What is the foot arch?

There are three arches in the foot: the more famous one is the medial arch (on the inside of the foot). The arches are designed similarly to a spring for shock absorption during walking and other weight-bearing activities. Structurally, these arches are formed by bones in the foot and supported by the ligaments and muscles. These arches are also not rigidly held in place and are designed to collapse and reform when we stand, walk and do exercises.

When the arch is constantly held in a collapsed position, it is term as Pes planus or flat foot.

What is Pronation? And the link to the lower back.

The movement when the foot arch collapse is called pronation. Again, pronation occurs naturally when we walk, run and jump. Each time the foot pronates which helps to absorb shock and impact from the ground.

This pronation is not isolated just to the foot. Whenever the foot pronates, it creates a series of concurrent inward rotation of the shin bone, thigh bone.

This movement carries on to the spine and pelvis, causing the lower back to arch backwards called lordosis. This increase backwards arching movement of the spine has been found to increase the prevalence of low back pain. This is due to the increase in the shearing strain or stress in the lumbo-pelvic region from the anterior shift of the center of gravity.

People with increased lordosis were found to have delayed activation of the local muscular stabilisers of the spine. Anatomically, these muscles functions as our in-build lumbar corset that provides dynamic stability to our spine with our various activities. A delayed activation would mean less effective stabilization of the spine at the lumbopelvic region which may contribute to spinal symptoms.

Muscle weakness and imbalance will affect the lumbo-pelvic stability, especially with dynamic tasks causing increase in pelvic rotations, thereby further increasing one’s risk to developing low back pain. Not forgetting that these local stabilizers are postural muscles, their engagement needs to be sustained though our movements and having endurance strength is more important.

Let us direct our attention back to the feet…

The feet are the foundation of human posture and affect may affect or daily functions and athletic tasks. Excessive foot motion leads to inefficient shock absorption thus the need for other areas of the body to compensate for the dissipation of the ground reaction forces along the kinetic chain; potentially increasing the load in the lower back. With time and repetitive stress, pain may onset gradually or reoccur intermittently dependent on one’s physical demands.

Pes planus may also increase the predisposition of foot and ankle injuries such as plantar fasciitis and tibialis posterior tendinopathy. Compensations from avoiding pain upon injury may also alter the biomechanics of walking. This may lead to less effective force distribution through the joints along the kinetic chain thereby contributing to low back pain with physical activities (ie. walking) or carrying loads (ie. carrying groceries).

What can I do?

Wearing orthotics in your shoes, maybe…

No doubt the orthotics will be able to support the arches; they merely try to recreate what your foot musculature is designed to do. It does not correct the stance or provide ankle stabilization nor allow the muscles and joints to work through their full range of motion. It is not just about altering and maintaining the foot posture, but rather, addressing the underlying dysfunctional pattern by training its control and awareness at the foot and ankle to create stability during dynamic tasks.

A visit to the physiotherapist would therefore be helpful to provide guidance in retraining the arch through various exercises that aim to increase awareness of the foot position, biomechanics of multiple tasks as well as strength and extensibility of the muscles along the kinetic chain.

Make the decision to get out of pain today –

Live chat with us at WhatsApp 8657 5077

Call us at 8657 5077 to book an appointment!

Visit https://bmjtherapy.com/ for more info

Shin splints usually affect people who are involved in moderate to high-levels of physical activities. The chance of developing shin splints increases if you participate in strenuous physical activities which require repetitive jumping/ pounding (e.g. sprinting/ long distance running) or start-stop movements like soccer or basketball. The pain can come at the beginning or in the middle of the physical activity.

Shin splint is an accumulative stress injury in the lower limb. The pain is due to the traction and pulling stress to the structure (muscles and bones) around the shin. The repeated impact and pounding stresses the bones and muscles of the lower limb, causing the muscles to swell, increasing pressure against the shin bone. This causes pain and inflammation along the shin bone.

The repeated impact-loading on the lower limb can result in miniature cracks in the bones of the lower limb. If given sufficient rest time, the body would be able to repair the cracks. However, if there is inadequate rest time in between activities, these minute cracks can result in a stress fracture of the affected shin bone.

Risk factors for Shin Splints

There are various activities and pre-disposing factors that increase your risk of getting shin splints. These risk factors are as follow:

• Foot structural issues (e.g. flat foot)
• Weakness of the hips/ buttock/ lower limb muscles
• Lack of flexibility in the calves/ hamstrings muscles
• Poor training methods (sudden increase in mileage/ speed/ downhill running)
• Too much running on hard surfaces (concrete) or uneven terrain (trail running)
• Wearing shoes with inadequate cushioning/ support

How can physiotherapy help?

It is very important to differentiate if the pain is coming from the muscle or the bone. Your Singapore physio will ask specific questions to help determine the structures involved. Do try to take note of the pain behavior: does the pain come in at the start and subside after a while? Does the pain come on only in the middle of the run/ activity? Does the pain come and stops you from continuing with your run? Your physiotherapist will analyze all the different contributing factors and treatment would include:

• Release of the tight and overused muscles of the lower limb
• Analysis and correction of walking/ running posture
• Recruitment of specific foot posture/ muscles
• Activation and strengthening of specific lower limb muscles
• Recommend the use of suitable foot orthotics if required

How can I help myself and can shin splints be avoided?

Early detection and treatment is key because when shin splints affect the bone, it is considered quite severe. There are also other precautionary steps that you can take to minimize the chance of getting shin splints.

• Wearing shoes with good insole support when exercising
• Minimize running/ training on hard or uneven terrains
• Increase your exercise intensity gradually
• Warm up and stretch properly before exercising
• Strengthen your lower limb muscles, particularly the bum, hamstrings and calves muscles
• Do not try to force and push through the pain during exercise
• Rest and ice your shin when required after sporting activities

Consider varying the types of exercises done and train different muscle groups each time you exercise. Your workouts should be more varied to prevent overuse to any particular muscle group. You should also stop their exercise if the pain becomes too severe.

How long will it take for me to recover?

Muscle related shin splints usually take 3-6 weeks to recover. Bone related shin splints can take up to 3 months for you to be pain-free.  It is important that you do not rush back into returning to their training immediately. You can consider taking up a non-impact activity so that it does not aggravate your shin splints while they heal, or even when you are starting to return to your sport. If you are a running, try taking up swimming or start an aggressive interval bike training program as a form of cross training to ease back into higher levels of physical training.

However, if your shin splints do not respond to the common treatment methods mentioned above or if you are experiencing any of the symptoms below, it would be advised for you to consult the doctor.

• Pain in the shin even when at rest/ not exercising
• A shin that is visibly/ badly swollen

Your doctor might suggest for diagnostic tests like x-rays or imaging scans if they suspect you might be suffering from more serious issues other than shin splints.

If the above symptoms is familiar to you, hit the whatsapp button at the side to speak to our friendly physiotherapist, or if you know someone who is suffering from this, do share with them this article so that we can send them on their way to full recovery.

An introduction to neck pain

Neck pain is one of the major musculoskeletal disorders among the adult population. It’s prevalence ranges between 16.7% and 70.1% around the world and has an impact to an individual’s physical, social and psychological well-being.

While many were fed with the idea that aging causes degeneration, and degeneration causes pain, the hope for living pain free seems bleak. Before someone intensify the melancholic music, let’s see what aging does to us.

Related signs of aging

Wrinkles are signs of aging as the skin loses elasticity. While our repeated facial expressions may cause wrinkles to appear more apparent at some places, besides making us look older, it does not cause pain on our faces. Maybe some heartache as we need to part with our money to “fix it”.

Similarly, having white hair doesn’t hurt our scalp. So, why is aging in our joints blamed for causing us pain? If aging is a significant contributor, young people shouldn’t be having neck pain. Some may argue, but the MRI shows signs of degeneration, it’s got to be it!

Usage of MRIs

Fortunately, or not, multiple studies have shown that MRI findings has no correlation to the intensity of pain and disabilities among persons with spinal pain. MRI should be used as a support to the patient’s story and clinical findings rather than a confirmation and sole explanation of pain.

If the symptoms are solely due to degeneration seen on the MRI, it will fail to explain why some elderly are pain free, why symptoms could be intermittent and how some people could resolve their symptoms with physiotherapy. MRI is a necessity for surgeons to determine the level that may require surgical intervention should there be a spinal cord or nerve injury.

Disc Herniations

However, we are not denying that sometimes these degenerative changes may contribute to our symptoms. Disc herniations are signs of degeneration and so are osteophyte growth or facet joint hypertrophy.

These changes may compromise the space where the spinal cord runs or where the nerve exits thereby causing symptoms such as tingling, numbness or weakness, etc. Seek Singapore physio intervention early as such sensations are usually due to irritation of the nerve – a call of action from the affected nerve.

When ignored, the condition may progress to lead to a nerve injury which will take a much longer time for recovery or eventually a surgical decompression to prevent further progression of the condition.

Effect of Posture

Alright, if aging is not the main cause, then it must be my posture! Well, yes and no. If it is just about the poor posture, ever wonder why we don’t suffer from it when we were kids? We spend most of the day at the desk, hopefully studying, too.

Majority of us sit on the edge of the chair, slouching while doing our desk work. The forward head posture increases the load on the posterior neck muscles (see figure 1). In this mechanically disadvantageous position, the deep neck flexors (at the front of the neck) are not able to work effectively. This is also apparent with the use of the phones as we hang our head on our necks (see figure 2).

Figure 1: Forward head posture and the load on the neck.

Figure 2: Load on the neck with increased neck flexion while using our phones.

So it is posture! Change it and the pain will go away! Wait a minute…

While adjusting the posture may be one of the key management, it is not the only thing we have to do. It is an aggravating factor more than an actual cause. This is why people may change their work ergonomics yet still continue to experience neck pain, although better. There is no bad posture except that one you maintain the whole day. 

Lack of mobility

The real culprit, more often than not, is the lack of mobility while sitting in front of the desk. While the load may reduce our tolerance, stiffness in the neck is often manifested as pain is a signal for us to move. Like the other joints in the body, the spinal bones enjoy movement – heard of motion is lotion? The synovial fluid in the joints provides lubrication to allow better movements; this applies to the spine too. Two reasons how stiffness of the neck may lead to neck pain:

1. “Over-activity” on the segment. Movement occurs in the path of least resistance and this is so for our spine too. While it’s a chicken or egg situation, our preferred movement pattern may be contributing to overuse at one area and lack of use else where. At the same time, compensation due to lack of movement else where could contribute to the increased loading at that particular segment. The symptoms felt could be the body’s response to being overworked – repetitive movement and loading increases the symptoms felt.

2. Tightness due to lack of movement. This is often felt as the neck initiates movement, move into the range of restriction near or at the end range. The sensation could be from our joints or muscle. While this sensation is not comfortable, the lack of motivation to move into restriction might result in lesser movement and therefore reducing the available range as time goes by. On the contrary, people also realise that their symptoms do get better with movement and activity – isn’t this a good reason to move?

Our pain experience is a usually a combination of both. While neck discomfort usually starts with tightness, there must be a reason why. Even though we may feel comfortable with stretching, we have to work on mobility of the other areas and strengthening the appropriate muscles to reduce its load and thereby manage this sensation of discomfort and tightness. Therefore, the symptoms in our neck is a shoutout to get us to MOVE out of the static posture.

Regular exercise

Our body is generally resilient enough to keep us going. Exercise can improve our strength and endurance as long as we work at it with consistency (even if its sustaining poor posture, it’s all about progression). We may get fidgety because our natural response to discomfort is to move out of it.

If the above symptoms is familiar to you, hit the whatsapp button at the side to speak to our friendly physiotherapist, or if you know someone who is suffering from this, do share with them this article so that we can send them on their way to full recovery.

A good rehabilitation program, in essence need to be specifically tailored, well taught and closely followed through by the patient in order for it to be successful. This would ultimately help the patient to regain complete function at the desired level. The main focus of a good rehabilitation program is for one to regain physical function. A good rehabilitation program should have several key features.

It has to make sense to you

Starting from the analysis of your condition, pain and movement patterns; the explanation given to you has to make sense to you. If you understand the problems and what is going wrong, you will be more likely to follow through the program to achieve the end results. In other words, you will be more compliant.

It has to be both challenging and achievable

Every exercise one does need to challenge both physically and mentally to elicit progression. Constant changes in movement patterns stimulate the brain and if an exercise becomes too simple, the brain and body become too used to it, rendering it not as useful for functional rehabilitation.

It has to be reviewed closely and progressed gradually

Pain and surgery tend to result in mal-adaptations in movement patterns (e.g. hip hiking/ limping) and can persist for quite a period of time even after the injury has healed. Your physiotherapist would need to first work on correcting these poor movement patterns and ensure that sufficient practice is done for these movements to be “normalized”. Your physiotherapist needs to ensure that the basics are cleared before progressing your rehabilitation program.

It must include clear exercises and instructions

Ensuring that the exercises done are accurate and precise plays a huge role in the success of the rehabilitation. These are usually delivered via drawings or print outs of the exercises. However with modern day technology, video recordings of the exercises prove to be more informative and well received by patients. There are also several online platforms that provide access to a library of exercises and videos for patients to review their exercises taught.

It has to be relevant

As one’s rehabilitation progresses; the exercises have to become more specific to the client’s functional goals. For example, rehabilitation would be focused on agility and cutting drills for a soccer player to help him return to competitive soccer compared to more balance and strength focused rehabilitation for an elderly person to help him return to pain-free independent daily living.

It has to have periodic outcome measures

As one’s rehabilitation progresses; these outcome measures will provide a platform for your physiotherapist and yourself to track the progress of your rehabilitation. These outcome measures are usually measurable and easily reproducible. For example, tracking the number of single leg squats done in 1 minute at 3 months versus 5 months post surgery will give us an idea of the improvements of one’s single leg balance and strength.

Clear and regular communication with your doctor

It is important for your physiotherapist to have clear and regular communication with your doctor to ensure that everyone is on the same page for your rehabilitation. Details such as range and weight-bearing limitations are essential for your physiotherapist to come up with a specific and safe program, especially at the beginning of your rehabilitation. Such regular communication will increase the confidence of everyone (patient, physiotherapist and doctor) involved in the recovery process.

Regular rehab sessions

For the program to be successful, consistency is the key. Not only consistency in the exercises done, but this also applies to one having regular weekly sessions especially at the start of rehab. These weekly sessions will facilitate the recovery and ensure that the patient is able to achieve the necessary milestones for their condition.

Post Surgery Rehabilitation

Our BMJ physiotherapists are experience and experts in rehabilitation program for most orthopaedic conditions.  We make sure that our post surgery physiotherapy program covers the points above to help you excel in your rehab.

Why do I get upper back pain?

Most upper back pain are muscular in nature, and are likely related to accumulated muscle imbalance over time.

The nature of most of our daily activities is mostly forward dominant, i.e. the tasks involve upper limb movements in front of the body, such as computer work, writing, cooking, washing etc. With the arms largely forward most of the time, the chest muscles in front of our body hardly ever get stretched.

As a result, they get tighter and shortened over time. In contrast, the upper back muscles get elongated and weakened over time. This muscle imbalance will gradually accumulate and lead to upper back pain.

This common pattern of muscle imbalance may be reinforced by improper gym exercises. Big bulky chest muscles are the dream of many gym-goers. It is a common sight to see people in the gym spending disproportionate amount of time pumping the chest muscles and very little attention to the upper back or scapular muscles.

Over time, the same muscle imbalance occurs, leading to upper back pain.  Sounds familiar? If you are a gym goer, you may want to shake up your gym routine.

How can I reduce upper back pain?

Muscular upper back pain can usually be relieved by reducing the muscle tension. The easiest way is to apply a heat pack over the painful area for 15-20 minutes.  Warmth is effective in relaxing the muscles.

Another quick fix that can be done at home is to use a tennis ball for self-massage. All you need is a wall and a tennis ball. There are a lot of specially made massage balls available on the market for this purpose.

To release the muscles, first identify the spinal column that runs down the centre of your upper back, then reach behind to apply the ball right next to the spinal column. That is where are muscles are located. Next, press the ball into the wall with your body weight. Bend and straighten the knees to move the ball up and down on your upper back.

Look for areas that are more tender and work more on those regions. That is where the tightness is located. Now the ball has become your personal masseuse at home! You can adjust the pressure by changing the amount of body weight on the ball.

It is important that the pressure should not be put on the spinal column itself, but on the muscles located next to the spine. Spend about 5-10 minutes, once or twice a day with this self massage technique. Warning! Excessive pressing will lead to soreness the next day.

Relieving the muscles is a quick fix for pain and the effect is often temporary as it does not address the underlying muscle imbalances. In the long run, posture changes and specific strengthening exercises need to be done to keep the pain at bay.

Exercises to maintain a pain-free upper back

Stretching of the chest muscles is very important to maintain good posture in the upper back and the shoulder girdles. So stretch the chest muscles daily!

If you do a lot of chest muscle strengthening exercises, you should do additional chest stretch after strengthening. Examples of chest stretch can be readily found on the Internet. Try different variations and make sure that the stretching feeling is felt in front of the upper chest during the stretch and hold the position for 15-30 seconds each time. Repeat three times for each side. Stop if it gives you any discomfort beyond mild stretching feeling.

Relook into your gym routine and include exercises that target the trapezius muscles. Exercises that work the trapezius muscles would be rows, one arm rows, lats pull down etc. Try to also consciously flex or contract your trapezius muscles in most upper body exercises work the scapular muscles.

So don’t ignore that upper back pain, recognise it early and you don’t have to suffer in silence.  Upper back pain is often a result of muscle imbalance and if address appropriately, it is a very treatable condition by attending Singapore physio sessions.

1. Recurrent or nagging injuries.

Having aches and pain over a certain area after your exercise? The soreness seems to be always there, it may kind of get better with rest but could be aggravated easily? Sounds familiar? And you find that we have to reduce your exercise intensity or the pain kicks in earlier in from your physical activity? You are very likely to be suffering from an overused injury.

As you continue to exercise with pain, it may increase the risk of developing pain in other areas due to the change in movement patterns during compensation so as to avoid pain. Continued physical activities does not allow the body to rest from the injury – no wonder it doesn’t seem go away! This is definitely a clear indication to seek professional help. The longer you take to address these aches and pain, the more complex the condition may become thus setting you back for a longer period of time.

Also, with the stacking sensation of fatigue from the body, there is an increased risk of injury. This may be due to the use of less efficient movement patterns to achieve the same task, reduced body awareness and ability to react, and poorer activation of muscles for effective force generation.

2. You feel weaker.

Do you find it harder to maintain your usual pace during runs or high interval workouts? Are you finding it harder to lift the same amount of weight? While dips in performance may not necessarily be due to over exercising, if you find yourself plateauing in your training despite the many hours put in, it could be your body shouting for some rest!

3. Lethargy.

Are you dragging your feet while you are on your way to the gym? Is there a lack of motivation to get your heart pumping? Your body feels like it is at “low batt” state and would rather stay in the couch to Netflix, it could be your body signalling you to just chill out!

4. Reduced immunity.

While most healthy and fit individuals tend to have a fairly good immune system, but if you are feeling that you’re falling sick more often, it may be a case lowered immunity. Time to cut back or stop exercising if you are not feeling well or else you may increase the risk of injury.

5. Poor sleep quality.

Your body is exhausted, but you can’t seem to fall asleep quickly when you get to bed? Or perhaps your sleep is disturbed as you wake up in the middle of the night and have troubles falling asleep again. This is likely due to elevated cortisol levels (stress-related hormone that are usually lowest just before you go to bed) resulting in increased alertness making it more difficult for you to sleep.

6. Seems like everyone is on your nerves.

The lack of rest may cause us to be more anxious, irritable or easily frustrated. The hormones that are released when you are emotionally stressed is also released when you are physically overloaded. If your sleep had been disturbed, it may cause you to be more short-fused. Take a break from everyone, go rest and relax.

7. Unintended weight loss & diminished appetite.

While majority of the population would celebrate with incidental weight loss, a reduced appetite without an intention to lose weight may be due to over training. Your appetite may be stimulated by exercise. However, your hunger hormones may be suppressed with over-exercising to slow down the body’s metabolism in attempt to force a reduction in workload.

8. Increased resting heart rate.

Generally, fitter individuals have a lower resting heart rate (taken first thing in the morning upon waking up). It is usually about 50-60 bpm while the average person’s heart rate is 72 bpm. Check your heart rate regularly, and if it is significantly higher, you may want to take a chill pill for the day.

9. Compulsion to exercise.

Does exercise feel like more a “must-do” than an enjoyment? Do you feel guilty or anxious if you don’t exercise? Are you exercising every single day? Maybe you rather exercise than attend social events with your family and friends? If you depend on working faster, harder and longer to get the same high, you might be an exercise addict more than a fitness enthusiast!

Pace out your workouts with difference intensity and exercise type. Ensure that your have at least 6 hours between the exercise sessions. There is no need to train like an elite athlete unless it is your profession, learn to enjoy your fitness journey.

How to Prevent Over Exercising?

Rest, Recognise, REST!

Recognise the symptoms of over exercising, listen to your body. Pain is like our body warning system.  Pain is the fire alarm that helps alert you to danger. So be kind to yourself sometimes.

Give yourself the permission to take a break. Even robots need to recharge, let alone us humans! Exercise is meant to be fun and energise us. Therefore, consider taking active rest days by taking a stroll in park or less intense physical activities to allow your body to recover. Recovery is an essential component in all exercise routines and sports massages are definitely a treat to the body to work those sore muscles out.

Ensure that you have sufficient fluid intake during exercise to compensate for the fluid loss from a workout. Electrolyte drinks might be a good option after a hard work out. It is also important to have sufficient caloric intake and wise nutrition choices to match the body’s metabolic demands.

While many people want to maximise their time by shorting their sleeping hours, snoozing is important component for recovery. Nothing Beats waking up well-rested and ready to conquer the day!

Final word from our Physiotherapist

We are seeing an increase incidence of people getting injured over the COVID-19 period.  No pain no gain often makes your injuries worse.  Sometimes seeking help too late can leave serious repercussions.  While we as a Singapore physio applaud your change to a more active lifestyle, we also urge everyone to exercise smartly.

What causes knee pain without injury/ why is my knee hurting suddenly?

Knee pain is a common complaint in people across all ages. It can start suddenly but is usually often after an injury or after a bout of vigorous exercise, especially if the person is not used to such high levels of exercise intensity. It can also start as a mild discomfort in your knee which gradually becomes worse.

There are several causes of knee pain. An overweight individual has an increased risk of knee issues. Overuse of your knee due to intense exercise or regular work requirements (squatting/ bending/ repetitive activities at work) can also trigger knee pain.

There are several types of knee problems caused by joint issues (e.g. arthritis of the knee). Issues that affect the ligaments, tendons and muscles surrounding your knee can also give rise to knee pain without you knowing. Past injuries can also cause a relapse, causing your knee to experience discomfort.

How do I know if my knee pain is serious/ when should I see a doctor for knee pain?

Whether you are an elite athlete, regular gym enthusiast or just an average person, chances are that you have experienced knee pain of some sort at least once in your life. In some cases, the pain eases after rest or icing.

However, there will be possible scenarios when the pain does not improve, or it becomes too painful for you to continue with basic activities like walking. So the big question is: When should I be concerned about my knee pain and when is it a normal part of life? Here are some tell-tale signs that your knee pain is serious.

1) Pain

You should not be too concerned if the pain worsens with a certain activity and feels better with rest. However if your knee pain is sudden and is unrelated to any activity, or if the pain has lasted for more than 48 hours, you should consider consulting a physiotherapist. It would be good to note the location of the knee pain. If the pain is deep inside the knee joint, it would be a bigger cause for concern.

2) My knee is swollen

Small amounts of swelling do occur after you have strained/ injured your knee. However, if your knee swells up significantly almost immediately after your injury, you may have possibly tore a ligament in your knee. If the onset of swelling occurs the next day, this could indicate a potential injury to the meniscus within your knee. Swelling indicates joint fluid inside your knee joint which would require medical attention.

3) My knee is locked (feels stuck)

If you find your knee stuck/ locked in one position and you are unable to move it without pain, it would indicate a possible tear of the meniscus and the fragment piece could have “floated” into your knee joint, blocking movement. Such kind of meniscus injury often requires surgery.

4) My knee is stiff!  (Loss of Range of Motion)

You might find it difficult to bend or straighten their knee, making it difficult and painful to perform basic daily activities like walking or getting up from a chair. This loss of range of motion in the knee can indicate significant swelling within the knee and if it lasts for more than 1 day, you should seek medical attention.

5) My knee feels unstable (Instability)

If you have the feeling of the knee “giving way” while trying to put weight on the knee, it could indicate a potential ligament injury within the knee as ligaments are the internal stabilizing structures of our knee especially in standing.

How long should knee pain last?

The recovery time for knee pain depends on the type and severity of the injury. Muscle and soft tissue related injuries take approximately 4-6 weeks to recover. Knee pain involving the joint / bone can take up to 3 months for the pain to subside.

How do I get rid of mild knee pain fast?

The most common suggestion would be to perform R.I.C.E: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. You should definitely rest and stop the activity that aggravates the knee pain to allow the knee to calm down. Icing of the knee helps to numb the knee pain while compression and elevation of the knee joint helps to reduce swelling that is accompanied with any acute injury to the knee.

In summary, if you have persistent and recurring knee pain, seek help early from our Singapore physio. Early physiotherapy intervention and treatment can definitely help to contain your knee pain.  Quite often most people left it too late, which sometimes lead to the inevitable surgery.