Three Gentle Knee Exercises You Can Do At Home
While going to a gym to exercise has its benefits, you shouldnt have to leave the comfort of your own home if you want to reduce your knee pain. Here are three gentle knee exercises you can perform at home, the gym or anywhere else you feel comfortable:
Exercises Physical Therapists Recommend For Hip And Knee Pain
One of the most common orthopedic conditions for which people seek medical attention is knee pain. It includes pain felt behind and around the knee cap, particularly when performing activities such as stair climbing, squatting, running, or walking while carrying a heavy load. Knee pain can make it difficult to participate in your favorite activities and complete daily tasks. It can last for years if not treated properly.
Knee pain can be caused by a number of factors, including knee stiffness, incorrect positioning of the knee cap while resting or moving, flat feet, poor exercise form, and weakness of the muscles that control the hip and knee.
A physical therapist can help you with your knee pain. Following an evaluation, a physical therapist will create an individualized comprehensive treatment plan to address the specific factors that are causing your knee pain. For an evaluation, you can make direct contact with a physical therapist.
These exercises have been shown in studies to reduce pain and improve your ability to participate in activities you enjoy.
Before beginning these exercises, check with your doctor to see if they are appropriate for you. If you experience any symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness, you should discontinue immediately. These exercises are provided solely for educational purposes.
- Clam Shells
Optional: Lean against a wall to keep your body aligned and from rolling forward.
- Bridging
- Hip Abduction
- Straight Leg Raise
Quad And Iliopsoas Stretch
This move helps increase flexibility in the thighs and hips and is one Dr. Weis recommends for knee pain. To do it, lay on your back with one leg hanging off the side of a couch or bed and the other foot planted to stabilize and prevent you from rolling or falling. Try to keep your low back in contact with the surface and avoid arching your back. Let gravity pull the hanging leg down, stretching the front of the hip and thigh. To add an extra stretch to the front of the thigh, use a belt or towel to pull the hanging ankle backward. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.
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Strengthening Exercises To Reduce Knee Pain
If your physical therapist determines that your pain is coming from a muscular problem, or if you are recovering from surgery, you will likely participate in a strengthening program as part of therapy. Some of the muscles in your hip, and many of the muscles in your leg and foot all connect to the knee joint.
Having so many muscles connected to the knee can be a good thing, but it also leaves room for issues if the muscles arent strong, or become torn or degenerated.
Some of the most important muscles for knee function and reduction of pain are the quadriceps, the hamstrings, and the calf muscle complex. The quadriceps are responsible for straightening the knee, but it also plays a role in controlling how fast the knee bends.
The hamstrings bend the knee, and also help control how fast the knee straightens. Strengthening both of these muscles is an important step in reducing knee pain with walking, stair climbing, or any other similar activity.
Best Physical Therapy Exercises For Knee Arthritis
Arthritis is one of the most common health conditions and is more prevalent in older adults. But it can happen at any age. It is basically an inflammation of one or more of your joints, which makes it painful and stiff. Thus, it affects your mobility.
There are over 100 conditions that may affect your joints and cause inflammation. But the most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis .
Exercising can be beneficial to treat or relieve knee arthritis pains. As you read ahead, you will find the best knee osteoarthritis exercises. You can perform these knee exercises at home or at the gym at your convenience.
What Causes Knee Pain?
Osteoarthritis
It is the most common type of arthritis. It slowly wears away the cartilage of knee joints, causing it stiffness and pain. In some cases, OA has also caused disability and reduced mobility in patients. Some OA arthritis patients are even unable to perform their daily activities.
Rheumatoid arthritis
RA is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease. It means that your immune system mistakenly attacks the bodys healthy white cells, which causes inflammation and swelling.
RA can affect almost any joint, including your knees. RA can also affect different tissues of your body and can cause damage to other organs, including the lungs, heart and kidneys. Therefore, it is necessary that you see a doctor to detect whether the pain is due to RA.
Best Exercises for Knee Arthritis
Hamstring Stretch
Reps to Performs
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Sitting Supported Knee Bends
- While sitting at your bedside or in a chair with your thigh supported, place your foot behind the heel of your operated knee for support.
- Slowly bend your knee as far as you can. Hold your knee in this position for 5 to 10 seconds.
- Repeat several times until your leg feels fatigued or until you can completely bend your knee.
- This exercise should take 2 minutes.
Sitting supported knee bend
Does This Knee Pain Sound Familiar
I eventually got sick of it all as my stop doing what hurts wasnt working, and to make matters worse I had essentially stopped exercising and this affected my overall mood. So I put my pride to the side and asked a therapist friend to take a look.
He tested and found some weak muscles around my hip, and also pointed out an imbalance in my running form and after a few weeks of really dedicating myself to fixing the issues- I was able to reintroduce running and worked my way back into exercise.
Knee pain can be very frustrating as when it starts acting up, you can really miss out on staying active, enjoying a hike with family, or even a walk at the beach.
Since we are in the middle of Knee Health Awareness Month, I want to answer some of the top questions I get asked in the clinic about knee pain.
The first is:
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Knee Replacement Surgery Rehabilitation Exercises
Every person who undergoes knee replacement surgery will do physical therapy exercises to strengthen the muscles around the new knee. These exercises:
- Increase muscle flexibility and strength, which helps protect the new knee and other joints
- Promote healing by increasing blood flow
Below are knee-strengthening exercises that doctors and physical therapists commonly recommended to knee replacement patients.
Patients may be advised to do 10 or 15 repetitions of each exercise a few times a day. About 6 weeks after surgery, most patients are able to scale back and do exercises 3 or 4 times a week.
Quad squeezesThe knee joint is supported and controlled by the quadriceps muscles, which are located at the front of the thigh. To do quad squeeze exercises, a patient will:
- Lie on his or her back with legs extended
- Contract the quadriceps muscles at the front of the thigh
- During the contraction, the leg should be kept straight, so that it may seem the back of the knee is pressing down
- Hold for 5 seconds and release
Quad squeezes can strengthen the quadriceps muscles without moving or putting strain on the knees.
Ankle pumpsExercising the muscles of the lower leg will help maintain their strength and improve blood circulation. To do ankle pump exercises, a patient will:
Short arc quadShort arc quad exercises improve strength and range of motion in the hip and knee. To do short arc quad exercises, a patient will:
See Knee Exercises for Arthritis
Physical Therapy Exercises For A Knee Meniscus Tear
If you have a knee meniscus tear, you may benefit from a physical therapy exercise program to rehabilitate your knee. Working with a physical therapist can help you regain maximal knee range of motion and strength and can help you return to your normal optimal level of activity.
Research even shows that participating in physical therapy for a meniscus injury may help you avoid surgery for your knee. Your PT may use various modalities and treatments to control your pain or knee swelling or to improve the way the muscles around your knee contracts and supports the joint.
Exercises should be a major component of your knee rehab program after a meniscus tear. Physical therapy exercises in the clinic, and as part of a home exercise program, can help you recover fully from your meniscus injury.
But which exercises are best for your specific condition? The only way to know is to work with your PT he or she can prescribe the right exercises for your specific condition.
Here is a sample exercise program that you may be prescribed for your knee meniscus injury. The exercises focus on improving the knee’s range of motion and strength and improving the overall function of your knee joint. Exercises should not cause any extra pain in your knee.
Before starting this, or any other knee meniscus exercise program, check in with your healthcare provider and physical therapist to be sure exercise is safe for you to do.
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Recommend Specific Knee Garments
Wearing a knee brace can help you keep pain and stiffness at bay during the day. Which makes it much easier to live your life despite the osteoarthritis.
Your physio will likely recommend one if your symptoms require it. There are several designs available, but the ones that can help knee degeneration the most are:
Knee sleeves
These minimalist garments work by providing compression to the knee joint. This in turn brings blood flow to the area, which can decrease pain and enhance mobility.
For my knee osteoarthritis patients, I always recommend having at least one high-quality knee sleeve at home.
It can be a life-saver when your symptoms flare-up. Or for those days when you want to do tons of stuff without overexerting your joint.
Learn more:The best sleeves for knee arthritis pain.
Hinged braces
Knee osteoarthritis can cause meniscus and/or ligament problems, which inevitably affect the stability of your joint. In this case, a hinged brace may be the best choice.
These garments provide external support to your knee, making it easier for you to walk, climb stairs, or even squat without having a wobbly joint.
Check this out:Guide with the best hinged braces out there.
Unloader braces
Unloader braces are designed in a way that reduces the load on one side of the knee. As such, theyre best for people with unicompartmental arthritis.
Further reading: Ranking of the best unloader knee braces.
Can Knee Pain Heal On Its Own
Some knee pain can improve and heal on its own. When you have overexerted yourself doing something that youre not used to, maybe climbed a full height of stadium steps for the first time all year, or tried a workout with a lot of squats and lunges. This can bring on a condition called delayed-onset- muscle -soreness . You will feel this pain in the overworked muscle, not the joint itself, and this type of pain will go away after a few days of rest/ modified activity.
When you develop pain in the knee joint, or right around the knee. Its unlikely this will go away on its own. This type of pain is typically due to abnormal strain or stress on the joint, rest and medication will help temporarily, but if you want to get better- then you need to figure out what is causing this extra stress and strain.
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How Long Will It Take For My Knee To Get Better
Your doctor or physical therapist will tell you how often you need to go to therapy. It might be several times a week for 6 weeks or longer. The amount depends on how much your knee hurts and whether or not you had surgery.
Your therapist will stay in touch with your doctor and discuss your progress. Together, the three of you can decide when you feel ready to scale back on sessions.
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Physical Therapy Exercises To Reduce Knee Pain
The knee joint is one of the hardest working in the body, which is why its so prone to injury other chronic conditions that cause knee pain. If youre one of the millions of Americans trying to decide what to do about your knee pain, keep in mind that one of the most successful, long-term options is physical therapy. In fact, recent analysis of knee pain treatment data spanning almost 6 decades demonstrates that exercise and movement work, under the guidance of your physical therapist, is one of the best ways to improve knee function and reduce knee pain for the long haul.
The following 5 knee exercises are ones that your physical therapist may teach you, but there are many others designed to help strengthen surrounding muscles, improve balance and increase range of motion in the knee.
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Exercises To Reduce Knee Pain
Knee pain is one of the most common orthopedic conditions for which people seek medical treatment. It includes pain felt behind and around the knee cap, especially during activities like stair climbing, squatting, running, and walking while carrying a heavy load. Knee pain can prevent you from participating in your favorite activities and performing daily tasks. Without proper treatment, it can linger for years.
Knee pain can be caused by a variety of factors, some of which include knee stiffness, incorrect positioning of the knee cap at rest or with movement, flat feet, improper exercise form, and weakness of the muscles that control the hip and knee.
A physical therapist can work with you to address your knee pain. After an evaluation, a physical therapist will design an individualized comprehensive treatment program to address the specific factors causing your knee pain. You can contact a physical therapist directly for an evaluation.
To find a physical therapist in your area, visit Find a PT.
These exercises are proven by research to reduce pain and improve your ability to participate in the activities you love.
Consult your health care provider before starting these exercises to determine if they are right for you. If you experience any symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness at any time, you should stop immediately. These exercises are provided for educational information only.
Downward Dog Calf Stretch
When it comes to a basic calf stretch the Downward Dog is the leader. A classic yoga pose, it helps stretch your calf muscles.
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Advanced Exercises And Activities
Once you have regained independence for short distances and a few steps, you may increase your activity. The pain of your knee problems before surgery and the pain and swelling after surgery have weakened your knee. A full recovery will take several months. The following exercises and activities will help you recover fully.
What Exercises To Avoid When You Have Hurt/ Bad Knees
There are certain exercises that will place more stress on your knees. Now the knee joint is quite a complicated joint. You have the femur and tibia, and you also have the kneecap in the front. Different exercises will add stress to either one of these areas of the knee.
For instance- the kneecap will have a lot of pressure on the joint when you are doing a knee extension machine at the gym, but this exercise is typically fine for the rest of the knee joint.
If you have osteo-arthritis of the knee joint – then you will want to avoid deep squatting, lunging, and jumping type exercises. These exercises are not necessarily bad, but they will add stress to your knee joint, especially if performed incorrectly. Here is a great reference article to check out if you would like to explore incorporating some of these exercises correctly into your recovery plan
Does your knee pop or click during exercise, or even daily activities? Not sure if you should be concerned or not? Then be sure to read our other knee blog: Should I be Worried My Knee Pops or Clicks
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Pt Treatment For Knee Pain
After a focused examination has been completed, your physical therapist can work with you to initiate the correct treatment. It is very important for you to be active and engaged in the program. Often, exercises to help strengthen and improve the mobility of the knee will be prescribed. You may be required to perform exercises at home as well as part of a home exercise program.
Exercise should be your main tool for treating your knee pain. Exercises to help your knee pain may include:
- Quad sets and straight leg raises
- Short arc quads
- Exercises to strengthen your hips
- Lower extremity stretches
- Balance exercises
Your PT will tell you how often to perform your exercises at home, and he or she should monitor your progress when you visit the PT clinic. He or she may also perform other treatments while you are in the PT clinic. These may include:
- Ultrasound
- Application of heat or ice
- Soft tissue massages or knee joint mobilization
Keep in mind that passive treatments like ultrasound or estim have not been proven to be the most effective treatment for knee pain. They may feel good, but your focus with PT should be on restoring functional mobility. You should discuss the overall goal of each treatment so you have an understanding of what to expect.
If knee pain persists for more than two to three weeks or occurs as the result of major trauma, a visit to a physician or healthcare provider is recommended.