Do you have a way to keep your knees from aching? People with arthritis frequently rely on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like diclofenac (Voltaren), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) or naproxen (Aleve). Although they may get short-term relief from such medicines, in the long term they may experience side effects such as digestive tract irritation, high blood pressure or kidney problems. Some readers have turned to nondrug approaches to alleviate their knee pain.
How to Keep Knees from Aching at Night:
Q. For some reason, the last two years my knees have been aching terribly when I lie down in bed. I have no pain at all when I’m standing, walking or sitting, just when I’m lying down. I figure it’s some kind of arthritis, but I really don’t know what is causing it.
Your soap remedy kept popping up in your newsletter, so six months ago I finally decided to try it for my knees. It was amazing! In one night, the pain was totally gone.
On vacation, I spent a few nights in bed without soap. Guess what? My knees ached again. So I bring my soap with me now. I replace it every time I need a new bar in the shower. I won’t sleep without it!
Soap in Bed to Ease Knee Pain:
A. We have heard from several other readers that soap can help ease arthritis pain temporarily. We don’t know how or why this works, although we suspect it has something to do with transient receptor potential (TRP) channels in the nerves that transmit pain.
That might explain why capsaicin cream and other arthritis rubs can be helpful as well. Activating TRP channels seems to be able to temporarily “scramble” the pain signal these nerves are sending (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 2018).
Learn More:
You can learn more about TRP channels and how they may help keep your knees from aching by listening to our podcast Show 1080: What Works for Pain Relief and Why. To get more information about soap and other unusual approaches to controlling arthritis pain in our eGuide to Alternatives for Arthritis. (Don’t plan to print this online resource, as it is very long. If you need a print version, order the book from our web store instead.)
If you are wishing for a nice flat bar of soap that is comfortable in bed, we can offer our Bed Soap. We think probably any soap will work, but ours is particularly well suited to slip under the bottom sheet.
