There are some simple treatments that can decrease the stress that having arthritis or being overweight places on the knee. By doing so, you can walk and exercise with less change of knee pain. This plan is designed to stabilize your knee through the use of a knee brace and preventing excessive pronation of the foot that occurs with increased weight and has been shown to sometimes decrease knee pain in those with arthritis and/or carrying too much weight.
You can try the following the 6-step home treatment plan for 3 weeks. If you are not better, see a knee specialist. Although in most cases the suggestions below can help knee pain, it is hard to predict how the arthritic knee will react to any treatment and pain can sometimes increase even with minimal changes to foot function. If pain increases, stop using the items and see a knee specialist. In addition, if you have suffered an acute injury to your knee, then see an orthopedist right away. If you are in Seattle, we can refer you to some of Seattle’s best orthopedic surgeons.
6-Step Plan for Knee Pain:
Use a Knee Brace that stabilizes the knee: We recommend the
Comfort Elastic Knee Stabilizer. In our research, we have found that this stabilizer or brace is one of the most effective, and comfortable braces made for arthritis of the knee. We recommend this brace for the following reasons:
Use an arch support in your shoes. You can help protect you knee by supporting your foot. A number of studies have shown that preventing excessive rolling-in (pronation can help reduce stress on the knee. One of the best prefabricated orthotics is the
Powerstep Medical Grade Orthotic. The PowerStep works well because its firm arch and stable material acts to limit excessive pronation. It is the best OTC arch support for knee pain we have found.
Use shoes with excellent support features. You can find a list of Seattle area shoe stores on our
Shoe List. If you don’t have a good shoe store nearby, these
Orthofeet Shoes for Women and
Orthofeet Shoes for Men provide great support for flat feet.
If you are going to wear flip-flops or sandals, use a sandal with a built-in orthotic. The arch support in these sandals will support the arch and limit rolling in that can lead to knee pain. We recommend the
Orthaheel Arch Support Flip-Flops and sandals for their exceptional arch support. These are by far the best orthotic sandals available.
Ice the knee three times each day for about 10 minutes. The
Active Wrap Knee Cold/Hot Therapy Wrap is an excellent choice. Unlike typical ice packs, this Wrap is
specifically designed and patented for the unique curvatures of the knee. While many ice packs freeze solid,
ActiveWrap packs stay soft and flexible when cold so they mold comfortably in place.
For times you cannot ice, use
Biofreeze Roll-on cold application. Call today for an evaluation in our convenient Seattle office. If you have an acute knee problem see your local orthopedist who specializes in the knee.
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Douglas Hale, DPM & Lawrence Huppin, DPM
Foot and Ankle Center of Washington, Seattle
The material provided on this web site is for informative purposes only.
If you need specific medical advice, please contact the office for an appointment.
