Knee pain treatment at home

Most Americans will deal with at least minor knee pain at some point in their lives. Minor pains from overuse injuries may not be severe enough to send you to the emergency room, but knee pain treatment at home can make a big difference in how quickly you recover from the injury. Back in Motion shares some effective options for knee pain treatment at home.

RICE treatment

For most common knee sprains and overuse injuries like tendonitis, the RICE method is an effective at-home knee pain treatment. The four steps of RICE are:

Rest — Getting your weight off a knee injury can help prevent the risk of making the injury worse and allows your body time to heal.

Ice — Cold therapy or applying ice to the injury will help reduce pain and swelling. Apply for only 20 to 30 minutes per session to keep the ice from causing damage to the skin.

Compression — Applying a compression bandage to the knee increases blood flow and limits swelling. Be sure it is snug, but not so tight that it cuts off blood flow.

Elevation — Elevating the knee above the torso helps reduce pain, throbbing and allows any internal bleeding to drain back to the body.

Symptoms should begin to improve within 48 to 72 hours with the RICE method. If knee pain gets worse or you are unable to bear any weight on the knee, consult your doctor.

Low impact exercise

Exercises that are low stress to the knee can help strengthen muscles and provide support. Tai chi, yoga and walking are all low impact activities that can be effective for knee pain treatment at home.

If you have a pool, swimming is also an excellent low impact exercise that can help keep you active. The water provides excellent resistance for strength building, and the hydrostatic pressure of water can decrease swelling and improve range of motion.

Physical therapy for knee pain

When an injury is severe enough that at-home knee pain treatment is not enough, physical therapy can help rehabilitate your knee. If you have recently injured your knee, contact us today to set up your initial appointment and go over your treatment options.