Knee pain can have a big impact on your everyday life. It is a common complaint people see us for at Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine in Alexandria and Springfield, VA.
We often hear that it hurts under the knee cap and sometimes right on the knee joint line. Going up and down stairs, walking, and running can be difficult and painful. Understanding the cause of your knee pain is the key to knee pain relief.
Knee pain is often caused by weakness of your hip and quad muscles. As the quads get weak, they get tight as well. Both of these contribute to your knee pain.
Here are 3 easy exercises you can do to improve your strength and flexibility and get knee pain relief.
Pretzel Stretch
This a great stretch for tight quads. Tight quads can cause compression and pain at the front of the knee when walking, running, going up and down stairs and even sitting in a car.
Hold for 30 secs and do 3 times. Do this twice a day if you’re having knee pain.
Squats
You might think squats are bad for your knees. They are actually a great way to build strength in the hip and thigh muscles when done correctly. Getting that strength back is a key to knee pain relief.
Start by pushing your butt back as you lower down. Keep your weight over the center of your foot and your butt behind your feet. If your butt drifts over your feet, you won’t get the work at your hips and it will put overstress your knees.
Your knees should not collapse in either. As you can see in the video, your knees should stay lined up with the center of your foot.
Start with 2 sets of 10 reps and hold for 5 seconds at the bottom. Do these every other day. Try to work up to 3 sets of 15 reps before adding any weight. You should feel this mainly in your butt and thighs.
Side Step Down
The goal of this exercise is to control the position of your hips and your knee. Your hips and pelvis should stay parallel to each other.
The knee of your foot that is on the step should stay lined up with the middle of that same foot. Start by using a lower step or a curb and progress to a higher step as it gets easier.
Start with 2 sets of 10 every other day. As it gets easier, increase the number of reps and then the height of the step. You should feel it working in the front of your thigh and in the side of your butt.
None of the exercises above should make you hurt more.
If you’ve tried these and you’re still hurting, we can help you!
At Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine, our physical therapists in Alexandria and Springfield, VA are experts at treating knee pain and will develop a plan to help you stop it.
Call us at 703-299-3111, or click here to request and appointment.
A member of our team will schedule you an appointment with one of our expert physical therapists.
What happens if you don’t have a plan for knee pain relief?
- You stop exercising because your knee hurts
- You avoid playing with your kids because you’re afraid of hurting your knee
- You get out of shape and are more likely to get other diseases and injuries
But WITH a plan for knee pain relief you can live the life you want again.
The exercises above are a great way to get started. They don’t require a lot of time and are pretty easy to do correctly.
But if you want an expert to listen to your unique problems and guide you to success, a Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine physical therapist will create a plan specifically for you.
You’ll feel confident that you have the knowledge and ability to get knee pain relief and do all the things you want.
Call us at 703-299-3111, or click here to schedule your appointment and start your path to healing.
Working to keep you living your best life,
The Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Team
