:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/stretches-for-knee-pain-copy-2000-0820ce94786b460f804a4a55f4a54ebb.jpg "10 Stretches to Reduce Knee Pain")
Got knee pain? You’re in good company. Unfortunately knee pain is fairly common and can affect a wide range of individuals, from advanced athletes to older individuals, says Steve Knauf, DC, vice president of chiropractic and compliance at The Joint Chiropractic in Scottsdale, Ariz.
What Causes Knee Pain?
Knee pain can come on suddenly, or develop over time and hurt for an extended period. While there are numerous causes of knee pain, Knauf lists the most common as muscle weakness, referred pain from the low back or hip, arthritis, foot issues such as flat feet, direct trauma, poor alignment, poor body posture, auto accidents, excess weight for your body type, and overuse.
If you’re dealing with knee pain, identifying the cause is crucial. “That pain can involve structures beyond your knee, and by knowing the cause, you can treat that instead of simply treating your symptoms,” Knauf says. So talk to your doctor before starting any exercise or stretching routine if you’re in significant pain in the knee area.
Once you have the all-clear, though, certain everyday stretches can help relieve knee pain. Many of these stretches actually involve the ankle and hip joints, which might sound odd at first, until you learn why. “When you have knee pain, the cause of that pain is often a byproduct of the inefficiency of another part of the body, common culprits being the ankle and hip joints,” explains Mara Kimowitz, owner of StretchSource in Boonton, N.J. When either the ankle or hip joint (the adjacent joints on either side of the knee joint) lacks a healthy range of motion, then undue pressure, torque, and work are put on the knee joint. This results in overuse, damage, and pain. But by having a healthy range of motion in both the ankle and hip joints, you can directly impact the health of the knee.
Many of the best stretches also work the areas surrounding the knees. “The key to treating knee pain is finding the balance between stretching the knee and stretching the surrounding muscles,” says Josh Feldkamp, senior performance coach at digital fitness coaching service Future.
Here, Kimowitz and Feldkamp outline 10 basic stretches you can do as part of a regular stretching routine or on an as-needed basis in order to relieve pain and strain on the knees. Because prevention is the key to staying injury free and pain free, you can (and should!) do these stretches several times every week.
Helpful Stretches for Knee Pain
Calf Stretch
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, facing a wall with hands on the wall and elbows bent. Step the right foot back until your arms are straight, but hands are still on the wall. Bend your left knee. Hold here for 15 to 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Ankle Twist With Band
Sit on the floor with your left leg extended out in front of you; keep your right leg bent and right foot flat on the floor. Place a resistance band, scarf, or belt around the ball of your left foot and hold the ends with the left hand. Gently pull your left foot to the left trying not to move or rotate the left leg. Check that the left knee still faces the ceiling as the ankle stretches. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Seated Figure 4 Stretch
Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor so your knees form 90-degree angles. Place your left foot on your right thigh. Pressing the left knee down gently with your left hand, slowly hinge forward from the waist until you feel a stretch in the outer hips. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Release and repeat on the other side.
Hip Flexor Stretch
Stand in front of a wall or sturdy table with your legs together and place a chair about one foot behind you. Using the wall for balance, place your right foot back behind you on the chair. Bend the left knee until you feel a stretch in the right hip flexor and quad. For a deeper stretch, push the chair farther away from the wall. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Release and repeat on the other side.
Reclined Hip Twist
Lie face up on the floor with your legs straight and arms by your sides, palms up. Lift your left leg up to the ceiling and slowly let it fall over and across to the right side of your body, allowing the left foot to drop to the floor (bend the left knee or keep it straight, depending on what’s comfortable). Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Release and repeat on the other side.
Standing or Lying Quad Stretch
Candra Huff/RS
Standing tall (or lying on your side), use your right arm to grab your right ankle. Use the left arm to hold on to something for balance or have it out to help support balance. Set your hips into a neutral pelvis position, which is squeezing the right glute and engaging the abdominal muscles (like someone is going to punch you in the stomach). This will cause the quadriceps and hip flexors to relax and release. This can help to alleviate knee pain on top of the knee or even below the knee. Try to hold for 30 seconds for temporary relief or upwards of two to four minutes for longer-term benefits.
Kneeling Quad Stretch
Candra Huff/RS
Start in a half-kneeling position with the right knee on the ground and left leg up in a “lunge” position. Engage the hips into a neutral pelvis position by driving the bottom of the right toes into the ground to create a base of support. Be sure that your knee is directly under your hips. Squeeze your right glute and engage the core. This neutral pelvis position allows the glutes to engage which will cause the hip flexors/quads to “turn-off” and engage in a better stretch. It’s important to engage in this position because you need both the knee flexed and hips in extension to allow the rectus femoris (only quad muscle to attach at both the hip and knee) to fully stretch. This can help to alleviate knee pain on top of the knee or below the knee. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds minimum or up to five minutes for long-term benefits. Repeat on the other side.
Couch Stretch
Candra Huff/RS
Stand in front of a couch or other elevated surface. Put your right leg up on the edge of the couch. Lower yourself down by bending the left leg in front until the right knee in back is on the floor (as close to the couch as possible). This is going to create knee flexion, which will cause the quads to stretch. Maintain a neutral pelvis position and squeeze your glutes and abs, which will fire the glutes and release the hip flexors. This stretch is more intense because you’re in a deeper knee flexion position than the kneeling quad stretch.
“The quad/hip flexor stretches are the most important knee stretches, because the more you sit, the more you’ll be in knee flexion as well as hip flexion,” Feldkamp says. “That causes stiffness in those muscles and that stiffness will pull on the tendons and therefore the knee itself.”
Standing Adductor Stretch
Candra Huff/RS
Start in a standing position. Step your feet out so that they are wider than shoulder width. Aim to have the toes pointing forward and feet flat on the ground.
Shift your weight into one of the feet by performing a lateral lunge movement. As you shift to the right, keep your left leg straight. That left leg will feel a deep stretch through the adductor muscles (groin area) which attach from the hip to the knee. This will help alleviate knee pain you may be having. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds minimum or up to five minutes for long-term benefits. Repeat on the other side.
Standing or Seated Forward Fold
Candra Huff/RS
Standing tall or seated with legs stretched out in front of you, fold the top half of your body forward toward your feet. Gently reach toward the toes, but don’t reach to the point of discomfort. We want to remain relaxed and keep the muscles relaxed, which will allow for a better stretch. This will stretch the hamstrings or backs of the thighs.
If you sit often the legs are bent most of the day and can cause tightness through the hamstrings. This stretch will help lengthen the hamstrings and reduce tension through the back of the knee. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds minimum or up to 5 minutes for long-term benefits.
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