“My knee is aching; I can’t go for a walk today.”
For many of us, this is our story every day. We feel this pain either first thing in the morning or after sitting for a long time. It could also come after walking and standing for a long time, as a result of having excessive weight or from wearing the wrong shoes.
There are various ways to reduce the knee pain or foot pain instead of taking painkillers every day. Try the following practical tips.
- Make it a habit to exercise daily. This is very important for our general well-being. Going for swimming, walking for 30 minutes every day or exercising on a stationary bike will help reduce the pain on the knees or feet. If you are in pain, instead of complaining about it, start exercising gently and gradually build it up to keep your joints and strengthen the muscles of your legs.
- Foot massage is also good for reducing the pain. You can do it yourself or get a professional to do it for you.
- You can also have a foot bath. You can do this by filling a large bowl with warm water. Add a little bit of Epsom salts so as to reduce the inflammation and soak your feet for 5–10 minutes.
- Check that your shoes are not too tight or too loose. The truth is that most of us are wearing the wrong size. Old shoes that are falling apart at the sole should be disposed of, because worn out soles can affect how much impact the ground will have on the feet.
- Watch what you eat. It is never too late to start eating right. There is no point taking different supplements with your meal when the food you are eating will aggravate the pain in your legs. Acidic foods such as fries, pork, red meat, white bread, white rice and pastries can cause inflammation in the body, giving you sore and painful joints.
- Also try and avoid taking fizzy drinks because they contain phosphorus. The body takes calcium from the bones to deal with the excess phosphorous in the blood thereby making your bones weak.
Make it a habit to eat more fruits, nuts and vegetables especially the dark green vegetables. And more importantly, watch your weight because too much weight puts an enormous strain on the knees and feet.
