Knee pain is a common problem these days due to a sedentary lifestyle. Many people are affected by knee pain but don’t know what it is or how to get rid of knee pain. Massaging the knee is one of the best ways of reducing knee pain and keep your knees in good shape.
This article will show you how to massage your own knees at home so that you can relieve yourself from this painful condition without having to go through surgery or expensive treatments.
Table of Contents
Points to Be Considered Before Massaging Knees
There are a couple of points to be considered before you begin the massage process. Knee pain can be caused due to various reasons and hence, not all massages would work for each cause or individual.
To find out the root cause of your knee pain, consider these important points:
👉1st point your doctor might ask you to undergo an x-ray of your knee to get the exact cause and location of pain. However, it is not always necessary and hence you need to just discuss with your doctor if you should undergo an x-ray to know the cause of knee pain or other treatment options that are available for this condition.
👉2nd point to be considered is knowing if your pain is acute or chronic. Acute pain develops suddenly and gets resolved when the condition gets treated. Chronic pain, however, persists for a longer duration without getting treated.
👉3rd point to be considered is the cause of knee pain. This could be due to external factors or due to age-related degeneration. External causes could be from falling on your knees, excessive running and jumping, etc. While age-related degeneration is rare and generally happens when you are over 50 years old. Study shows that approximately 25% of the people aged over 55 years suffer from constant knee pain.
👉4th point to be considered is knowing if the pain is on the front or back of your knee. If the location of pain has a clear spot, it indicates that there is a specific cause for this condition. On the other hand, if you experience pain inside or all over your knee, it could be due to arthritis or other conditions.
👉5th point to be considered is the severity of pain. If you are experiencing sharp and sudden onset pain, it could indicate that you have torn ligaments in your knee joint. While if the pain is dull and persistent on one side or both sides of your knees. It could mean that there is arthritis affecting the knee.
👉6th point to be considered is knowing if your pain is due to running or walking. If you are a regular runner, then you should know that it’s more likely for chronic pain in the knees due to excessive pressure while running or jogging on the road. While, if you are a regular walker, the back and front pain of knees are generally due to excessive pressure or abnormal movements.
How to Massage Your Knees at Home?
Guide for knee massage
For treating a painful knee, the very first step is speaking with a doctor. As a primary step, the doctor will advise you whether massage is appropriate for your condition or not.
The researcher suggests following proper massage therapy can relieve knee pain. Massage therapy can be the most effective solution to manage pain and stiffness as well as increasing mobility. Massage therapy can improve the capacity of the lymphatic system by reducing lymphedema.
Self knee massage
Self-massage is the best solution to treat chronic knee pain. Self-massage may help to improve correct dysfunction and overall condition. As previously discussed, the studies have shown that self-massage has significant therapeutic value for pain management. There are some simple massage techniques to deal with knee pain. To understand the pain, you might find out the trigger area.
Remember, self-knee massage is not medical care for getting a permanent solution. You should take help from a health care specialist to deal with pain management.
Additionally, besides self knee massage, you should consider regular exercise and weight management. Here are some potential and easy-going techniques.
Self Massage techniques (Step by Step)
Before starting, you should wear comfortable clothes to access the knee area easily. Make your posture straight and stable. You may take the help of any type of lubrication. Warm up your body while preparing and take a long deep breath. To stimulate circulation, you can use tapping.
Thigh tapping
Tap upper, lower, and middle thigh, Repeat it 5 to 10 times. Besides, keep the gentle pressure with soft closed hands rhythmically. Complete each section 30 to 60 seconds of tapping of your thigh area.
Thigh glide
Sit with your knee, your heel on the floor, and your hips forward. Place your heel on top of the right thigh by your hand. Next, glide down from the thigh by using the heel of your hand. Use the palm to put pressure and release after 30 seconds. Repeat it 5 to 10 times.
Inner of thigh
Place your heel on the inner thigh, repeat the same sequence. Glide down with your heel and complete short strokes on the left leg using your right hand. Repeat the process 5 times.
Outer of thigh
Follow the same process, place your heel on top of the outer thigh and glide down on your outer side of the thigh. Release the outer thigh after giving strokes. Continue the same sequence for 5 times.
Friction
After finishing all of the thigh portions, now the terms of stroking around your knee area, apply your finger and press to put gentle pressure into the tissue. Provide short strokes by compressing small portions on the top, middle, inner and upper thigh.
Finishing
Relax your body by sitting with both feet on the floor. Again glide down by your hand over knee caps and backup from starting position. Use light pressure and repeat the sequence 5 times.
Therapist knee Massage
Sometimes, performing self-massage is not possible due to a lack of balance and proper knowledge. In that case, A massage therapist can help you to solve your problem. The professionals are properly trained to deal with knee osteoarthritis. When you visit your therapist, make sure your therapist will follow the techniques below.
Understand trigger point
Speak with your therapist about your present knee conditions. It is necessary to trigger your pain. Being open about the pain will make it easier to understand trigger points and apply the massage properly in the right area.
Lift massage techniques
Lift techniques help to locate trigger points from the recipient. Need to use any lubricant such as essential oil or peppermint for massage. Place your finger around the knee and start gliding and end the process with a gentle squeeze. Continue the process for 5 to 10 minutes. Recipients should communicate their experience while massaging.
Friction Massage techniques
Friction massage is super effective for affecting the area of pain. To use any essential oil is highly recommended with this technique. Start your pressure by using thumbs and put the thumbs from top to bottom. Apply this process for 5 to 10 minutes. Put the pressure as per the need of the recipient.
Quad massage techniques
Focusing on the quadriceps muscle can affect the trigger point and helps to relieve pain. In that case, kneading holds tissues by lifting them or realizing it. Continue kneading in a circular motion for 5 to minutes. Switch your legs by applying the same massage techniques. For better results, essential oil is recommended.
Tips and Precautions:
As you know massaging your knees is an effective solution for treating knee pain. So, always keep in mind some basic tips so that side effects do not occur. Some of them are given below:
1 . If you are suffering from any severe injury or you have undergone any surgery on your knee joint, you should consult your doctor for knowing the right method of knee massage.
2 . If you are suffering from severe pain in a particular area, then start massaging it gently by applying gentle pressure for complete relief.
3 . If you are having diabetes, high blood pressure or any other medical conditions then avoid doing any kind of massage on your knees. This includes the basic massage as well.
4 . You should not ignore your pain and try to massage your knees when they are swollen or have any infection in them, because it may worsen the condition and cause further damage.
5 . While massaging, make sure that you stop if you feel any kind of discomfort or pain in your knees. This may indicate that you are applying more pressure on the already damaged knee joints and it is not good for your health.
6 . If you have applied any cream or ointment over your knees then remove them before starting massage in order to get proper relief from knee pain.
7 . While massaging, make sure that you do not apply pressure on the back of your knee so that you do not feel any kind of discomfort.
8 . If you are using a mat for massaging your knees, then make sure that you clean it properly afterward to avoid getting infections and other health-related issues.
9 . While doing this method regularly, remember to apply some oil or cream on your knees to keep them moisturized and nourished.
10 . For getting the best results out of this method, you need to massage your knees at least 3-4 times per week for few minutes.
11 . You should avoid doing any kind of physical activity when you are massaging your knees so that they get proper rest.
12 . You should also avoid going to sleep after massaging your knees because it can cause further pain in them.
13 . You must wear loose and comfortable clothes while massage so that you do not feel any kind of discomfort or have difficulty breathing during the process.
14 . If possible, try to keep a gap of 24 hours between your exercise sessions and massaging, because it will give your joints some rest. For example, if you start exercising in the morning then try to massage your knees at night so that they do not get exhausted too quickly.
15 . Always keep in mind never to apply direct pressure on any of the nerves or blood vessels present inside your knees while massaging.
16 . If you are feeling any kind of discomfort or pain while massaging, then stop the process and take some rest for few minutes.
17 . If you are suffering from any kind of knee pain then try to massage your knees 1-2 times per day on a normal basis so that they get relief from pain.
How to Reduce Knee Pain Naturally?
Knee is one of the common joint pain which everyone can suffer while walking. It can be due to improper blood flow & diet, it can lead to severe pain and make us unable to do any work with ease. We need to do some exercise daily so that knee pain can be reduced. It causes a lot of discomfort in walking and sometimes one may face difficulty while getting up from bed.
✅ Rest your knees: While you are suffering from knee pain then do not move any longer than it is necessary. Thus, you should stop doing any kind of physical activity and avoid stress on your knees. It can be done by taking some rest and applying ice packs at regular intervals for about 15 minutes.
✅ Give it a warm bath: You can give it a proper warm bath using the soaps which have aloe vera extracts in them. It releases the pain on knees and gives a soothing effect. You can also add few drops of lavender oil along with it, which will help in relaxing your muscles.
✅ Take some exercise: Taking an exercise is highly recommended while you are suffering from knee pain because it helps in getting rid of stiffness and provides relaxation to your leg muscles.
✅ Apply heat on your knees: Applying heat helps in reducing the stiffness of your knee joints and also provides comfort while walking. You can use hot water along with some lavender oil on them. It will also provide relief from pain if applied properly.
✅ Give it a massage therapy: Making proper massaging is highly recommended while suffering from knee pain because it helps in relaxing your muscles properly. You can use some essential oils and apply them on your knees after making a massage using the help of damp towel. It also relieves the pain if applied for at least 5 minutes.
✅ Drink Proper water: Providing proper nutrition to our body is the main key while suffering from any kind of pain. You should drink plenty of water daily to make your body dehydrated. It also helps in releasing knee pain and makes you feel fresh.
✅ Use ankle weights: Ankle weights help in strengthening your muscles around knee joints and give proper support to them. You can get help from a trainer while you do weight lifting. They will be able to show you better ways to lift and will reduce the pain in your legs.
✅ Use knee support: Using knee support is highly recommended if you are suffering from any kind of knee pain. It can be used under your clothes while walking and helps in relieving the pain properly. You should use it for at least 2-3 months so that they provide better support to knees and make them free from pain
✅ Try using yoga: Yoga is better than any kind of exercise to reduce knee pain. It helps in strengthening your muscles and provides relief from pain while walking. You can apply yoga on a daily basis to provide proper support to the knees and relieves them from stress.
In Conclusion
So, these are the best home remedies for knee pain and can help you a lot to reduce pain on your knees. Using an ice pack immediately when you feel any kind of pain is advisable as it helps in providing relief and reduces pain faster.
You should also try to get proper sleep at night so that your whole body gets relaxed and releases knee pain after few days. Having plenty of water is also helpful in reducing the stiffness of your knees and it is highly recommended to drink at least 2-3 liters of water daily so that you can get relief from knee pain faster.
However, this guide about massage knee pain has been filled with lots of information for those who want to learn more about the problem.
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