Most of the knee injuries happen due to overuse of the knees while bending, kneeling, running and jumping. The knee joint is very vulnerable to injury. If the knee is pulled strongly, it can cause injury to the kneecap. Women are more likely to have kneecap injuries. Overuse of muscles and not doing stretching before exercises causes inflexibility of quadriceps. This causes the knee tendons to become inflamed and the condition is known as jumper’s knee. Knee injury can be due to muscle imbalance.
The patient can have knee injury due to fall, vehicle accidents and athletic sports and activities. Knee injury can also be due to knee diseases such as arthritis. When the knee is overstressed while running and climbing stairs, it may cause knee injury. Doing repetitive and stressful exercises can put pressure on the knees and cause injury. The knee can be stressed if the leg muscles are not properly conditioned. Sometimes, lack of use and improper training causes the knee injury. You can use home remedies for curing knee injury. The following home remedies for knee injury will surely provide you relief.
12 Best Home Remedies For Knee Injury
Reduce Weight
Excess weight can put extra pressure on the knee joints. If the overweight person jogs and runs, it stresses the knees. So if you want to avoid knee injury, maintain the weight at healthy levels. Consult a doctor to find the right weight for you. You can reduce weight by taking a low fat diet consisting of fewer calories. You must exercise regularly.
Rest, Ice And Elevation
If you have a knee injury, you must take rest. Do not do any activity that causes pain and injury. Ice helps in decreasing pain. You must apply an ice pack on the knees. Wrap the ice in a towel. Apply the towel on the knees for twenty minutes. Reapply after 20 minutes again.
Apply the ice pack thrice daily. Then, wrap an elastic bandage around the knees. The bandage should not be very tight. Elevate the knees by placing them on pillows or any other place that is higher than rest of the body.
Using Canes And Doing Exercises
Use canes and crutches for walking. Do flexibility exercises. You can do hamstring stretches. You can also do exercises that involve bringing the knees towards the chest. Do water exercises like swimming, walking in the water.
Do Stretching
If you are doing exercises, you must do stretching. You must do warming up before the exercise and cooling down after the exercises.
Do light stretching for ten minutes before the exercises. You can do aerobics by jogging and walking. After finishing the exercises, do stretching again. This will help in increasing flexibility.
Use Supportive Shoes
The knee can be misaligned and injured due to overpronation, in which the foot rolls inwards. To correct this problem, you must use supportive shoes especially designed for preventing pronation. You can also take help of orthotics, which provide you with special shoe inserts. Orthotics can be ready made. It can be also custom designed by podiatrist or orthopedist.
Use Natural Extracts
If you have swelling and inflammation in the knees, take 100 mg grape seed extract daily. You can also take 1000 mg bromelain, which is an enzyme derived from pineapple. Bromelain prevents muscle soreness due to exercise.
It helps in improving the knee functioning in patients who have arthritis. You can take 500 mg curcumin thrice daily. Curcumin is derived from turmeric. It is very useful for patients who suffer from osteoarthritis.
Take Vitamins
Some vitamins decrease knee pain by rebuilding cartilage as well as tendons. Take 50 mg Vitamin B6 daily. You must take 400 IU vitamin E daily. You must also take 35 mg niacin daily.
Wear Proper Shoes
If you want to prevent knee injuries, you must wear shoes with low heels. You can use one-inch heel. If you wear shoes with a heel higher than this, it will cause forward bending of the body, thus causing stress and injury to the knees. Use a shoe with cushioned sole. For stabilizing the heel, use shoes with stiff heel counter. If you take part in sports activities, buy sports shoes.
Use different shoes for walking and running. Do not use the shoes meant for walking for any other activity like running as it causes knee pain and injury. Do not wear worn out shoes. Buy another shoe after every 6 months. If you do running for twenty-five miles per week, you need new shoes in every two months.
Check If You Have Bowlegs And Knock-Knees
People who have bowlegs are more likely to have knee problems. In addition, people who have knock-knees are likely to suffer from knee injury. Check if you have bowlegs and knock-knees. You can check this by standing straight with the ankles touching. The anklebones of both legs should touch each other. The knees of both legs should touch each other. If the ankles and knees touch each other, it shows that you are in proper alignment.
However, you have knock-knees when the knees touch but the ankles do not touch and the ankles have space between them. You have bowlegs if when the ankles touch each other but the knees have space between them. If you do not have proper alignment, you must do swimming and cycling instead of running, as it does not cause knee injury.
Steam Therapy
Steam therapy is very effective in curing knee injury. Soak the knees in a bathtub filled with hot water. When the knee will absorb the heat and steam from the water, it will decrease the pain. You can also apply heat on the knees with the help of hot water bag.
Massage The Knees
If you massage the knees, it will increase blood circulation and provide relief from the pain. Massage the knees with olive oil 2-3 times daily.
The olive oil should be warm. You can massage the knee with lukewarm coconut oil. Do the massage gently. Do the massage for five to ten minutes at one time.
Take Care While Doing Movements
Avoid fitness exercises like bending the knees and doing squats as these activities put pressure on the knees. People who lift weights should avoid flexing the knee fully. Avoid locking knees in a standing position. Lift minimum weight with the knees. If you have to kneel down while gardening and washing the floor, use kneeling cushion made of foam. You can also use kneepads. Rest the knees at frequent intervals.
Caution: Please use Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.
