Does your knee feel okay during the day, but then ache, throb or keep you awake at night?
Knee pain at night can happen for several reasons. Night-time knee pain can occur with conditions such as:
- Knee osteoarthritis
- Meniscus injuries
- Tendon irritation
- Bursitis
- Recent knee injuries
- Increased activity or loading during the day
Why Does Knee Pain Get Worse at Night?
Pain can also feel more noticeable at night because you’re no longer moving around or distracted by everyday activities. Night time pain is often contributed to inflammation at the knee joint.
Inflammation isn’t always a bad thing.
It’s part of the body’s natural response to help repair and regenerate tissue damage. So rather than trying to suppress inflammation, which is what anti-inflammatories do it is helpful to support this process. There are natural methods that can support the body’s natural healing process as well as provide pain relief.
Natural Relief for Knee Pain at Night
One simple strategy that may help settle an irritated knee is compression followed by gentle cold therapy.
Step 1: Apply Compression
Before bed, you can apply a firm supportive compression bandage around the knee.
It should feel secure but should not be so tight that it causes numbness, tingling, increased pain, skin colour changes or changes in circulation. Compression can be applied using a firm bandage wrapped around the joint or using a tubi-grip over the knee.
Step 2: Apply a Comfortable Cold Pack
Next, apply a cold pack over the knee with a towel wrapped around the cold pack so that it is comfortable.
The important word here is comfortable. It should not feel immediately cold but take a minute or so for it to feel cold.
Aim for gentle and comfortable cooling rather than intense cold, burning or numbness. When the cold pack is kept comfortable, only then it can be left on overnight as otherwise there is risk of frostbite if it is too cold.
Applying a cold pack in this way overnight, will not only assist with pain relief but also allow your body to continue it’s natural healing process without hindering or interfering with it.
Step 3: Repeat as Your Knee Settles
You can repeat this routine each night until it settles, provided it remains comfortable and your skin and circulation are normal.
But remember: the aim isn’t just to manage your knee pain at night.
If the pain keeps returning, it’s worth looking at what’s happening during the day so you can ideally prevent and minimise the inflammatory response from occurring.
How are you walking? How is the knee being loaded when you bend, squat or climb stairs?
Addressing these factors may help reduce repeated irritation and improve how well your knee tolerates everyday movement.
Want to Learn How to Support Your Knee’s Natural Healing Process?
If you’ve been dealing with ongoing knee pain and want to understand why your knee may not be settling, join my free knee pain masterclass.
I’ll explain the steps you can take to create better conditions to support your body’s natural healing and recovery process. Register below to attend the free online masterclass by an experienced Australian knee pain physiotherapist – Simran Choudhary.