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The Do’s and Don’ts of Knee Pain

Knee pain can be one of the most persistent and frustrating forms of joint pain, primarily if you haven’t found the right pain and mobility management that works for you. The problem you face with knee pain is how quickly it can escalate if it remains insufficiently managed for too long, leading to critical conditions that needed aggressive treatment.

In this article, we discuss the best practices for managing your knee pain, outlining the do’s and don’ts that will prevent your condition from worsening, and keeping you active in doing the activities you love.

Do: Keep Up Your Exercise

Mobility is a knee pain sufferers best friend. There are certain activities you can do regularly to help strengthen the joint and promote flexibility through your movements. Consistent, steady walking is a great starting place, allowing you to build up to weight training over time. Exercises where you have removed the impact on the joints, like swimming, cycling on a stationary bike, and stretching, will also significantly support your knee.

Don’t: Get Too Much Rest

You will instinctively feel like not exercising or moving when your knee is in pain; however, this is the opposite of what you should be doing. With decreased mobility comes the loss of muscular strength, which only increases the pain and worsens the condition. Using the exercises listed above, ensure you are assigning yourself daily movement sessions, focusing on strengthening the knee joint.

Do: RICE

While most people assume the RICE method (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) is just for acute injuries, like a fall, you can use this technique to manage a significant flare-up of pain or after any aggravating movements. Keep ice packs in your freezer, larger ones you can wrap around the knee, and ask your chiropractor about a suitable compression bandage for you.

Don’t: Neglect Your Health

Many factors aggravate your knee pain and cause unnecessary pressure on an already unstable joint. Your overall health, especially your diet, is a factor you can control; as a person gains weight, the additional weight puts a strain on the joints, with the knees and hips being the greatest effected. While it’s important to eat healthily all year round, your knee pain should be used a motivator to modify your diet drastically.

Don’t: Let Pain Get Worse

The worst thing you can do for your body is to let your knee pain worsen, to the point of immobility and unbearable pain. With the onset of persistent knee pain, seek the help of your chiropractor immediately, and address the issue straight away.

Knee pain, whether acute or persistent, shouldn’t leave you unable to move or feeling pain; contact us today at MyChiro to begin treatment on your joint pain now! Think about it, wearing a posture brace to bed is discussed here but it is similar to wearing a knee brace.

Photo: knee by Megan Young licensed under Creative commons 6