Suffering from knee pain can be anywhere from periodic discomfort, to constant throbbing, and whether it’s due to a recent injury or a progressive condition that you’ve dealt with for an extended period, there are ways that you can treat knee pain to help you live more comfortably and as pain free as you can be. Here are five ways to treat knee pain:

Don’t rest for too long

The first thing that might come to mind when you begin to experience pain in your knee is to get off of it and rest. While it can help to take pressure off of it, you should not rest for too long. A lack of movement can worsen joint pain, so it is important for you to move as much as you can. Go for a walk during lunch hours, in the morning or after work.

Ice, compress and elevate

Whether it’s minor or a result of a serious injury or surgery, apply an ice compression and elevating your knee can help immensely. Multiple times a day, in between movements, apply a cold compress to your knee for 20 minutes and elevate it. Raising your leg can help relieve the pain, avoid spasm-like sensations and help keep fluid from filling in your knee.

Check your shoes

If you’re not sure where your knee pain is coming from, it can be as easy as switching your shoes. Many types of shoes can do damage to knees because of their lack of support, even running shoes. Certain brands aim at preserving your joints more than others, so you should look into those immediately.

Avoid high impact exercises

Even if your pain is light, or seems to be diminishing, be sure to avoid any movements that take a toll on your joints. Which includes running, jumping, lunges, squats and kickboxing. These can halt your healing process and cause further pain or damage to your knee.

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