What You Should and Shouldn’t Do For Knee Pain
When you are fighting knee pain, you may have many questions regarding what is safe to do and what will help get you on the path to healing quickly. Knee pain can be difficult because when something else in your body hurts, like a hand or a shoulder, you may still be able to get around fairly easily. However, even with minor knee pain, it can make walking and being mobile incredibly difficult so you may feel that you are stuck in the same place until you can find relief. Below, learn what should and shouldn’t do when it comes to dealing with knee pain.
- Do safe exercises. There will be certain movements that you cannot do. However, if you are working with a doctor or a physical therapist, they can help you begin re-strengthening your muscles by giving you safe exercises to work with.
- Allow yourself to rest. Find the line between allowing your leg to rest and not resting too much. Becoming immobile will force your muscles to weaken and this could make your pain worse. However, know when it is time to set down and elevate your leg so that you can allow pain to decrease and swelling to go down.
- Use helpful tools if you need to. Many people do not want to reach for a cane or other walking aid. However, putting weight and pressure on an injured or hurting knee can make the situation worse and cause permanent damage. If you do not have the right tool, find out where you can get one.
- Know the steps of RICE. This means rest, ice, compression, and elevation. When you are dealing with pain and inflammation, utilizing this method can help ensure you are doing what you can for your knee and not damaging it further.
- Learn about non-drug ways of helping. You may be tempted to pop pain medication pills but this will only help mask the symptoms you are experiencing. Instead, learn about physical therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic care, and even injections to see if there is a method that may be right for your healing process.
- Avoid fall risks. Especially while your knee is hurting, avoid walking in areas that could be a fall risk, such as uneven floors, poorly lit areas, and always use any available railing.
If you are interested in speaking with a doctor, like a knee pain doctor from a practice like Premier Osteoarthritis Centers of Pennsylvania, reach out to one today.