Three types of arthritic conditions can cause pain in the knee joint: post-traumatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis, the most common form of the disease, occurs because the joints become inflamed with the disease. This causes pain and swelling. The cartilage in the knee joint becomes affected and degenerates, wearing away over time. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system attacks the tissues of the joints. Post-traumatic arthritis occurs after a knee injury. All of these types of arthritis cause pain. Various treatments exist for these forms of arthritis.
Step 1
Apply alternating cold and hot packs to the knee. This helps decrease the inflammation of the knee joints. Alternating the heat with the ice helps to soothe as well as numb the area of pain. Ice also decreases the inflammation as it helps to shrink the irritated tissues surrounding the joint that helps decrease the pain. Heat loosens the knee joint and makes it less painful.
Step 2
Exercise your knees while submerged in water. Water exercises help to relax the knee joints and soothe the pain. By exercising the knees in the water, they become less stiff and easier to move. Range of motion exercises in the water help people who suffer from arthritic knee pain. These exercises limber the legs and knees, and help the pain to stop.
Step 3
Use ointments that contain counterirritants such as menthol to help soothe the knee joints. These ointments give a cool or warm sensation to the areas and can relax them. This decreases the feeling of pain and helps to soothe the muscles around the knee joint.
Step 4
Try elastic bandages wrapped around the knee joint. Elastic bandages help support the knee and give strength by their support of the muscles surrounding the knee. By adding extra support, elastic bandages make it easier to move the knee.
Step 5
Lose weight. If you suffer from any form of arthritis that affects your legs and you weigh more than what medical professionals recommend, losing weight will help take the pressure off the joints. Taking pressure off these joints will decrease the pain and allow freer movement with less support needed.
Step 6
Wear supportive knee devices such as a knee brace to help decrease the amount of pain and aggravation the knee feels in its arthritic state. Supporting the knee with a brace helps the ligaments to use less force to hold the knee in place as well as for knee movements.
Step 7
Use a cane to take the weight off one of the knees to help relieve pain when walking. The cane also gives support and lessens frustration of the person when the pain becomes too great to walk without some type of support.
Step 8
Take over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, to help reduce inflammation, stiffness, pain and swelling. NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen, all available in non-prescription strengths. If these drugs do not sufficiently reduce the symptoms of arthritis in the knees, ask your doctor about prescription-level NSAIDs such as celecoxib and etodolac.
Things You'll Need
- Knee brace
- Cane
- Pool
- Ointments
- Medications
