EXERCISES TO RELIEVE KNEE PAIN
If you’re an active older adult, you’ve probably had knee pain at one time or another. I sure have. When I was younger and did a lot of mountain climbing I used to hop from boulder to boulder coming downhill. It was extreme fun—and extremely hard on my knees. With the help of a personal trainer I was able to regain full use of my knees (Finally stopping boulder hopping helped too!)
That was years ago. Over the past decade, I’ve periodically had knee pain while jogging. I’ve usually “run through it” but this didn’t always work. Twice before triathlons I got my doc to inject cortisone in a sore knee so I could participate without pain. But this wasn’t a long-term solution. Through physical therapy I found that my knee pain was actually coming from such biomechanical problem as weak hips and glutes and weak quadriceps. Once I began strengthening these I had fewer knee problems. Also, these days I jog with slightly bent knees and land mid-foot. My running mantra is “knees down, heels up.”
I still practice some knee-pain prevention exercises, which are described below. But first here’s some professional information on knee pain by Matthew Butters, M.D. in the Mayo Clinic article Recommended Exercises for Knee Pain Depend on the Cause of the Pain:
Knee pain has numerous causes. Two of the most common are osteoarthritis and patellofemoral pain syndrome.
Osteoarthritis: This is considered “wear and tear” arthritis and is associated with aging. It occurs when the cartilage in the knee joint wears down over time. In addition to pain, the knee may feel stiff and tender. Osteoarthritis may limit the range of motion. Inactivity seems to increase pain. Mild activity usually helps, while overdoing it can cause more pain.
Considerable research has found that exercises focused on strengthening the quadriceps (front thigh muscles) and hamstrings (muscles in the back of the thigh) help reduce knee pain from osteoarthritis. Patients need to find the middle ground in exercises that help but don’t hurt. Examples of effective exercises include leg lifts and squats.
Doing exercises in the swimming pool can be beneficial, as buoyancy reduces stress on the knee. Holding on to the side of the pool and kicking your legs will exercise some of the same muscles as leg lifts and squats.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome: This is caused by abnormal tracking of the knee. The pain is concentrated at the front of the knee. The underlying cause can be overuse, an injury, loss of cartilage on the underside of the patella (chondromalacia), or osteoarthritis changes behind the knee cap. Typically, it’s aggravated by walking up and down stairs and by sitting for long periods. Strengthening the muscles along the inner thigh can help decrease pain and realign the knee. Examples include leg lifts that can be done lying on your side or back.
Regardless of the underlying cause of pain, strengthening the muscles surrounding the knee can help reduce that pain. For patients with high levels of pain, the initial focus might be isometric exercises — repetitions of muscle contractions and relaxation done without bending the knee.
Overall, walking helps strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee, as long as the knee pain isn’t causing a limp or changes in the person’s gait. In that case, walking for exercise could worsen the situation. Other, more tolerable options might include using an elliptical trainer, walking in a swimming pool or perhaps riding a stationary bicycle.
Squats are another great overall exercise — if they don’t hurt. Squats strengthen the entire leg and move the body in a way that makes it easier to do daily activities. (Think of picking up a laundry basket or bending down to talk to a small child.)
Here are excerpts from detailed descriptions of knee exercises from a February 1, 2019 AARP.org online article by Hallie Levine, The Best Exercises for Achy Backs, Knees, Hips and More [You might try YouTube to view the correct way to do the exercises.]
Straight leg raises
This move strengthens your quadriceps, the group of muscles located in front of your thighs. These types of exercises helped relieve pain among patients with knee osteoarthritis.
Try it: Lie on the floor, your elbows directly under your shoulders, one leg straight while the other is bent so your foot is flat on the floor. Tighten the thigh muscle of your straight leg and raise it six to 10 inches off of the floor. Hold for five seconds, then return to starting position. Repeat 10 times, then switch sides. Aim for three sets of 10, four to five times a week.
Half-squat
Contrary to popular belief, squats are actually great for strengthening sore, arthritic knees, Harris says. The key is doing them correctly — go too deep and you’ll cause pain.
Try it: Stand with your feet shoulder distance apart, hands in front of you. Lower your hips about 10 inches, as if you’re sitting down in a chair, with your weight in your heels. Hold for five seconds, then stand back up. Do three sets of 10, four to five times a week. As the exercise becomes easier, gradually add in hand weights, beginning with 3 pounds or 5 pounds and working your way up to 10 pounds.
Knee extension
Try it: Sit at the edge of a chair, chest high, abdominals engaged so that your belly button is toward your spine. Slowly straighten one knee, raising that leg as high as possible, your toes pointed upward. Hold for two seconds, then slowly return to the starting position. Do two sets of eight with each leg, four to five times a week.
Hopefully, this post has helped you get to “know your knees” a little better and given you some hints on relieving knee pain so you can stay active.