Osteoarthritis can lead to stiff, creaky knees that make it difficult to enjoy once-routine activities like walking the dog or strolling around your favorite outdoor market. Your symptoms may leave you feeling discouraged, but thankfully, there are plenty of treatment options available to help lubricate arthritic knees—including many natural solutions that are proven to boost joint health and overall wellness.
Enhance Your Joint Health at Home
As you age, the amount of thick synovial fluid that lubricates your knees and other joints reduces. Restoring this lubrication is key to helping manage the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis and promoting comfortable movement. With your physician’s guidance in mind, give these natural, at-home joint-lubricating methods a try:
Stretching & Low-Impact Exercise
While it may seem counterintuitive, stretching and exercise are important parts of preserving musculoskeletal health and stimulating natural joint lubrication. However, it’s important to keep stretches gentle and exercise low impact. A few example of low-impact workouts include:
- Brief walks in comfortable shoes
- Swimming
- Water aerobics
- Stationary cycling
- Brief sessions on an elliptical machine
On the contrary, engaging in high-impact exercises like running, playing contact sports, or lifting heavy weights can quickly exacerbate knee pain and leave you feeling worse.
Eating Nutrient-Rich Foods
Not surprisingly, foods that are good for joint health and lubrication are also excellent for overall health. If you’re battling knee osteoarthritis, try incorporating more of these omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods into your diet:
- Salmon
- Mackerel
- Tuna
- Halibut
- Herring
- Oysters
- Flaxseeds
- Chia seeds
- Walnuts
Other healthy choices include:
- Turmeric
- Green tea
- Berries
- Onions
- Garlic
When to Seek Orthopedic Treatment
Healthy lifestyle habits and self-care measures play a vital role in any knee osteoarthritis treatment plan. However, osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition that will eventually necessitate the expertise of an orthopedic physician. It’s important to seek professional orthopedic treatment if your symptoms no longer respond to self-care measures or are impacting your quality of life.
If you live in the Tampa area and would like to speak with a knowledgeable specialist about your knee pain, Tampa Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Group is an excellent place to turn. Founded in 1949, our practice is the longest-operating orthopedic clinic in the area and a proud part of Florida Medical Clinic. Our team is led by orthopedic sports medicine surgeon Dr. Daniel Murphy and sports medicine physician Dr. Arnold Ramirez—two board-certified specialists who also serve on the medical staffs of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Yankees.
Contact Tampa Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine today to schedule an appointment and learn about our knee osteoarthritis treatment options, including non-surgical methods like hyaluronic acid injections and platelet rich plasma therapy. Our team looks forward to speaking with you!
