Knee has one of the complex joints in our body. There are several bones that are joined together at this joint, they are Thighbone (femur), Shinbone (tibia), the knee cap and other bones. Tendons connect the bones to muscles. Ligaments join bones and help in keeping them together. Many times due to exercise we end up hurting our knees. Mostly runners or joggers face this issue as it puts extra load on the knee. A good diet and well-targeted exercise can vanish you knee pain just in few days. In this post, I have shared about all the important aspects which will benefit you in knee pain. Today we will discuss simple knee pain exercises that will reduce your knee pain (1).

Causes of Knee Pain:

Pain in the knee for a long period of time or frequency which can result in swelling and sensitivity is termed as Chronic Knee pain. You may experience temporary knee pain due to accident or injury (2)(3).

Some basic causes of knee pain are:

1. Injuries which are not treated properly.
2. Infection
3. Strain or Sprain
4. Improper form or posture during exercise.
5. Excessive stretching of muscles.
6. Improper warm-up and cooling down before and after the workout.
7. Excessive weight gain over a short period of time.
8. Bad posture while sitting or standing for a long time.
9. Sudden Jerk
10. Age Factor (4)(5)

Exercises to Reduce Knee Pain

We often fear exercising when we are in pain as we don’t want to make it worse. But exercising actually makes your muscles stronger and helps in curing pain. But if you have excruciating pain, refrain from doing exercise. Also, consult your doctor before starting to exercise (6)(7)(8).

1. Simple stretching and warm up

Body rotations, leg swaying and a bit of stretching are very important before you start to exercise. Spot jogging or walking on the treadmill, cycling is also good warm-up. It is simple and one of the best knee pain exercises(9)(10).

2. Leg Raises

How to do :

1. Sit on the floor taking hand support.
2. Fold any one leg.
3. Keep another leg straight and raise it above ground level for 10 secs.
4. Relax and repeat for 5 times and then do with another leg.

3. Hamstring Curls

How to do :

1. Lie down on your stomach
2. Lift feet from the ground and bend your knees ( try to touch your heels to hips).
3. Straighten your legs and go back to normal position.

4. Prone Straight Leg Raises

How to do:

1. Lie down on your stomach.
2. Keep your leg straight and raise anyone leg.
3. Your abdomen muscles should slightly get tightened and another leg should be completely on the ground.
4. Stay in this pose for 5 to 10 secs and relax.
5. Repeat this with another leg.

5. Squats With Support

How to do:

1. Stand close to any wall with your legs shoulder-width apart.
2. Bend downwards with your back straight taking wall support.
3. Sit in chair pose without chair base.
4. Repeat this 10 times. Do 3 such sets.

6. Calf Raises

Calf Raises is one of the most simple but effective knee pain exercises.

How to do:

1. Stand with you both legs together.
2. Raise your heels a few inches, come on your tiptoes.
3. Stay there for some time.
4. Come back to your normal position.
5. Repeat for 5 to 10 times.

7. Step-ups

Step Up is a good knee pain exercise. It is very easy to do so can be done by people from any age group.

How to do:

1. You need a stair or strong wooden box to do this.
2. Step up on the box and step down immediately.
3. Repeat this 10 times and relax.
4. Do 3 such sets.

8. Side Leg Raises

Side Leg Raises is one of the best knee pain exercises. Try this exercise daily and it will give you good results in 3-4 weeks.

How to do:

1. Lie down on any one side e.g right side
2. Support your head by placing your right palm above ears.
3. Raise your left leg above and stay there.
4. Come back to original position and repeat 10 times.
5. Do 3 such sets.

9. Leg Presses

How to do:

1. This exercise is done at the gym with the help of leg press machine.

10. Hamstring Stretch

How to do:

1. Lie down on your back, keep your body relaxed.
2. Stretch your left leg to form a 90-degree angle with the other leg.
3. Feel the stretch and try to hold this position for 30 seconds.
4. Repeat with another leg.

11. Stair Climbing

Stairs are present everywhere nowadays. Climb up and down the stairs slowly for 3 to 4 times is one of the best exercises for knee pain.

 

Medical Conditions Which Can Cause Knee Pain

1. Osteoarthritis

It is caused due to wear and tear of flexible tissue which is present at the end of bones. Osteoarthritis can be caused due to age factor, joint injury, obesity, bone deformities, and genetics. It causes inflammation, pain and swelling in knees.

2. Tendinitis

Tendons are tissues which connect our bones to muscles. In tendonitis, this connecting tissue gets inflamed causing pain in knees. It is caused if a person’s job involves the repetitive movement of any particular joint.

3. Bursitis

There are lubricating fluid-filled sacs present in our joints called bursa which prevents friction, rubbing, wear and tear on our joints. Inflammation of these fluid-filled is called as Bursitis. Injury, overuse of certain joints are the main causes of it. 

4. Chondromalacia Patella

The cartilage under the kneecap is damaged in Chondromalacia Patella. The abnormal rubbing of the thigh bone to the kneecap due to improper movement of bones is the main cause of Chondromalacia Patella. 

5. Gout

A gout is a form of arthritis. It is caused due to high levels of uric acid in the blood.  It causes redness, tenderness, warmth and swelling in the joints.

6. Baker’s Cyst

The small sacs of tissues are present behind our knees. When the excess fluid flows into these sacs, it swells and bulges out like cysts. These cysts are called as Baker’s Cysts.

7.Rheumatoid Arthritis

It is a chronic autoimmune disorder which causes inflammation in many joints in the body including hands and feet. 

8. Dislocation

It can be caused due to the severe accident, the knee dislocates from its original position. This dislocation can cause knee pain, inflammation etc

9. Meniscus Tear

The meniscus is a cartilage which provides a cushioning effect between the thigh and shin bone. Forceful twisting of the knee can cause tearing of meniscus.

10. Torn Ligament

Ligament tear can be caused by a sudden jerk to the knee. It causes excruciating pain and swelling in the ligament.

Bone Tumours- Growth of unwanted cells growing in bones. They may and may not be cancer causing.

Diagnosis Methods

The cause of knee pain requires particular diagnosis. The diagnostic tests carried out to identify the main cause is

1. Physical examination
2. X-ray Scan
3. CT Scan
4. MRI

Treatment of knee pain involves various Medications, Physiotherapy, Surgery and Good Food etc.

Tips to Prevent Knee Pain

There are few basic tips listed below which can prevent knee pain.

1. Proper Warm-up
2. Proper cooling down
3. Weight Loss
4. Include low-intensity workout and smooth yoga in your workout plan
5. Wear comfortable shoes while working out or running and replace them frequently.
6. Running or walking surface should be smooth.
7. Jog or walk on the steep surface, Run while climbing the incline.

 

Foods for Healthy Knee

There is no particular food which can prevent knee pain but foods which has anti-inflammatory properties can be helpful in knee pain. Also, the foods which boost our immune system, strengthen our muscles, ligaments are beneficial for a healthy knee. Take a look at below foods which may help you to get a healthy knee.

1. Tomatoes
2. Spinach
3. Cauliflower
4. Strawberries
5. Oranges
6. Almonds
7. Walnuts
8. Fatty Fish
9. Garlic
10. Turmeric

You can easily find these foods nearby you. These are simple but very helpful for knee pain.