Knee pain has the potential to come on fast and stick around for a very long time. For example, the morning after a long run, one or both of your knees may be aching. If you don’t do anything about it early on, the problem could linger for days, weeks, or even longer.
There are many ways to treat knee pain, with rest, ice therapy, and heat therapy among the most common. But before you stop there, consider the benefits of massage.
A professional massage is generally best, as you can trust that you’re getting the attention you need from a person who knows exactly what they’re doing. However, you can also try self-massage at home. Here are some basic things you can do:
• Close your hands into a fist and tap both thighs — lower, middle, and upper — 10 times each.
• Sit with your feet flat on the floor and rub the heel of your hand from the top of the thigh to the top of the knee. Release when you reach the knee and repeat three to five times.
• Press three or four fingers into the knee tissue, rubbing up and down at a comfortable pace. Repeat this process on the tissue all around your knee.
Massage therapy may be just what you need to rid yourself of the knee pain that seems to bog you down all too often. There’s no harm in giving it a try!
Jennifer Ferdinand, owner of Serendipity Wellness Studio in Burke, VA, has been practicing massage therapy and esthetics since 2006. She is nationally certified through NCBTMB, and licensed in Virginia for both Massage Therapy and Esthetics.