The knee joint is one of the most important and used joint in our body. It allows us to walk, dance, run, skate and enjoy playing sports. It also takes our whole body weight and is therefore very susceptible to wear and tear. Any damage or injury to the knee joint can cause a lot of inconvenience and pain. Sudden awkward movements, a fall, twist, or even too much use can cause damage to your knees. Knee injuries could involve tendon, cartilage and ligament tear as well as some other damages.A knee injury could be minor and easily treatable at home, whereas if it is due to some damage to the soft cartilage behind your knee cap, it can result in unbearable pain and would require medical supervision. Some health conditions like arthritis can also cause serious inflammation in the knees and result in severe injuries. These home remedies will help you deal with the knee injury and help treat the pain effectively.
Home Remedies For Knee injury
1. Apply Ice
Ice acts as an anaesthetic and helps to reduce the pain and inflammation in the injured knee. Pack some ice in a clean cloth and apply it to the site of injury. You can also take a bag of frozen peas and strap it over the injury. This will bring down the swelling and reduce pain in the knee.
Do not apply for more than twenty minutes at a time as it could damage the nerves and the skin at that area. You can apply the ice packs three times a day, but restrict it to ten to twenty minutes.
2. Rest And Protect The Knee Injury
The first thing you must do when you get a knee injury is to ensure that it doesn’t get worse. If you have a minor knee injury, wrap it in an elastic compression bandage. Take a break from activities and give your knee a rest. You can lie down and place a small pillow under the injured knee.For more severe injuries, you might have to use crutches or a brace in order to keep the weight off the injured knee. Give your knee a good amount of rest so that it can heal faster.
3. Wrap A Bandage
Wrap the area of your knee injury with an elastic bandage. This will prevent fluids from collecting at the site of injury and will help decrease the swelling. Do not wrap the bandage too tightly otherwise it may cause further swelling. It should be tight enough but not so tight that it causes red marks on the skin. If you feel numbness, a tingling sensation and increased pain, it implies the bandage is too tight.
4. Elevate
In order to prevent swelling at the site of knee injury, the injured area needs to be kept elevated. This helps reduce fluid buildup and prevents swelling.Keep the area elevated using pillows or sitting in a recliner with the footrest up. An elevation above the level of your heart is helpful in minimizing the swelling.
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5. Massage The Injured Area
Massage or rub the injured area very gently. This will increase blood circulation in the affected area, helping heal your injury faster. Massaging also helps loosen the tight hamstrings and other tissues that might be pulling on the knee and causing pain. This provides relief from the pain due to the knee injury. Just make sure that you do not rub too vigorously and cause further harm.
6. Avoid Heat
The injury on your knee can worsen due to heat as it promotes fluid buildup. For at least two to three days after you get a knee injury, you must avoid hot baths, tubs or hot packs. Instead, keeping the area cool with ice is the perfect solution to reduce swelling and pain.
7. Water Therapy
Water, or aqua, therapy is very beneficial for internal knee injuries caused by serious health conditions like arthritis. The patient can relax in a tub of hot water that provides a nice massage to the affected knee joint. The pain in the injured knee decreases and the functioning of the knee joint improves. Regular water therapy for a few months can completely heal the knee injury. Patients can also choose to walk in pools filled with warm water, or do some kind of light aerobic exercises like swimming. It should, though, be discussed with your doctor first.
8. Coconut Oil Massage
If you have a serious internal knee injury due to a serious health condition like arthritis, coconut oil massages are very helpful. Massaging the affected area with coconut oil helps improve the blood circulation in that region and helps reduce the pain.
Warm half a cup of coconut oil and massage the affected knee with this lukewarm oil. This will provide you with a lot of relief from pain.
9. Turmeric
Turmeric is the best home remedy for treating all kinds of ailments due to its strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It is very beneficial in treating all kinds of injuries in our body.If you have a knee injury, turmeric should be used regularly to reduce inflammation and pain at the site of injury. Mix a teaspoon of turmeric powder in a glass of hot milk. Stir it well and drink twice a day till your injury heals.
10. Fenugreek Seeds
Fenugreek, or methi, seeds are used for many medicinal purposes. A paste of these seeds helps reduce the pain when applied over the painful knee joints. It is an excellent pain and will provide you much relief from the pain due the knee injury.Roast some fenugreek seeds and make a powder of these roasted seeds. Make a thick paste with a couple of teaspoons of this powder. Apply this paste on the area of knee injury twice every day.
11. Take An Anti-Inflammatory
If you have a simple internal or external knee injury which is not too serious, you can easily treat it at home using some of these home remedies. Meanwhile, you can also take some aspirin or ibuprofen to help reduce the pain, inflammation and swelling.
