I see clients on a regular basis who suffer from debilitating knee pain. Many of those clients have already gone under the knife because of worsening knee conditions like torn ligaments or excess fluid within the knee joint. Well, what’s a person to do when the knees are so necessary for daily functioning and proper gait? Reader’s Digest recently published a post dedicated to that question alone and provided some very helpful tips to reducing or stopping knee pain altogether. Take a look at an excerpt:

The best way? Keep your weight down. In fact, losing just 15 pounds can cut knee pain in half for overweight arthritis sufferers. “I’ve seen people with their knees going bad, and the rate of deterioration decreased significantly when they lost weight,” says John Reveille, MD, a professor of medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

Here, more strategies that can help ease pain:

Have your feet checked. Some knee problems stem from walking with poor biomechanics. “People with feet that roll outward while walking or running develop knee pain that doesn’t necessarily reflect knee damage, says Dr. Reveille. Go to a good athletic-shoe store and ask a staffer to evaluate your gait and look at your shoes’ wear pattern. Orthotics or physical therapy can compensate, and the discomfort should go away. Shelley’s note: Certain types of massage, such as Myofascial Release and Neuromuscular Therapy can assist with correcting gait patterns.

Build muscle. Staying active can build knee-protecting muscle. “A joint with a conditioned muscle around it is far more able to absorb stresses,” says Dr. Reveille. But avoid exercises that put excessive strain on the knee, such as squats and jogging.

Apply ice or heat. “Ice is one of nature’s painkillers,” says Wayne M. Goldstein, MD, a professor of orthopedics at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine. “It will help reduce inflammation.” Use ice for acute, occasional pain and apply heat for more chronic aches.

Try medication. Ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory drugs may help temporarily. Shelley’s note: I suggest trying nutritional supplements (as suggested below) before relying daily on medication and drugs, if possible.

OA sufferers can also try supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin.

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