If you suffer from knee pain and/or stiffness then you can try these stretches that I often give to patients at The Physiotherapy Place with that complaint. These stretches can often be enough to mobilise the knee, reduce pressure on the joint and give you relief from pain.
Knee Stretch 1
Sitting on a chair or bench with your legs dangling down, pull the right foot upwards and straighten the leg fully out in front. Then relax the knee and bend it as far as you can (to the point of resistance but not pain). Repeat these movements 20 times each direction. Both legs can be exercised at the same time by alternating the movement i.e. as one straightens, the other bends etc.
Stretch 2
Stand facing a wall with your left big toe and knee touching the wall. Now slide your right heel back as far as you can, keeping the foot pointing forward and the heel on the ground. You should feel a good stretch in your calf and up to the back of the knee. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other leg. Perform this stretch 3 times on each side.
Stretch 3
If recovery from your knee pain still isn't progressing as you hoped it would then it could be because there is stress being placed on the knee from an adjacent part of the body.
This can commonly happen from having tight hip muscles, in particular the gluteal muscles at the back of the hip. The gluteal muscles connect to the IT band that travels down to the outside of the knee, so if this is tighter then it can put adverse force on the knee which leads to damage and pain. I always check the hip when anyone comes to the clinic with knee pain and more often than not it needs treatment too.
A good way to stretch the hip muscles is to lie on your back holding the knee and ankle of one leg in your hands. Pull the knee up to your stomach and over towards your opposite shoulder until you feel a stretch in the buttock. Hold this for 30 seconds and repeat with other side.
How Often Should I Stretch My Knee?
Ideally these stretches should be performed several times per day whilst your symptoms persist. If you are consistently doing these stretches for 2 weeks and there is no change in your knee pain then there is likely an underlying issue that needs to be addressed in order for the pain to settle. An assessment and treatment from a physio should be sought so that the best course of action can be taken. Once your knee pain has resolved, these same stretches performed once per day will be beneficial to maintain healthy knees and prevent recurrence of your symptoms.
If you want to find out more about how we can help you here at The Physiotherapy Place, arrange a time that one of our physio's can give you a call here or book an appointment here.
FREE Physio E-Book - 8 Top Tips for Knee Pain
Injuries to the knee are common and varied. It is an area that is often damaged in sports, as well as being prone to chronic pain and stiffness due to the stress placed upon it. Some who seek help from their GP will be prescribed rest and painkillers, but most of the time this alone will not solve the problem.
Here, you'll find our top 8 tips on reducing knee pain and keeping the structures in your knee strong and healthy.