Exercises to Help Relieve (Joint) Knee Pain

Whether or not you’re a aggressive athlete, a weekend warrior, or a each day walker, coping with knee pain can put a kink in your favourite actions. Knee pain is a typical problem. Actually, in line with the Cleveland Clinic, 18 million folks see a physician for knee pain every year. This consists of pain brought on by: The excellent news is there are a number of methods to deal with knee pain, together with stretching and strengthening workout routines that you are able to do by yourself. On this article, we’ll stroll you thru a number of the only workout routines you are able to do to strengthen your knee and scale back knee pain.

Exercise and knee pain

In case your knee pain is because of an harm, surgical procedure, or arthritis, light stretching and strengthening workout routines might assist ease the pain whereas additionally bettering your flexibility and vary of movement. Exercising a knee that’s injured or arthritic could appear counterintuitive, however in actual fact, train is best in your knee than protecting it nonetheless. Not transferring your knee may cause it to stiffen, and this will worsen the pain and make it more durable to go about your each day actions. Mild stretching and strengthening workout routines can strengthen the muscle tissues that assist your knee joint. Having stronger muscle tissues can scale back the affect and stress in your knee, and assist your knee joint transfer extra simply. Earlier than you begin an train program for knee pain, make sure to speak to your physician or bodily therapist to verify the workout routines are secure for you. Relying in your state of affairs, they might advocate some modifications.

Stretching workout routines

In keeping with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, performing decrease physique stretching workout routines might assist enhance the vary of movement and suppleness in your knee joint. This will make it simpler to maneuver your knee. Earlier than you begin stretching, it’s necessary to spend at the least 5 to 10 minutes warming up. Low-impact actions like biking on a stationary bike, strolling, or utilizing an elliptical machine are good warmup choices. When you’re warmed up, do the next three stretches, after which repeat them when you’ve accomplished the knee strengthening workout routines. Attempt to do these stretches and workout routines at the least 4 to 5 occasions every week.

1. Heel and calf stretch

This stretch targets the muscle tissues in your decrease leg, particularly your calf muscle tissues. To do that stretch:
  1. Stand dealing with a wall.
  2. Place your palms on the wall and transfer one foot again so far as you’ll be able to comfortably. Toes on each ft must be dealing with ahead, heels flat, with a slight bend in your knees.
  3. Lean into the stretch and maintain for 30 seconds. It is best to really feel the stretch in your again leg.
  4. Change legs and repeat.
  5. Do that stretch twice for each legs.

2. Quadriceps stretch

This stretch particularly targets your quadriceps, the muscle tissues on the entrance of your thighs. Performing this transfer can assist enhance the flexibleness in your hip flexors and quadricep muscle tissues. To do that stretch:
  1. Stand subsequent to a wall or use a chair for assist. Your ft must be shoulder-width aside.
  2. Bend one knee so your foot goes up towards your glutes.
  3. Seize your ankle and gently pull it towards your glutes so far as you’ll be able to comfortably.
  4. Maintain for 30 seconds.
  5. Return to the beginning place and alter legs.
  6. Repeat 2 occasions on either side.

3. Hamstring stretch

This stretch targets your hamstrings, the muscle tissues at the back of your thigh. It is best to really feel this stretch at the back of your leg and as much as the bottom of your glutes. For those who flex your foot, you may additionally really feel the stretch in your calves. To do that stretch:
  1. For this stretch, you need to use a mat so as to add cushioning beneath your again.
  2. Lie down on the ground or mat and straighten each legs. Or, if it’s extra comfy, you’ll be able to bend each knees together with your ft flat on the ground.
  3. Elevate one leg off the ground.
  4. Place your palms behind your thigh, however under the knee, and gently pull your knee towards your chest till you’re feeling a slight stretch. This shouldn’t be painful.
  5. Maintain for 30 seconds.
  6. Decrease and alter legs.
  7. Repeat 2 occasions on either side.

Strengthening workout routines

In keeping with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, you’ll be able to assist scale back the stress in your knee joint by commonly working the muscle tissues round your knee. To assist strengthen your knees, concentrate on strikes that work your hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, and hip muscle tissues.

4. Half squat

Half squats are a superb strategy to strengthen your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings with out straining your knees. To do that train:
  1. Get right into a standing squat place together with your ft shoulder-width aside. Place your palms in your hips or out in entrance of you for steadiness.
  2. Wanting straight forward, slowly squat down about 10 inches. That is the midway level to a full squat.
  3. Pause for a number of seconds, then arise by pushing via your heels.
  4. Do 2 to three units of 10 repetitions.

5. Calf raises

This train strengthens the again of your decrease legs, which incorporates your calf muscle tissues. To do that train:
  1. Stand together with your ft shoulder-width aside. Place your self subsequent to a wall or maintain on to the again of a chair for assist.
  2. Elevate each your heels off the bottom so that you just’re standing on the balls of your ft.
  3. Slowly decrease your heels to the beginning place. Management is necessary with this train for strengthening your calf muscle tissues.
  4. Do 2 to three units of 10 repetitions.

6. Hamstring curl

The standing hamstring curl targets your hamstrings and glutes. It additionally requires good core energy to maintain your higher physique and hips regular. To do that train:
  1. Stand dealing with a wall or use a chair for assist. Your ft must be hip-width aside.
  2. Elevate one foot up, bend your knee, and lift your heel towards the ceiling. Go so far as you’ll be able to, whereas protecting your higher physique nonetheless and hips pointing ahead.
  3. Maintain for five to 10 seconds.
  4. Loosen up and decrease to the beginning place.
  5. Do 2 to three units of 10 repetitions for every leg.

7. Leg extensions

Utilizing your individual physique weight, quite than a weighted machine, to strengthen your quadriceps helps hold added strain off your knees. To do that train:
  1. Sit up tall in a chair.
  2. Put your ft flat on the ground, hip-width aside.
  3. Look straight forward, contract your thigh muscle tissues, and lengthen one leg as excessive as potential with out elevating your buttocks off the chair.
  4. Pause, then decrease to the beginning place.
  5. Do 2 to three units of 10 repetitions for every leg.

8. Straight leg raises

The straight leg elevate strengthens your quadriceps in addition to your hip flexor muscle tissues. For those who flex your foot on the finish of the transfer, you also needs to really feel your shins tighten. As this train will get simpler to do, you’ll be able to add a 5-pound ankle weight and regularly work as much as a heavier weight as you construct energy in your legs. To do that train:
  1. For this train, you need to use a mat so as to add cushioning beneath your again.
  2. Lie down on the ground with one leg bent and one leg straight out in entrance of you.
  3. Contract the quadriceps of your straight leg and slowly elevate it up off the ground till it’s the identical peak as your bent knee.
  4. Pause on the prime for five seconds, then decrease to the beginning place
  5. Do 2 to three units of 10 repetitions for every leg.

9. Facet leg raises

This train works your hip abductor muscle tissues in addition to your glutes. Your hip abductor muscle tissues, situated on the surface of your hips, aid you to face, stroll and rotate your legs with ease. Strengthening these muscle tissues can assist forestall and deal with pain within the hips and knees. As this train will get simpler to do, you’ll be able to add a 5-pound ankle weight and regularly work as much as a heavier weight as you construct energy in your leg muscle tissues. To do that train:
  1. Lie in your facet together with your legs stacked on prime of one another. Cradle your head in your hand, and place your different hand on the ground in entrance of you.
  2. Increase your prime leg as excessive as you comfortably can. It is best to really feel this on the facet of your hips.
  3. Pause briefly on the prime, then decrease your leg.
  4. Do 2 to three units of 10 repetitions for every leg.

10. Susceptible leg raises

This train works your hamstrings in addition to your glutes. As this train will get simpler to do, you’ll be able to add a 5-pound ankle weight and regularly work as much as a heavier weight as you construct energy in your legs muscle tissues. To do that train:
  1. For this train, you need to use a mat so as to add cushioning beneath you.
  2. Lie in your abdomen together with your legs straight out behind you. You may let your headrest in your arms.
  3. Interact your glute and hamstring muscle tissues in your left leg and carry your leg as excessive as you comfortably can with out inflicting pain. Be sure you hold your pelvic bones on the ground all through this train.
  4. Maintain your leg within the lifted place for five seconds.
  5. Decrease your leg, relaxation for two seconds, then repeat.
  6. Do 2 to three units of 10 repetitions for every leg.

Different types of exercise for knee pain

When you’ve constructed up the energy in your knees, it’s possible you’ll need to take into account including low-impact workout routines to your routine. Low-impact workout routines sometimes put much less stress in your joints than high-impact workout routines, like working or leaping. Some good examples of low-impact workout routines embrace:

What else can help with knee pain?

Discovering reduction from knee pain will depend on the trigger or problem that’s making it troublesome so that you can go about your each day actions. Carrying extra weight places additional stress in your knees, which can result in osteoarthritis. On this case, the simplest therapy, in line with the Cleveland Clinic, is weight reduction. Your physician might advocate a mixture of weight loss plan and train that will help you drop extra pounds and strengthen the muscle tissues in your decrease physique, particularly round your knees. A 2013 examine discovered that adults with obese and knee osteoarthritis skilled a discount in weight and knee pain after 18 months of a weight loss plan and train program. But when overuse is the perpetrator, your physician will probably recommend RICE — which stands for relaxation, ice, compression, and elevation — and bodily remedy. A bodily therapist can work with you to develop a program that features a vary of movement workout routines, stretches, and muscle strengthening actions.