Knee pain is something that can really cause a lot of discomfort. Apart from the constant pain, problems in the knee also severely restrict mobility. Though the knee is a strong joint, it is also one of the most used and most injury prone ones. Since the knee also carries the entire weight of our body, the wear and tear is also quite extensive.
As your age increases, the joint of the knee naturally deteriorates, causing additional pain and discomfort. In the long run, knee pain can be extremely frustrating and difficult to manage. Fortunately, there are many home remedies which can be used to ease the pain and increase the range of motion. In some cases like injuries and fractures, the knee requires medical attention. Those who suffer from chronic conditions like arthritis and rheumatism may also need medical attention.
Some of the common causes of knee pain include arthritis, injuries of the ligament, meniscal tear or ACL tear, injuries of other surrounding cartilaginous tissue, patellar tendonitis, dislocation of knee cap, Osgood Schlatter disease, chondromalacia patella, Baker’s cyst, plica syndrome, bursitis, gout and osteochondritis dissecans.
Knee massage is one of the most effective ways of decreasing knee pain. You can gently massage your knee with your hands.
- Before you massage your knee vigorously, warm it up, using both your hands. With your left hand, massage the outer part of the knee with gentle and slow moving strokes, and with your right hand, stroke the inner portion of the knee. Move your hands along the length of the mid calf to the lower part of the thigh, repeating the slow gentle motion.
- After a brief warm up, continue with a more invigorating massage. Press the muscles firmly against the bones, applying pressure on the muscles.
- Now, moving your hands along the length of the knee, use the fingers and the thumb to pick and pull at the muscles. As you pull, also give a gentle squeeze to the muscles. While doing this, keep your fingers relaxed so that you don’t end up pinching yourself hard. Repeat this for some time, moving your hands from the top of the knee to the groin and then moving back to the knee, reaching down to the middle of your calf.
- Follow this with an even deeper, friction massage. For this massage, simply use the tips of the middle finger of both the hands. Just like before, start applying pressure from the top of the knee and move towards the inner part. Continue making a circle around the knee, using the force in your middle fingers. Repeat several times for maximum comfort.
Tags: arthritis knee pain treatment, knee massage techniques, knee pain massage, relieve knee pain