15 Home Remedies for Knee Pain Relief

woman holding knee in pain caption home remeddies

The worst part about knee pain is that it doesn’t just affect you when you’re walking or standing, it interrupts sitting and sleeping too. Getting knee pain relief becomes an essential part of leading a normal life, but what causes it?

Knee pain can be caused by a number of different things. It can be caused by a weakened bone structure or the wear and tear of aging, but it can also be caused by any one or combination of the following:

  • fracture;
  • ligament injury;
  • meniscus injury;
  • knee joint dislocation;
  • arthritis;
  • lupus.

Several other chronic conditions commonly produce knee pain as one of their symptoms. All of these causes and conditions have one common factor between them; inflammation.

What Types of Knee Pains Exist?

There are actually four unique knee pain designations, each of which can give you a better understanding of the pain’s underlying cause. Here they are:

  • Lateral – The outer portion of your knee gives rise to this type of pain, usually in connection with a ligament.
  • Medial – This type of pain is internal, emanating from inside your knee.
  • Anterior – At the front of your knee, this type of pain occurs, making a wide range of movements painful to engage in.
  • Posterior – This type of knee pain is actually quite rare and occurs on the backside of your knees.

These 15 remedies for knee pain relief can get you back to normal, but they are not all inclusive. However, you might need to consult your health care provider in severe cases, especially injuries.

15 Home Remedies for Knee Pain Relief

Don’t Push through the Pain

Knee pain isn’t something that you just push through, in fact, if it comes from an injury, continuing to push through the can cause serious damage.

What to do:

  • Your body gives you signals. Pay attention to them.
  • Injury pain and fatigued muscles are very different.
  • If you work out regularly, rest your knees by working out in ways that will not aggravate your knee pain.

How it works:
In order to help decrease inflammation and avoid a more serious injury, you must decrease the stress on the knee joint.

Swimming Pool

Using a swimming pool as an alternative to your normal workout routine or as a means of loosening stiffness is a great benefit for knee pain relief.

What to do:

  • Move your workout to a swimming pool.
  • Even if you aren’t a swimmer, doing exercises or walking in a swimming pool are both good ways of helping you stay active, but with support.

How it works:
Exercise does help promote circulation and healing. The support of the water in a swimming pool takes a great deal of the weight off of your knee joint.

blackstrap molasses in a bowl

Blackstrap Molasses

Blackstrap molasses is a traditional remedy for arthritis and joint pain. Even if your knee pain is from an alternative cause, you can get knee pain relief from this remedy.

What to do:

  • Add 1 Tbsp of blackstrap molasses to 1 cup of warm water.
  • Needs to be warm enough to dissolve the molasses, but not hot.
  • Drink once per day.
  • Be aware that it can have a laxative effect as well.

How it works:
Blackstrap molasses, unlike processed sugar, still has the calcium, potassium and magnesium found naturally in cane sugar. These minerals all have anti-inflammatory properties.

Dandelion Leaves

Plenty of home owners are intimately acquainted with dandelions as a weed, but few are aware that among its other qualities is its ability to help in knee pain relief.

What to do:

  • For tea, put 3 tbsp of fresh dandelion leaves or 1 tsp of dried leaves in a cup of water.
  • Bring water to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Strain and drink this tea a couple of times a day.
  • You can also add dandelion leaves to your tossed salad.

How it works:
Besides being packed with vitamins A and C , dandelion’s active ingredient is lenoleic fatty acid, which studies indicate is essential in the process of reducing inflammation.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Believe it or not, olive oil has been used for nearly two millennia in the treatment of various illnesses. It is also an effective remedy for knee pain relief.

What to do:

  • Rub 2 to 3 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil all around your knee joint.
  • Repeat several times each day.
  • Add olive oil to your diet. You might even try it with dandelion leaves.

How it works:
Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil contains an essential compound, which inhibits inflammatory enzymes COX-1 and COX-2, called oleocanthal. Its effect is so potent that 1 ½ Tbsp is equal to 200 mg of ibuprofen, but without damaging your liver.

Magnesium

One of the best defenses against and means of obtaining knee pain relief available is magnesium.

What to do:

  • Increase your magnesium intake by eating cold water fish like halibut, salmon, mackerel and herring, and by eating dark, leafy, green vegetables.
  • Soaking your knee in Epsom salt is another way to increase the magnesium in the localized area. 1 Tbsp for every gallon of warm water.
  • Consider adding a magnesium supplement to your daily routine.

How it works:
Magnesium not only helps to relieve stress, but its deficiency is considered a possible cause for joint pain.

Eucalyptus Oil

The soothing relief of eucalyptus oil is one essential oil that can aid in knee pain relief.

What to do:

  • Mix 6 drops of eucalyptus oil in 2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive or coconut oil.
  • Massage the oil in and around your knee joint for several minutes.
  • Repeat several times a day or whenever you have a flare up of pain.

How it works:
Eucalyptus oil has analgesic properties that create a cooling sensation over the inflamed knee joint.

Mustard Oil and Garlic

This mustard oil and garlic mixture is a sure hit when it comes to knee pain relief.

What to do:

  • Saute 1 chopped garlic clove in 2 Tbsp of mustard oil until the garlic turns brown.
  • Let the mixture cool and strain the chopped garlic.
  • Massage the oil, while still slightly warm in and around your knee joint.
  • Repeat a couple of times daily.

Note: using a warm compress with essential oils can increase their efficacy.

How it works:
Both mustard oil and garlic have anti-inflammatory properties, which help to relieve pain and increase circulation to the knee.

Fenugreek Seeds

Fenugreek seeds are another home remedy with plenty of knee pain relief potential.

What to do:

  • To consume: soak 1 tsp of fenugreek seeds in a cup of water overnight. Consume during the following day.
  • As a poultice: roast and grind fenugreek seeds and mix 2 tsp of the powder with enough water to make a paste.
  • Apply the paste to your knee joint and let it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing it off. Repeat twice daily.

How it works:
Fenugreek seeds are another source of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds to help in knee pain relief.

Cayenne Pepper

You might have knee pain relief sitting, unused, in your spice rack. Cayenne pepper is one of nature’s most potent analgesics.

What to do:

  • You can prepare a large batch of paste by adding 2 Tbsp of cayenne pepper to ½ cup of olive oil. Apply the paste to your knee joint a couple times a day.
  • Alternatively, mix ½ tsp of cayenne pepper in 1 cup of apple cider vinegar. Soak a cloth or clean rag in the solution, wrap it around your knee and let it sit for 20 minutes. Repeat twice a day.

How it works:
The capsaicin in cayenne pepper is a well documented natural analgesic.

Apple Cider Vinegar

One of our super home remedies, apple cider vinegar, also works wonders for knee pain relief.

What to do:

  • Drink a daily tonic of 2 tsp apple cider vinegar in 2 cups of water.
  • Add 2 cups of apple cider vinegar to your tub in order to soak your knee.
  • Mix a Tbsp each of apple cider vinegar and olive oil to massage into your knee joint several times a day.

How it works:
Apple cider vinegar’s alkalinity helps to remove harmful toxins that cause inflammation and also dissolves mineral buildup around the joints.

ice cubes in a womans hand

Ice

The most readily available of all home remedies to bring knee pain relief is ice.

What to do:

  • Take a paper cup, fill it ¾ full of water and freeze it.
  • Tear off the top portion of the cup to expose the ice.
  • Rub the affected area with the ice.
  • As the ice melts, tear off more of the paper to expose more ice.
  • Repeat as needed for pain flare ups.

How it works:
Icing an injury or inflamed area works because the cold constricts the blood vessels and reduces the amount of blood flow to the affected area in order to bring relief.

Pineapple

Since our goal in knee pain relief is to reduce inflammation, why not give one of the best anti-inflammatory foods a shot.

What to do:

  • Make consuming pineapple an essential part of your diet.
  • You can even make your own juice and consume it daily.

How it works:
Inflammation is reduced by consuming pineapple because it contains an easily absorbed enzyme know as bromelain, which blocks the inflammation response of the COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes.

Turmeric

Here’s another readily available herb found in most spice racks, often in the form of curry powder. However, to get the most knee pain relief, it’s better to use pure turmeric.

What to do:

  • Turmeric can be consumed as a tea or taken in capsule form with black pepper extract.
  • Crushed black pepper mixed with turmeric and coconut or olive oil makes a thick paste, which you can massage into the knee joint.

How it works:
If you’re looking for the potent pain relief of ibuprofen without the liver damage, you’ll be glad to know that research indicates that turmeric is equally effective at both reducing inflammation and relieving pain.

ginger pieces on a wooden board

Ginger

Another readily available remedy for knee pain relief is ginger.

What to do:

  • Grate or crush a ½ inch long piece of fresh ginger root.
  • Add ginger to 1 cup of water, bring it to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Strain, add honey and lemon to taste.
  •  Drink 2 to 3 times daily.
  • Ginger oil extract mixed with olive or coconut oil is also good to use to massage your knees.

How it works:
Being close cousins, ginger’s anti-inflammatory properties are very close to being as potent as those of turmeric.

Final Thoughts

Knee pain, from whatever cause, can completely interrupt your daily life. You can regain control of the pain and continue your daily routing by making use of any or a combination of these 15 home remedies for knee pain relief. Most of them you can even use for other aching joints.

Images from depositphotos.com.