More than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, and knee pain is the second most popular form of chronic pain experienced by individuals. Nearly one-third of Americans are expected to experience pain in their knee at some point in their lives (1).
Knee pain is defined as pain that occurs as a result of tears in the cartilage or ligaments of your knee, and this pain is problematic for affected individuals because it restricts movement, eliminates strength, and prohibits muscle control. The symptoms that occur as a result of pain in your knee differ according to the severity of the accident that caused the pain.
Pain in your knee is classified as pain that happens to individuals who place too much weight onto the joint of their knee, and it can occur during various activities, including sports, auto accidents, traumatic events, or from falling.
Although this pain can be alleviated through physical therapy, the cost and inconvenience of accessing such treatment can be prohibitive for many. For those who find physical therapy out of reach, there are various other ways to relieve knee pain naturally. However, in some cases, when natural remedies and therapies aren’t sufficient, partial knee replacement surgery might be considered as an effective option for long-term relief.
15 Exercises that Relieve Knee Pain Naturally
1. Straight-leg Raises
This exercise is great for pain in your knee because it puts no strain on your joint. Straight-leg raises work the quadricep muscles in your legs, which are the muscles located in the front portion of your thigh.
How To
- Lay on your back on a flat surface
- Keep one leg straight and the other bent with its foot on the ground
- Raise and lower the straight leg to the height of the bent knee
- Repeat this process 15 times for 3 sets
2. Hamstring Curls
Hamstring muscles are located on the back of your thighs, and they’re the muscle associated with running fast. Working hamstrings can relieve knee pain because it brings tension to another part of your body. (2).
How To
- Lay flat on your stomach on a flat surface
- Slowly bring your heels to your butt and hold for 3 seconds
- Extend your legs back out and repeat this process 15 times for 3 sets
3. Wall Squats
Wall squats relieve knee pains because they strengthen your hamstrings in addition to your quadriceps, which both have the ability to support your knee joint and prevent pain from occurring.
How To
- Stand up straight with your back against a wall
- Slowly bend your knees into a squatting position with your back pressed against the wall
- Hold this position for a few seconds and then rest and repeat
4. Calf Raises
Calf raises have the ability to relieve knee pain because they work your calf muscles without putting a strain on your knees.
How To
- Stand straight up while holding onto a sturdy object for balancing stability
- Slowly raise and lower your heels
- Repeat this process 15 times for 3 sets
5. Step-Ups
Step-ups not only strengthen the muscles that support your knee joint, but they also strengthen your back muscles, lowering your risk of back pain (3).
How To
- Place one foot flat on a bench or platform
- Step your other foot onto the platform, joining the other one and then being the opposing foot back onto the ground
- Repeat this process 15 times for 4 or 5 sets
6. Side Leg Raises
Side leg raises provide many benefits for your knees because they can be done while laying down, and they don’t put any strain on your knees.
How To
- Lay on one side of your body with your legs stacked on top of each other
- Straighten the top leg and bend the bottom one behind you for stability
- Raise and lower the top leg
- Repeat this process 20 times and then switch sides and repeat
7. Leg Presses
Leg presses relieve knee pains by strengthening the joint muscles to be able to withstand more weight.
How To
- Lay down in a leg press machine and adjust the back support to fit your back
- Slowly push the plate away from you by straightening your legs
- Bend your knees back down after straightening them
- Repeat this process 15 times for 3 sets
8. Swimming
Swimming is classified as a low-impact activity and is great for relieving knee pain because it causes minimal impact on your bones. Some examples of swimming exercises that relieve knee pain are water aerobics and jogging in water (4).
9. Wall Hamstring Stretch
Stretching your hamstring muscles has the ability to alleviate your knee pains (5) because your hamstrings help your knee joint be able to withstand more weight.
How To
- Lay down on your back and prop your leg up on a wall
- Bring your leg closer towards your chest and feel the stretch down the back of your leg
- Bounce your leg closer to your chest repeatedly
- Hold each leg for 10 seconds and repeat for 5 rounds
10. Half Squats
Half squats are known for their ability to relieve knee pain because they work your knee muscles without straining them.
How To
- Stand with feet should-width apart and arms in front of you
- Band knees half-way and keep your back straight
- Hold the position for 5 seconds and then straighten your legs back up
- Repeat 15 times for 3 sets
11. One-leg Dip
One-leg dip exercise strengthens all of the muscles in your thighs and your buttocks, which provides great support for your knee joint (6).
How To
- Stand with feet should-width apart
- While you bend one leg half-way, raise the other and keep it straightened
- Hold the position for 5 seconds and then repeat for 10 sets
12. Leg Stretches
Leg stretches are beneficial for your knee pains because they strengthen your quadricep muscles, which is a supporting muscle of the knee joint.
How To
- Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you and your arms at your sides
- Slowly bend one knee until the muscle is stretched
- Hold the position for 5 seconds and extend your leg back out
- Repeat this process by alternating legs for 20 times each leg
13. Walking
Walking is a low-impact activity that has the ability to eliminate knee pains because it strengthens both your muscles and your bones. Because of this, walking can strengthen the muscles around your knee joint as well as the bones located in your knee joint. For effective results, gradually increase the pace and distance of your walking exercise.
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14. Calf Stretch
Calf stretches are beneficial for pain in your knee because when your calves are tight, they put pressure on the back of your knees. And this pressure can contribute to and even worsen knee pains. So stretching your calves can not only relieve knee pain, but it can also prevent it from occuring in the future.
How To
- Stand with your body facing the wall and with one leg in front of the other
- Push your hands against the wall, bending the leg that’s in front of you, while keeping the back one straight
- Bend the front leg until the calf on the back leg is stretched and hold this position for 5 seconds
- Switch legs and repeat the process over
15. Quad Stretch
Quadricep stretches are beneficial in relieving pain in your knee because when your quads are tight, then that creates tension on your knee caps and contributes to knee pain. To relieve the knee pain and remove the tension on your kneecap, stretch out the quadricep muscle.
How To
- Lay on one side of your body and keep your bottom leg extended straight out
- Bend the top leg’s knee so that your heel is close to touching your buttocks
- Keep your hips stable and hold this position for 5 seconds
- Switch sides and repeat this process on each leg alternatively for 10 reps
Overall, knee pains can be caused by various instances and are popularly treated with physical therapy or pain medications. But these exercises are commonly included in physical therapy that you pay for in treatment centers, and they’re free for you to do anywhere at any time.
Ultimately, you should engage in natural exercises to relieve knee pains because it not only strengthens your knee joint, but it also prevents the pain from occurring in the future.
To further avoid future knee pain, engaging in these exercises every day can be beneficial in addition to warming up before you exercise. Additionally, you should avoid any high-impact activities, such as running, jumping, or plyometrics. Warming up your body can help prepare it for the workout and may even boost your results in relieving your knee pain (6).
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