Knee pain is a common symptom we see at Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine. Pain can make things like walking, climbing stairs, and squatting difficult and painful. We often see patients with knee pain right on the front of the knee around the kneecap, but it can also be along the joint and sometimes on the tendons.
If your knee starts hurting because of sudden injury, you really need to get it assessed by a professional. An experienced physical therapist can evaluate a traumatic knee injury and let you know if it can be managed conservatively, or if you should see a doctor. Most of the time though, knee pain occurs as a result of an underlying muscle weakness or joint tightness. Here are 2 easy exercises you can do to address these issues and help resolve and prevent running pain and injuries.
Foam Rolling
This a great way to loosen up tight quads. Tight quads can cause compression and pain at the front of the knee when walking or climbing stairs. Roll back and forth over the affected area for 1-2 minutes. Use your arms a bit to take some of the pressure off your thigh if it is too sore.
Squats
Squats get a bad rap because sometimes squatting causes knee pain. Often this occurs when it’s done incorrectly though. They key is to maintain a balance of hip and knee muscle usage. Doing it after foam rolling first can help as well. When done correctly, squats can be a great exercise to develop quad and hip strength as well as resolve knee pain. You don’t need to go as low as the man in the video right away. If you feel a bit of mild discomfort at the front of the knee, that’s ok. Just don’t try to go lower until you get more strength and it gets easier. Start with 2 sets of 10 reps and hold for 5 seconds at the bottom. Do these 2-3 days a week. Try to work up to 3 sets of 10.
The exercises above are good ways to start you down the pain free path. However, if you’ve tried these and you’re still hurting, we’d love to help you! At Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine, we’re experts at evaluating knee pain and will develop a plan to help you overcome it.
Call our office at 703-299-3111, or click here and a member of our team will schedule you an evaluation with one of our highly skilled physical therapists.
Working to keep you living your best life,
The Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Team
