7 Exercises for Knee Pain You Can do at Home with NO Equipment
Your knee is one of the largest and most complex joints in your body. Knee pain is one of the most common reasons for people seeking physiotherapy treatment.
If you are experiencing knee pain, one of the best ways to manage and reduce your pain is through exercise! Time and time again, exercise has been shown to be the most effective first line of treatment for most knee pain.
By doing stretches that improve your range of motion and strengthening exercises to build up the stability of your knee, you can have your knees feeling better than they have in years!
It is important to include both flexibility stretches and strengthening exercises as they go hand in hand. While strengthening exercises allow your knee to withstand the forces of everyday life, the muscles may get tight which may increase your chance of injury. This is where the flexibility exercises come in. By performing stretching exercises for your knee, you will reduce this risk while at the same time reducing muscle soreness.
Before starting any training program for your knee pain, it is crucial to consult with a registered physiotherapist. In an assessment, your physiotherapist will help you figure out what the cause of your knee pain is. From there, your physiotherapist will develop a customized treatment plan to meet your needs and get you back to the things you love pain-free.
With that being said here are 7 exercises for your knee pain that you can do at home with NO equipment.
Strengthening Exercise
Knee Flexion
This exercise is for your hamstrings, a group of muscles on the back of your thigh. Your hamstrings play a huge role in supporting the ligaments of your knee.
To perform this exercise, stand next to a chair or a counter you can use for hand support. Then while standing on your uninjured leg, bring your heel up to your bum bending at your knee.
Slowly lower to the starting position and repeat.Recommend reps: 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.
Knee Extension in Sitting
Knee extension (straightening your knee) is one of the best exercises for knee pain. It is one of the most prescribed exercises after injury or surgery. It helps strengthen your quadriceps muscles on the front of your thighs.
To perform this exercise, sit in a chair or at the edge of your bed with your knee bent to about 90 degrees.
Then extend your affected leg as far as you can without pain and hold for 3 seconds.
Slowly lower to the starting position and repeat
Recommended reps: 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps.
Calf Raises
Just like the muscles of the thigh, muscles of your calves provide lots of support to your knee and strengthening them can alleviate knee pain. Calf raises strengthen the muscles on the back your calves known as your gastrocnemius and soleus muscles.
To perform this exercise, stand near a counter, chair, or wall which you can use for balance.
Then stand up on your tip toes hold for 3 seconds and slowly return to the starting position
The key here is to make sure you are putting equal weight on both legs if possible. This way you can make sure your side with knee pain is getting a good workout.
Recommend reps: 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.
Toe Raises
This exercise is to strengthen the muscles on the front of your calf, the main one being your Tibilalis Anterior. Strengthening this often-neglected muscle can be a gamechanger when it comes to reducing your knee pain.
To perform this exercise, you can stay in the same position as the calf raises or you can be seated.
Instead of going on your tip toes, lift your toes off the ground while keeping your weight on your heels. Hold for 3 seconds then return to the starting position
Recommend reps: 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.
Stretches
Quadriceps stretch
This stretch targets the quadriceps on the front of your thigh.
To do this stretch stand tall with one hand against a wall and grab your affected foot with your other hand.
Then pull your heel towards your buttock. You should feel a stretch on the front of your thigh.
Recommend reps: 2 sets of 30 second holds daily.
Hamstring stretch
This stretch targets your hamstrings on the back of your thigh.
To do this stretch lay on your back and using your hands pull your affected leg upwards until you feel a stretch at the back of your leg. Straightening your knee will increase the stretch.
Try to keep your other leg flat on the floor
Recommend reps: 2 sets of 30 second holds daily
Calf stretch
This stretch targets your gastrocnemius muscles on the back of your calf.
To do this stretch stand facing a wall with your unaffected leg forward and your affected leg back
Then while keeping your back leg straight and heel on the ground, lean forward bending on your front knee.
You should feel a comfortable stretch in your calf and heel area
Recommend reps: 2 sets of 30 second holds
Things to Consider…
If you are experiencing knee pain, these 7 exercises may help relieve the regular strain placed on your knee. With less stress, you can reduce your knee pain and avoid the risk of future injury. However, these exercises and guidelines are only recommendations and may not be the best exercises for you and your specific knee pain.
While performing these exercises, make sure to monitor your knee pain. If it is increasing significantly or becomes “sharp” when it’s usually an ache, reduce the number of reps you are completing or stop the exercise altogether. While a little bit of pain is to be expected, these exercises should not be making your knee pain worse.
If you would like a treatment program to target your specific knee pain with exercises and reps hand-picked for you, make sure a book an assessment with a registered physiotherapist at PhysioPlus Health Group today!
Suffering from Knee pain but wanting to stay active? Secure your spot in our GLAD Program today!
This blog was written by Luke Gregg, a Physiotherapy student at the University of Toronto