Going for a morning jog is one of the best ways to start the day. The quiet sunrise and the feeling of accomplishment when you get back home can be the confidence boost needed for a productive workday ahead.
But running can put a lot of pressure on your joints, specifically your knees. It’s not uncommon to come home after a long run and feel some pressure and soreness around the knees. While normal, the pain can be frustrating and inhibiting.
The good news is that there are a few different ways that you can help alleviate knee pain after running or intense exercise, and you can do them all right from home. Let’s take a look at some of the best ways to relieve joint pain after a jog.
What is Runner’s Knee?
The dull pain in the area around the front of the knee is called Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, or runner’s knee. It’s typically caused from excessive training or overuse, tight hamstrings, poor foot support, or running in an unnatural way. It could even occur from just sitting with the knees bent for a long period of time.
If you notice that your knee is clicking when it moves, feels tender during movement, or is sensitive to the touch, you might have runner’s knee. In most cases, the pain is mild and can be cleared up at home. However, if you feel that the pain is excruciating or have a hunch that something else is wrong, be sure to talk to a healthcare provider.
Topical Remedies
By far one of the best things you can do if you begin to notice pain after physical activity is to stop using the problem area as much as possible. Avoid activities that might make it worse, especially those involving the knee such as lunges or squats.
But if you’re looking for quick relief easily, you’ll want to consider starting off with a topical remedy that can be applied externally. Let’s take a look at what a few of those might look like.
Ice and Heat
You’ve probably used ice on a wound before, and that’s because it is one of the most tried and true methods of reducing pain associated with joints and muscles. Using ice is most effective immediately after the injury has occurred, so if you return from a run and notice some pain in your knee, now’s the best time to throw on an ice pack.
Cold compresses or ice packs on strained muscles can decrease inflammation and numb pain. This works because ice constricts the blood vessels, which decreases circulation to the problem area. It also reduces swelling, which can alleviate the pain quicker.
You can use heat to help bring relief if the problem persists, but you should not use it immediately after the injury occurs. Heat is best for the recovery process.
Heating an injured area, such as your runner’s knee, will increase blood flow and metabolic activity, which will lead to loosening your muscle tissue. You might even want to consider using heat before you go for your run to avoid muscle stiffening and help lessen the chance of injury.
Pain Creams
Ice packs can be a bit uncomfortable to have pressed on your knees for the recommended 10-minute or so period of time. This is where pain relief creams and ointments can really make a difference.
A CBD Pain Cream is a great natural way to find instant relief from everyday aches and pains. CBD has restorative properties that support overall wellness and holistic health, meaning that applying it topically can provide some temporary pain relief quickly and safely.
The oil works by absorbing directly into the skin and into the problem area. And since CBD is regarded for its anti-inflammatory and healing benefits, you’ll feel relief fairly quickly. And if that’s not enough, it’s a natural moisturizer, allowing your healing skin to feel nice and soft as it heals!
Compression Wraps
Knees are one of the most hardworking parts of the body, and they’re under a lot of stress during marathon sprints. Compression wraps are an effective way to make sure they’re receiving adequate blood flow to improve recovery and help avoid further discomfort.
Wraps are great because should the knee be seriously injured, these will help prevent excess fluids from building up within the joint. This will help reduce swelling and pain.
Before wrapping your compression wrap around the knee, consider rubbing some pain cream on the area to further enhance the healing process.
Ingestible Remedies
Topical solutions are great for instant relief, but ingestible remedies are just as easy (if not easier) to use and have longer lasting benefits.
CBD Gummies
CBD extract is a compound derived from the hemp plant, which makes it an entirely natural way to reap many holistic benefits. Not only does CBD support cognition and focus, provide holistic balance, and ease restlessness, it is also vital for supporting recovery after exercise.
If you feel tenderness in your knee following intense physical activity, a CBD Vegan Gummy might be just what you need to soothe some of the tension. But you could even use some CBD on a regular basis to help support your body’s natural recovery time, helping to reduce reduce excess swelling even after a long jog.
Physical Remedies
If you need instant alleviation but don’t have the necessary supplies to do so, you could try these remedies with nothing more than your own body.
Stretches and Strengthening Exercises
Even if you decide to use one of the topical or ingestible remedies above, it’s important to make sure that you are loosening and strengthening the knee joint with stretches regardless. Be sure to warm up for five to ten minutes and have plenty of water to stay hydrated.
The heel and calf stretch is one of the best stretches for the knee joint, as it specifically targets your lower leg muscles. Place your hands against a wall and move your right foot back as far as you can. Keep your toes facing forward with heels flat and a slight bend in your knee. Lean into the stretch and hold for 20-30 seconds. It should look a bit like a lunge, and you should feel a stretch in your back leg. Swap legs and repeat twice in both legs.
A quadriceps stretch is also really great for the knee, as it will require you to use its full range of motion. Bend one knee so that your foot reaches towards your glutes. Grab your ankle and pull your leg as close to your glutes as you comfortably can, stopping if you ever feel any pain. Hold for 30 seconds and swap legs, repeating two times on each side.
Stretches like these are important because they’ll help soothe the pain now while also strengthening the joints to help prevent further damage. These can be further enhanced with compression wraps or energizing CBD oil, as these will both assist in reducing possible pain from swelling.
Massage
Self-massaging can be of tremendous help in bringing you some relief fast. Use gentle, slow strokes and apply some pressure around the knees. Press four fingers firmly into the tissue while moving tissue up and down using short strokes. This might feel strange at first, but you may notice that it’s able to loosen your muscles fairly easily.
You could also try using a glide stroke, especially if your hamstrings are also a bit sore. Sit with both feet flat on the floor, placing your hands palm down on upper thighs. Gently glide down over your knee caps across to the outside thigh, then back up to starting position. You should feel a bit of pressure release from your knee caps upon each rotation.
In Summary
Feeling some tension in the knee joints after exercising or being sedentary for long periods of time is very normal, and minor aches can be alleviated right from home.
You could try topical remedies for fast relief without much hassle. Ice, heat, and pain creams are especially useful options because they work below the surface of the skin to help target the muscles that need a little extra soothing.
For longer lasting benefits, you could try ingesting a CBD gummy or dropping some CBD oil onto your tongue. CBD is loaded with natural benefits that support overall wellness and help relieve discomfort associated with strenuous exercise.
In addition, you could use stretches or massages to alleviate pain in the tissue of the knee, which could help prevent injury further down the line.
Regardless, your health and well-being is important and unique to yourself, so find what works best for you! You could use some or all of these remedies to get yourself back on the track in no time.
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