7 Different Types of Knee Inflammation Treatment Options

Are you experiencing severe pain around your knee? If the knee is noticeably swelling, appears to be red in colour, and feels warm to the touch, you may be suffering from knee inflammation. This could be caused by a variety of conditions, such as tendinitis, bursitis, arthritis or an injury to the muscles or tendons around the knee.

If you have ever experienced knee inflammation, it is one of the most painful injuries you can ever have. It renders you motionless for quite some time, and you must find someone to help you move around. If your knee continues getting worse, you should seek further treatment from a medical professional.

In the meantime, there are seven different knee inflammation treatment options that you can try:

1. Rest

Rest, rest, rest. If your knee seems to be inflamed, you need to rest as much as possible. Resting gives your body the chance to heal the underlying cause and avert any risks of increasing inflammation. You can rest your knee in a comfortable position as you go about your leisure activities, such as watching TV or reading a book.

When resting, keep your knee elevated. This has been proven to increase and improve the circulation of blood around the knee area. To achieve this, you need to lie down flat on your back in a resting position. Then, put some pillows under your knee until it is elevated to a level above your heart.

Avoid any sporty activities that require much effort. You should maintain the right amount of motion by gently stretching and flexing your knees multiple times a day. If there is no change after 1-2 days, see your chiropractor immediately.

2. Ice & Heat

Ice enables you to control the pain in your knees. It reduces swelling after a knee injury by constricting the temperature of the area around the blood vessels.

While using ice, wrap the ice pack with a towel to avoid damage from the direct contact between the ice and your skin. For the first 2 or 3 days, apply ice to the knee for 15 minutes every hour. By doing this for 3-4 hours in a row, you stand to reduce inflammation by a substantial amount. In case you don’t have ice packs, use a frozen bag of vegetables instead.

Once you have used ice packs on your knees for around 3 days, introduce some heat. You can take a warm bath, apply a warm towel, or use a heating pad for about 15 minutes a few times a day. However, be careful not to introduce too much heat.

3. Compression

This is a great way to prevent or at least reduce swelling around the knee. It also provides support to the knee, especially while you are walking.

This method can be done by wrapping the knee area with clinically approved compression bandages from your local drug store. Remember to ensure the bandage is not too tight, as it may cut off blood circulation to the rest of the limbs and cause swelling in the lower leg and foot. Slip one of your fingers under the bandage and lift it slightly to create some space.

Numb toes or feet are a sign you need to loosen the bandage. Give yourself a break from the bandage every few hours.

4. Anti-inflammatory Medication

All over-the-counter drugs you take should be prescribed by a qualified doctor. Do not self-prescribe medication on your own. To manage knee inflammation, doctors recommend that you take non-steroids and anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin and naproxen, among others.

Take the medicines as instructed. Consult your doctor should you have concerns about any side effects or problems associated with your health history.

5. Anti-inflammatory Diet

Just like there are anti-inflammatory drugs, there are also anti-inflammatory diets. These include foods such as olive oil, salmon, tuna, mackerel, nuts and fruits. Green leafy vegetables are also great for your diet, such as kales, spinach and collard greens. The good thing is that you can get these foods locally, so you have no excuse not to try them out.

6. Losing Weight

This is something many people struggle with. Apart from making one vulnerable to disease, excess weight also applies pressure on an inflamed knee. It may cause increased inflammation and a reduced ability of the knee to heal effectively. Even though many weight loss activities tend to focus on increasing physical exercises, be careful not to injure your inflamed knee further while exercising.

7. Knee Exercises

Considering your injured knee is very fragile, some isometric exercises can help strengthen your knee muscles. The stronger the knee joint muscles are, the more pressure is relieved. These physiotherapy exercises include weight training, flexibility training, and low impact activities such as swimming and water aerobics.