If you’re experiencing mild knee pain, whatever the reason may be, and wondering how to cure knee pain naturally, then you’re at the right place. You can manage mild symptoms of knee pain at home. But remember, if you have moderate or severe pain, or the symptoms won’t go away even after practicing home remedies then you should see a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

So, if you have arthritis, a mild injury, or any other joint disease and you have mild knee pain, then practice these amazing and very effective home remedies mentioned below for knee pain treatment at home.

The RICE method 

Always remember this acronym when you feel slight knee pain, no matter due to injury or arthritis. RICE stands for – Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. So what you have to do is pretty obvious:

• Rest: Take your feet off and don’t move much. Avoid bending and stretching as well. 
• Ice: Apply ice pack on the knee for at least 20 minutes, 4 to 5 times a day. Ice helps soothe pain and reduce swelling. 
• Compression: Use a compression bandage to reduce and avoid swelling. A compression bandage shouldn’t be too tight that it blocks blood supply. You can buy a compression bandage from any pharmacy or superstore. 
• Elevation: Last but not the least, elevate your leg that’s having knee pain. Elevation reduces swelling and pain. It also improves blood supply to the knee area. 

This RICE method should be used as soon as you start experiencing the symptoms. 

Hot and cold treatment 

Applying hot and cold compressors can reduce pain, inflammation, swelling, and ease your movement. Hot compresses relax the muscles while cold compresses reduce swelling and pain. You should use hot and cold packs alternatively to get the best results. 

• Apply a cold pack for 20 minutes. Don’t apply the ice directly. You can use a pack of frozen veggies as well. 
• Apply a hot pack for 20 minutes as well. The pack shouldn’t be too hot. Avoid the hot pack if you notice flair in your symptoms. 
• You can increase or decrease the time of applying the packs depending upon how much they soothe your pain. 

Tai chi 

Tai chi is an ancient Chinese body and mind relaxing technique that helps relieve pain effectively. It has been proven to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In fact, the American College of Rheumatology and Arthritis Foundation suggests Tai Chi as a part of treatment for RA. 

Tai chi includes deep breathing and other relaxation techniques to manage chronic pain as well. 

Exercise 

Exercise is a great way to keep yourself up and moving. Yes, rest is important but too much rest can stiffen your joints as well. So, better to practice some mild exercises in order to enhance flexibility of the muscles and keep yourself warm. Some knee pain relief exercises that you can practice are:

• Walking
• Swimming 
• Cycling 
• Light jogging

The exercises are great to reduce the symptoms of arthritis. But if you have knee pain due to strain and sprain then you should avoid exercising as it can flare up the symptoms. 

Use Ginger extract 

Ginger is thought to be very effective in case of knee pain caused by arthritis. It is considered as a food for knee strengthening. Ginger soothes the joints and makes them flexible. A study has shown that ginger, along with prescribed medicines, can really help in knee pain. 

You can use ginger supplements available in the market or drink ginger tea and use ginger as a spice in your daily meals. 

Willow Bark for knee pain 

Some people use willow bark extract to soothe knee pain. Although the mechanism of how it works is unknown but it doesn’t pose any hazard either. So, you can give it a try and see how it works for you. 

When to see a doctor? 

Home remedies offer relief from knee pain only when the pain is mild and is not due to any chronic illness. You should see a doctor and take medication for severe knee pain if:

• The pain persists even after trying home remedies. 
• The pain increases or swelling flairs up. 
• You can move but have severe pain. 
• Many days have been passed with knee pain, even if the pain is mild. 
• Signs of infection appear such as fever. 

The Bottom line 

If you have mild knee pain and you don’t want to take pills then try some home remedies that will help with your knee pain and ease your symptoms. So, how to cure knee pain naturally? Whether you’ve got an injury or have arthritis, you should try the miraculous RICE method, mild exercise, and other home remedies mentioned above. 

If you’re seeking some non-invasive treatment to get rid of knee pain then laser pain therapy is your answer. Check out more about how laser pain therapy can help you with your knee pain here.