Are you not enjoying summer because your knee hurts? Have you tried ice, heat or medications but not getting any relief? Let me tell you the 3 things you can do to help manage knee pain. It’s what I do for my knees.
First you want to make sure there is no structural damage to your knee like a torn ligament of meniscus because if something is torn, you want to get professional help to make sure you are not going to do anything that may make you worse. Also if your pain is at the point where you are having a tough time putting weight on it, get it checked out. At FYZICAL Hazleton, we have diagnostic tools like ultrasound imaging that can look into your knee and help identify what could be wrong.
So for those with knee pain, the first thing you should do is some self massage. The best areas to work on are the thigh muscles (front, back and sides) and the calf muscles. When tight, they can put strain on the knee and cause muscle imbalances resulting in pain. My go to tool for self massage is the hypervolt handheld massager. They have different heads and speeds so you can adjust depending on how much pain you have. I spend around 1 minute on each tight area before I do my exercises.
The second thing to do is to get some support. Support like kinesiology taping or a knee sleeve provides feedback to your joint and muscles, allowing them to work better offering better stability. When I work out or do anything physical I use kinesiology taping and a knee sleeve on top. The knee sleeve I use is an Incrediwear sleeve which has ions infused in them which helps with healing. They are also sturdy which I find comforting.
The third thing to do is do some exercises for the muscles that support the knee. Aside from knee stretches like the hamstring and strengthening of the quadriceps, the core, hip and calf muscles are very important. Research has shown core/hip weakness and calf tightness can cause knee pain. A couple of good exercises include bridges, hip abduction, planks and calf stretches. Aim to do them regularly along with knee exercises.
Doing these 3 things regularly can help keep knee pain at bay and I do them regularly as I have had 2 knee surgeries previously. If you are interested in getting some of the tools I use, feel free to contact us at FYICAL Hazleton, as we have them for sale.
For more information on how to take care of knee pain, or if you would like to set up an appointment to have your knee checked out, give us a call on 570-501-1808, before the nice weather is gone. Also check out our Youtube page FYZICAL Hazleton for instructional videos on knee pain.