well helps with keeping weight off. A healthy diet means a balanced one that is:
- Low in fat
- High in fruit, vegetables, and fiber
- Avoids lots of meat and animal fat
There are no special diets that are particularly good for knee pain or arthritis. It may do more harm than good to follow a diet being promoted for knee pain.
Alternative and complementary remedies
Acupuncture might help some people against some forms of pain. For osteoarthritis in the knee, however, it is unclear if it has any benefit or not. Massage may relieve pain.
Healthy eating, exercise, reducing overweight and obesity, and taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications remain the proven options for knee pain caused by arthritis.
A warmer climate is not thought to improve knee pain itself, but may make living in pain psychologically easier. It may also provide easier opportunities to achieve a more healthy lifestyle.
Pain at the front of the knee
Pain at the front of the knee is one of the most common aches and pains. It is second only to lower back pain – around a quarter of people will get it at some point in their lives.
It commonly affects teenagers, especially young female athletes. It is the most common overuse syndrome in sportspeople.
Most cases of front knee pain are injuries from overuse, or from poor preparation for exercise. The problems usually go away on their own, and sporting activities can resume after the pain subsides.
The pain varies but tends to:
- Be a dull ache that starts gradually, and is linked to activities
- Produce clicking or other sounds
- Come on when going upstairs, or when getting up after a long time sitting, squatting down, or kneeling
- Produce a weakness in the legs
Recommended treatments for front knee pain include:
- Stopping the activities that trigger it until it is resolved
- Applying ice when the knee is painful
- Taking over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen
- Using strengthening exercises