Knee pain is a common problem that can often be frustrating and uncomfortable. It has a constant way of reminding those that suffer with it—experience pain at certain times of the day. For most people, it is the first experience they feel as they wake up which is very unpleasant. Doing daily tasks like walking a certain distance, going up the stairs, hopping in and out of the car, bending your knees to pick up an item can be cumbersome because of the pain.
Some people with knee pain may respond to what may sound like a practical solution…try to move the painful knee as little as possible, to prevent more pain and aggravation. That sounds sensible, but in reality it does more harm than good. When you limit your knee movement, it is the result that you are less mobile. Along with that, you are less flexible, and you are weaker in the muscles around that joint. And if one keeps at it, there will be greater risk of them getting hurt and other problems in the future.
When it is time for you to rest your knee, it is important to keep it mobile and increase the strength of the muscles that surround the knee. There are 3 muscles that are important: quadriceps, hamstrings, and gastro. If you strengthen the muscles of your knee joint, you can ensure that the knee joint is supported and stable. That’s one of the main things that you should do to overcome the pain in your knees.
With that in mind, here are easy exercises that you can perform to help treat and reduce knee pain:
1. Straight Leg Raises
Start with an exercise that helps strengthen your quadriceps muscle. This move requires no stress on your knee, and you will need to perform it lying down.
Raise one of your leg straight in the air until the knee of your opposite leg that is planted on the floor is at the same height as the other knee. Be sure this leg does not bend. Repeat these 10-15 times for 3 sets on each leg.
2. Hamstring Curls
Your calves, or your back extensors are the muscles lying on the back of your thighs. Lie as flat as you can, and slowly bring your heels, your feet as close to your butt as you can. Hold for 15 seconds each; three sets of 15s. You can also do this while standing, holding onto a chair, and lifting one leg at a time and bringing your legs as close as possible to your butt. You can make this a bit challenging by adding ankle weights and slowly increasing the weight.
3. Prone Straight Leg Raises
Lie on your stomach with one leg straight, tighten the muscles there, lift toward the sky while holding for several seconds. Lower the leg, switch sides and repeat 10-20 times. You can add weights to your ankles if you want a bit of a challenging but if you experience back pain, lower the resistance.
4. Wall Squats
Another exercise, although a bit more challenging is doing wall squats.
With both feet touching the ground, stand your back firmly against a wall. Slowly bend your knees as you lean against the wall. Hold your position for 7-10 seconds. Once you feel a sense of pressure or discomfort in the knees, ease your position. You can keep repeating this exercise and try holding the position for a few seconds longer next time.
Conclusion
By doing these 4 easy exercises, you will gradually improve your strength, your flexibility, and balance.
As a result, these will help alleviate any knee pain that you’re experiencing, boost your overall physical function, and reduce your risk for future problems. However, if your knee pain persists after committing to these exercises, your next step should be to see a physical therapist.
We know how hard it can be to find a physiotherapist in Abbotsford that understands you and your goals. The skilled team at Prestige Physiotherapy and Sports Medicine is a trusted Abbotsford Physiotherapy clinic committed to making sure you get the best treatment and results so that you can get back to doing what you love.
