Knee pain is very common and can be caused by lots of things, from arthritis to injury. The problem could be in the joints themselves, or indicate an issue with the tendons (the cords that attach muscle to bone) or ligaments (which connect the thigh bone to the lower leg bones to stabilize the knee).
When you have a knee injury, which can occur quite easily from running, dancing, or even just putting your foot down wrong, it affects many aspects of daily life and you are probably willing to do just about anything to speed the healing. If you have arthritis, it is unfortunately not curable and can bother you for the rest of your life.
But in any case, there are effective natural remedies that can reduce your pain and improve conditions in and around your knees. Some you eat and some you apply directly to the affected knee – for some, you can do both! Try these remedies alone, in combination with each other, or in addition to medication from your doctor. They are all gentle and come with no troubling side effects.
1. Pineapple, cinnamon, and oat smoothie
Wellness starts in the kitchen and proper nutrition does wonders for strong knees, ligaments, and tendons. This breakfast smoothie has a ton of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, plus it just tastes good. The pineapple additionally contains a compound called bromelain, which is strongly anti-inflammatory.
The ingredients are: 1 cup cooked oats, 1 cup water, 1 cup orange juice, 3 cups chopped pineapple, 1 heaping teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of honey. If desired, you can also add a palmful of crushed almonds for extra protein, fiber, and vitamin E. Simply add all ingredients except the oats into a blender and get it started on a low setting. Then slowly add the cooked oatmeal with the machine still running and blend until smooth.
