Six Stretches for Knee Pain | Infinity Health Physiotherapy

Knee pain is a very common complaint. The good news is that there are a variety of tools and treatments available to ease knee pain. Whether your knee pain is the result of an injury, a medical condition or wear and tear, a combination of medications, rest, physical therapy and other treatments can help. Try these six stretches for knee pain:

Lunging Hip Flexor Stretch

When our hips are tight, we tend to overwork our quad muscles putting extra pressure on our knees.

This stretch for knee pain is an easy way to open up the hips:

Kneel on one knee.
Place the opposite foot flat in front of you, front thigh parallel to the floor.
Lean forward, stretching your hip toward the floor.
Tighten your glutes; this will allow you to stretch your hip flexor even more.
Reach up with the arm on the same side as the knee on the floor. This will help deepen the stretch.
Hold for 30 seconds, switch sides and repeat

Figure Four Stretch

Tight glutes can also cause your quads to overwork, consequently putting more pressure on your knees. Avoiding tightness in the glutes will help them engage better, taking the brunt of the work off your other muscles and alleviate pressure on the knee.

Here’s the easiest way to do this stretch for knee pain:

Lie on your back.
Cross your left foot over your right quad, and bend your right knee.
Hold the back of your right leg and gently pull it toward your chest.
When you feel a comfortable stretch, hold there.
Hold for 30 seconds, switch sides and repeat.

Standing Hamstring Stretch for knee pain

The hamstrings help support your hips and knees. Knee injuries are commonly caused by a hamstring strain, so it is important to keep your hamstrings loose and mobile.

Try this stretch to do just that:

Stand on your right foot with your left foot in front of you, heel on the floor, toes up.
Hinge forward at your hips and bend your right knee as you sit back a bit.
As you bend your right leg, keep your left leg completely straight with your weight on the edge of your heel.
You should feel this stretch in the hamstring of the straightened leg.
Hold for 30 seconds, switch sides and repeat.

Calf Stretch

Tight calves can put pressure on the knees and your feet, contributing to knee injuries and others like plantar fasciitis, which causes pain near the heel.

Here’s a simple way to stretch your calf muscles:

Stand in front of a wall with one leg straight behind you and the other in front of you, slightly bent.
Place your hands on the wall and push against it.
Keep your back leg straight, heel planted on the floor.
You should feel this in the calf of your back leg.
Hold for 30 seconds, switch sides and repeat.

Quad Stretch for knee pain

Tight quads create pressure on the kneecap and can cause pain that feels like it’s coming from behind the kneecap.

Do this stretch to relieve some of that tension:

Lie on one side.
Keep the bottom leg straight and bend the top knee so your foot is by your glute.
Hold the top foot with your hand, pulling it toward your butt.
You should feel this stretch in your quad.
Keep your hips stable so you’re not rocking back as you pull.
Hold for 30 seconds, switch sides and repeat.

Kneeling Quad Stretch

This stretch will also help loosen up the quads and take tension off the knees and hips:

Kneel on one knee with the opposite foot flat in front of you.
Grab your back foot and pull it in toward your glutes.
Hold for 30 seconds, switch sides and repeat.

These stretches can help to alleviate minor injuries and muscle tension, however, if you are experiencing ongoing persistent pain, it is best to seek medical attention. If you have any questions about any of these exercises or any other knee pain inquiry, please feel free to email us at info@infinityhealth.ky, we’d be happy to answer any questions for you.