Knee Pain (Chronic)

WHAT IS IT AND WHAT CAUSES IT?

The knee joint and kneecap are swollen and stiff with the inability to move. Along with aging, knee pain can be caused by injury, sprain and strains, torn cartilage, osteoarthritis, runner's knee, tendonitis, or bursitis.

WHEN SHOULD YOU SEE A DOCTOR?

If you have pain or swelling in the knee, or you hear a buckling sound when you injure the knee, see a doctor.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IN DAILY LIFE?

• If it is caused by an injury, apply ice for 15 to 20 minutes first. Loosely wrap an elastic bandage to compress the area and raise your limb for 20 minutes. Repeat this procedure three to four times a day until the swelling disappears. After that, use a heating pad.
• In chronic cases, take a hot bath with Epsom salts. Follow the instructions. Add 2 oz. of 100-proof vodka if you want to. Gradually add hot water into the tub to a temperature that you feel is as hot as comfortable. Don't let the water level rise above your heart. If you are elderly or you have a heart condition, don't do this exercise.
• Keep the knee warm. Cut a piece of soft wool material and sew it into your pants.
• In osteoarthritis cases, take vitamin D, fish oil, and glucosamine chondroitin for a prolonged period to rebuild the cartilage and tendons.
• Control your weight to reduce the burden on the knee.

WHAT SHOULDN'T YOU DO?

• If you have knee problems, don't hike, climb, cycle, or do other intense physical activities, which put high stress on your knees. Instead, try swimming.
• Don't kneel or do full squats. Use a cane or other object to support your body when you try to stand up.

Folk Remedies

• Rub with liquor mixed with chili pepper:

  Ingredients: 200 ml 80-proof vodka, 2 oz. dehydrated small chili pepper.

  Procedure: Soak the pepper in the vodka for one week. Apply to the painful spot twice a day. If you have an allergic reaction, discontinue use.

• Apply hot salt: Use cotton fabric to make a book-size bag. Fill with cotton about 1-inch thick. Stir-fry 2 lbs. of salt for five minutes on low heat. Put the salt into the bag and seal it. Place the bag on the painful spot and cover with a blanket for one hour. Continue for one week. Take care not to burn yourself.
• Take a charcoal bath:

  Ingredients: 8 oz. charcoal (available in garden supply or barbeque supply stores).

  Procedure: Boil the charcoal in hot water for 10 minutes. Take them out and wait for them to dry. Place them in a cotton fabric bag and put the bag in your bathtub. Soak your knee in warm water for 30 minutes. Do it once a day for one month. You can dry the charcoal for reuse.

• Gently tap your feet and leg with a hairbrush for five to 10 minutes after a warm bath. The hairbrush acts like a bunch of acupuncture needles to stimulate the meridian and prompt the circulation of Qi and blood.
  • Tap the soles and both sides of your feet, from the heel to the toes. Pay more attention to the point below the ball of the foot in the center, about 1/3 of the distance between the toes and the heel (Ki1). (See page 194.)
  • Tap each toe.
  • Tap the back of your leg, from the lower part of your calf, up to the back of your thigh.
  • Tap the area around your knee.
• Wash with vinegar and green onion:

  Ingredients: 300 ml rice vinegar, 300 ml water, 1 lb. green onion.

  Procedure: Cut green onion into 1-inch long pieces. Place in a pot with vinegar and water and bring to a boil. Use a piece of gauze dipped in this liquid to gently wash your knee for 10 minutes, two times a day. If the vinegar becomes cool, reheat it. If you have an allergic reaction, discontinue use.

Food Therapy

• Eat pearl barley soup:

  Ingredients: 2 oz. Chinese pearl barley, 1 Tbs. sugar.

  Procedure: Soak the barley in water overnight. Add barley and 2 cups of water to a pot and bring to a boil. Cook on low heat until the barley is soft. Add sugar. Eat once a day for two weeks.

• Eat chicken wing soup:

  Ingredients: 1 lb. chicken wings, 3 slices ginger, 1/4 oz. onion, 1 lemon, salt, pepper.

  Procedure: In a pot, add enough water to cover all wings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer approximately two hours. Remove the oil on the surface. Add salt, pepper, ginger, and lemon. Divide into three portions. Eat one portion at a time once a day.

Chinese Massage

In an acute case, don't massage your painful spot.

• Using your palm, rub and knead your kneecap for one minute.
• Using your palms, rub-roll both sides of your knee from the thigh down to your calf for one minute.
• Using your thumb, gently press and knead the painful spot for two minutes.
• Using your index finger, gently press and knead the point in the middle of the crease on the back of the knee when the knee is slightly bent (Bl40). Do this for one minute.
• Using your thumb, press into the two dents at the bottom of the kneecap, one on each side of the center. Do this for one minute (St35, Knee Eye).
• Using your thumb and fingers, grasp and knead the muscles on the front of your thigh and on the back of your lower leg for two minutes.

Chinese Herbs

• Take the patent herb Du Huo Ji Sheng Wan. Follow the instructions.
• Apply the herb patch Shang Shi Zhi Tong Gao to the painful spot. If you have an allergic reaction, discontinue use.