Sore knees and knee pain: treatment & tips

Sore knees and knee pain: treatment & tips

Sore, sore knees can cause a lot of discomfort, especially in the winter when it is cold and damp. Knee complaints can also occur after a wrong movement or due to overload during sports. Possibly there is talk of a knee infection. You can have knee complaints treated with both anti-inflammatory drugs (eg cortisone) and painkillers (eg ibuprofen), but at the same time you also need to take the necessary rest into account. You cannot always prevent knee complaints, since wear of the knee joints inevitably goes hand in hand with advancing age. Yet you can spare your knees if you pay attention to certain things. What does the treatment of painful knees consist of and how can you help prevent knee complaints?

Sore knees

If you have pain in the knee this can indicate various causes. Pain due to a sudden, wrong movement can occur during sports or physical exercise and may, for example, indicate damage to the meniscus or crotch straps. Long-term knee pain is also possible; in that case it can be about disorders such as osteoarthritis or rheumatism. Knee complaints are generally more frequent in cold, rain and humidity. Different treatments are possible depending on the precise complaints of the knee.

Prevent knee complaints: tips
Save knees

You cannot always prevent or avoid knee complaints. Consider, for example, knee osteoarthritis, a condition that occurs as a result of the progress of the years and amounts to wear and tear of the knee joint. People in that case have a lot of sore knees when cold and damp. There are, however, ways to save your knees in as many ways as possible, so that any complaints can be reduced later in life.

Additional tips

limit walking on high heels

limit exposure to extreme cold and humidity

avoid obesity or overweight (in that case the knees must carry a lot of body weight)

avoid sports where the knees have to absorb many shocks, such as jogging, tennis or squash

keep practicing your knee joints to keep them flexible, but don't overdo it (cycle on an exercise bike, for example)

Treatment knee pain

Ice

In the sports world, placing ice bags on the knee is a classic treatment for sudden knee pain. Usually it is about an injury due to physical contact or a wrong movement. Ice or cold compresses can alleviate the knee pain by temporarily "numbing" the injury. Often, it is also advisable to take a rest.

Anti-inflammatory drugs

Knee pain often has to do with inflammation of the knee joint, such as bursa inflammation, rheumatism or osteoarthritis. The doctor will prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs depending on the cause of the pain. Often prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs are cortisone or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or diclofenac. Cortisone can be given in the event of painful inflammation of the knee.

Painkillers

Knee complaints can vary greatly in severity and pain perception. If the pain is difficult to wear, the doctor will prescribe pain killers. Painkillers are primarily a way to make the daily life of the patient more bearable and should be stopped in the event of improvement or disappearance of the symptoms. Painkillers are primarily an additional treatment in addition to the anti-inflammatory treatment, which focuses on combating causes and symptoms.

Cream or gel

In addition, a soothing ointment or gel can be administered, of which there are numerous types and types. Ointments with menthol and camphor (camphor) are often used by recreational and professional athletes. Some of these gels have both analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects and act very locally on the site of disaster. Furthermore, patches are also available to be applied to the knee so that the active substance (ibuprofen, diclofenac) can have an effect on a scattered surface.
Some examples of such gels, creams or plasters:

Ibuprofen Gel

Voltaren Emulgel

Voltaren Heat plaster


Knee brace

Wearing a knee brace or knee bandage can be useful to give the knee extra support, which can reduce the pain. This also reduces the chance of the problem getting worse and the occurrence of new injuries. Some examples of knee braces and knee bandages:

Mueller knee brace

Emdee Supporting Knee Bandage

Thuasne knee brace