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How to Help Knee Problems

As we age are joints become a problem. Knee pain is a common issue, caused by such things as aging, sports activities and overuse injuries from strenuous exercise. Luckily there are many options for treating knee pain.

  1. Check With a Doctor

    • Consult a doctor before you make any decisions on how to treat your knee pain. The pain may be a sign of a serious injury that needs treatment beyond the standard R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation) that orthopedic surgeons use to treat mild to moderate knee pain.

    Get Your Rest

    • You want to rest the knee that's causing you pain. Whatever activities you were doing that caused the pain, i.e., exercise, sports, gardening, you will want to stop for a few days to give your knee time to heal. Overuse injuries are common in people who don't give their joints a chance to heal.

    Ice It Down

    • Ice your knee down. Ice will not only relieve any swelling that may be occurring in your knee, but it will help you with the pain as well. If you don't have an ice pack, you can fill a sandwich bag with ice, wrap it a paper towel and place it on your knee.

    Get a Knee Brace

    • Use a compressive bandage or knee brace to wrap the knee tightly and snugly but not so tightly that it will cause more pain. The compression will help keep the swelling down, help with the pain and help protect the knee as you move about.

    Elevate

    • Elevate your knee. Elevating your knee will give you a chance to relax the joints, prevent any potentially injurious movements and ease whatever pain you may be feeling since the knee is in a completely relaxed state. It also helps with any swelling that you may have from you knee injury.

    Medicate

    • Take some aspirin or ibuprofen. They are simple painkillers that will alleviate your pain and help with any swelling.

    One More Doctor's Visit

    • Consult a doctor again. If after you've completed the R.I.C.E. technique and the pain still persists your injury may be worse than previously thought and may require a doctor's attention. You don't want to wait too long to see a doctor because a minor injury can turn into a serious one.

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