Knee Pain Treatment

Knee Pain Treatment

Let’s face it, injuries happen. And when you’re working out hard and exercising regularly, they’re even more likely to happen!

But they don’t have to. When it comes down to it, there’s a lot you can to do prevent injuries and manage the pain when they do occur.

Knee injuries are one of the most common injuries I’ve seen in my experience as a personal trainer (second only to shoulder and back injuries). Runners have to be especially cautious when it comes to injuring their knees, as the impact can wear on the joint over time.

And knee injuries can really interfere with daily living. Not only do they throw a major wrench in your fitness routines (especially if you’re a cardio buff), but they can also take a long time to heal because we use our knees whenever we’re active.

So I thought I’d review some of the common treatments of knee pain, and also follow up with some basic steps you can take at the gym (or outdoors) that will help you prevent strain and injury to these critical joints.

It’s also important to understand that there are a number of potential causes of knee pain. Knee pain can be caused by a sudden injury, an overuse injury, or by an underlying condition, such as arthritis. Treatment will vary depending on the cause, and symptoms of knee injury can include pain, swelling, and stiffness.

So what can you do to treat knee pain?

Believe it or not, depending on the nature and cause of your knee pain, exercise can actually help you treat and/or manage the pain. First, exercise can strengthen the ligaments and muscles surrounding the knee joint, allowing your body to better cope with (or heal from) the underlying cause. Exercise can also raise your pain threshold, allowing you to better manage your pain on a daily basis.

Here are some powerful tips to take into consideration when you are exercising but wanting to treat (or avoid) the pain:

• When squating: make sure your knee never goes over your toe.  That means your feet should be shoulder width apart, and as you come down you feel your quads and do your best to push your butt out.  If you have knee pain you should avoid going down too far.
• For those who are runners, I hate to say it but you simply need to stop running especially on pavement until your knee pain subsides. Instead try low-impact cardio like elliptical machines, biking or even rowing. These exercises will help you strengthen the ligaments surrounding your knees.
• Massage and physiotherapy are other effective treatments for knee pain (or pain of any kind). The best thing you can do is to see a physiotherapist as soon as possible following your injury or onset of pain.
• Aside from this, doctors may prescribe over-the-counter medications or recommend surgery depending on the severity and source of your knee pain.

How can you prevent knee pain and injury?