Having arthritis in your knees can be painful, but more than that, it can restrict your movement and activities. Luckily, there are some things you can do to help ease your knee pain and regain some mobility. Use the following tips to make things easier for you.
Get a Knee Brace
A knee brace can be a great aid when you have arthritis in your knees. In fact, about 40% of arthritis patients say that a brace reduces their pain. A good knee brace provides your knee with some support, while allowing you to move when you need to.
Your doctor may prescribe a so-called "unloader" brace, which keeps your knee in alignment so that there is less pressure on the parts of your knee that cause you pain. You might also want to consider a neoprene sleeve brace, which leaves a hole open for the knee. The neoprene brace can keep your knee bones in place while allowing you to walk and attempt some light exercise. You can find braces at most local pharmacies, like Parkwood Street Road Pharmacy.
Make sure that you clean your brace regularly to avoid bacteria buildup. To avoid too much sweat inside your brace, think about putting a bit of baby powder on your knee before you put the brace on; that may help keep your skin dry and free from rashes.
Exercise
It is important that you know that while you may not want to move your knee when you have arthritis, sitting all day long will only make your knee's supporting muscles weaker, which may lead to more pain. While lunges, squats and high-impact workouts can be bad for your knee, you can still get in some exercise by walking, bicycling and aquatic exercise.
Change Your Diet
In addition to taking medications to cope with your arthritis pain, you may be able to experience relief when you change your diet. The right diet can provide minerals, vitamins and other nutrients that can keep you healthy and cause you to feel less pain in your knee. Anti-inflammatory foods such as blueberries, raspberries and other fruits and vegetables are great if you have arthritis. Foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as tuna, salmon and mackerel also help reduce inflammation in your body and joints. Foods high in vitamin C, such as broccoli, citrus fruits and strawberries contribute to good joint health, which can soothe your pain from arthritis.
You might also want to consider staying away from eggplants, tomatoes and other nightshade plants, as some with arthritis discover that eliminating these foods results in an improvement of their symptoms.
Now that you have some ideas about how to better cope with your arthritic knee, you can start to feel better. Use the tips above to determine which work best for you, and talk to your doctor for more ideas about how you can feel better.
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