How I took control of Knee Pain?
How I healed my knee pain?
I had no idea how excruciating the pain was until I got to experience that. Yes! the knee pain was there for 24 hours. Especially whenever I would bend my knees, while sitting on the floor and climbing up the stairs. It was very difficult to run after my son who was 6 years back then.
You’ll wonder how old I am to talk about knee pain. But believe it or not, I got this terrible pain couple of years back.
I thought it would get cured on its own but it started getting worse. I visited an orthopedic doctor, he did some relevant tests.
What was the Diagnosis?
It was arthritis. Arthritis generally occurs in people who are in their mid-40s or older. And unfortunately, I was one of those people who suffered from this condition in my 30s.
How I felt?
I heard from people that arthritis is a chronic condition, and the pain is going to last a life time. Learning that you have a long-term (chronic) illness can bring up many different feelings. Living with chronic illness makes you feel very alone.
Since fatigue, and mood disorders are part of your life you cannot enjoy life to the fullest. I was scared of practicing yoga and doing any physical activity because it would increase inflammation and joint pain. And over the period it became worse.
Now I was totally dependent on pain killers and supplements. Doctor had advised not to bend knees, to avoid climbing stairs and sitting on the floor. I could feel the pain what older people experience.
Why me? Why I did not pay attention before? Why I kept ignoring the early signs? I was wrestling with all these questions.
What were the early signs of arthritis I felt?
Pain, swelling and stiffness in joints and “Locked knee” while sleeping. A locked knee is something in your knee joint that gets stuck into one position and you cannot move it at all.
What did I do?
Fortunately 6 months back my BIL(brother-in-law) who stays in the US visited us. Since he takes good care of his body, I casually discussed my problem with him. And he replied even more casually, “why don’t you do stretching”? I said that is the first thing I do in the morning but because of the intense pain, I was avoiding it. He said, “Have you tried stretching exercises, that include hamstring and calf muscles?”
I had a little bit of hope. The very next morning I did the way he suggested. I repeated those poses for somedays mornings and evenings religiously. After around 2 weeks, around 50% of the pain was gone and it was very surprising for me.
Unexpected solution :
Stretching : Few stretching exercise that worked wonders was
Downward facing dog pose: it will lengthen the entire backside of the body, from the calves and hamstrings to the lower back and shoulders
Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose: This pose offers a stretch to the hips, thighs, hamstrings, and calves, and strengthens the muscles around the knees.
Do not do these exercises if you have any serious medical condition (heart/lung problems, cancer, inflammatory conditions, etc.) unless your medical professional has advised you it is ok to do so.
Pranayam
Rest 30% cure was Pranayam. I could not imagine how the “Pranayam” breathing exercise can cure bone-related problems.
Anyway later I came to know brings balance to your body. And the body itself will heal you from the inside. Pranayam I did was “Kapalbhati” 500 times. Initially, I started with 100 and gradually moved to 500.
Note: You can do this at slow, medium or fast pace. But do not stress yourself.
I can say 20% pain was still there which was reoccurring. I realized some foods triggered my knee pain no matter what I did. I finally decided to avoid the foods which were causing the on-and-off pain.
What were the foods I completely avoided?
Sugary items
I have a sweet tooth. We would consume deserts frequently. High blood sugar can release inflammatory cells by stimulating the immune cells, which release molecules that can irritate your tissues and joints. Cakes, pastries and ice creams were my favorites and they still are, however now I eat them once in a while in moderation.
Fast foods
Processed foods like chips, masala popcorn, packaged soups ready-to-eat noodles and oats were once the main ingredients in my kitchen. And most fast foods have MSG (mono sodium glutamate). MSG is again a food additive that is a culprit of chronic joint inflammation and enhances joint pain.
Refined flour
Pizza, burgers, bhathure (puffy deep fried indian bread) contains gluten, which causes inflammation.
It’s hard to say for sure which foods or beverages are causing your knees pain because each person has a different body that may respond differently to certain things. Observe your own body. Pay close attention to what seems to ease your symptoms or make them worse.
So, I included some superfoods to my diet and amazingly 100% pain was gone.
Note: I never followed any diet chart, rather changed my everyday food items.
What were the super foods I included?
I did some research and found out that a diet full of seafood, vegetables, nuts whole grains can help with arthritis pain. Since I am a hard-core vegetarian person. I cannot have sea foods, which are very good sources of Omega 3 fatty acids. So the super foods I included were:
Cow’s ghee
I drank 2 tsp ghee in lukewarm water empty stomach. I relieved my constipation problem too.
Myth: Ghee is fattening
Fact: The conjugated linoleic acid in ghee supports weight loss and not weight gain. Ghee is the food you need if you have joint pain. It helps in soothing inflammation, lubricates joints and reduces joint stiffness caused by arthritis.
Nuts
I would consume 5 soaked almonds and 1 whole walnut in the morning after having ghee. Almonds and walnuts contain high amounts of fiber, calcium, magnesium, zinc, Vitamin E and Omega-3 fats.
Sprouts
Kala chana and moong (black and green gram) sprouts are packed with protein and loaded with other nutrients. I would have sprouts for breakfast. Are you one of those who feel bloated after having raw sprouts?
Secret: Add grated ginger, pinch of black pepper, black salt and lemon to your sprouts to avoid gastric problem.
Vegetables and fruits
Root vegetables such as onions, garlic, turmeric, and ginger are all known for their anti-inflammatory properties. I made sure that they make an important part of my diet. Green leafy vegetables and fruits like oranges, apples, lemons, amla(Indian gooseberry) helped me a lot.
Conclusion:
I was told not to bend my knees and sit on the floor. But now I do everything easily. A lot of people don’t know about this as an alternate remedy to cure their chronic illnesses. You can combine both Pranayamas and the right nutrition for better and faster results.
Fortunately, minor knee and joint pains respond well to most self-care measures, including a proper diet.
Note: You might take more or less time to cure or you might need to add something else to it to get rid.
Don’t ignore the pain otherwise it would turn to incurable arthritis if it stays for a long time.
Many people have arthritis and I hope sharing my experience can help them. I know it is very painful.
Happy knees happy you.
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