3 Easy Exercises for Knee Pain

 

3 Easy Exercises for Knee Pain

Despite the amazing results we see treating knee pain with therapies like acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy and physiotherapy, the best medicine for this issue might actually be exercise. Of course, the right exercise for you really should be determined by a professional practicing one of these disciplines, and you should get the right guidance on how to do the exercise. But in the meantime, have a read about these exercises and get ready to talk about them with your regulated health care professional in your next visit.

1. Squats. Done properly, squats can help align the muscles in your lower body to be strong in the right places and also relaxed where you need it the most as well. If you're suffering from knee pain, you may want to try doing a partial squat, i.e. going down only about 45 degrees instead of any lower. Click here to watch our video on doing "The Perfect Squat."

2. Quadriceps Setting. Commonly an exercise for people who've just had hip replacement surgery, this exercise is also great for helping with knee pain. It should be avoided, however, if your health care professional determines that your pain is coming from your quadriceps muscles pulling on your patella (knee cap), so be sure to check with them before trying it on your own. Click here to watch the video, skipping ahead in the video to 2:40 (as the video focuses on preventing hip pain).

3. Hamstring Stretch. Best done with a towel or a yoga strap, stretching your hamstrings should be done with care as doing the stretch incorrectly can cause you unnecessary injury and pain. Thankfully, however, done properly hamstring stretches can help relieve knee pain, especially where tight hamstrings might be the cause of your complaint. Click here and skip ahead to 3:57 (the video focuses on various exercises to help with lower back pain).

You may also want to try orthotics, which can often help immensely with knee pain if your gait is off balance. See a chiropractor or osteopath at Yellow Gazebo to determine if orthotics might be right for you.

And while you're doing exercise to help deal with knee pain, avoid other exercises that might aggravate the pain. These exercises include deep squats, leg extensions, and lunges. Your qualified therapist will also offer other advice on how to prevent knee pain.

By Richard Lobbenberg, RAc RTCMP