If your knee hurts every time you walk up a flight of stairs or straighten it out, it's time to do something about it. Regular exercise is a significant step to alleviate this initial pain. This article outlines five physical therapy exercises that might help reduce knee pain. These exercises will help you strengthen the weak muscles and stretch the tight ones used to bend(flex) or straighten (extend) and help lubricate the joint. It is important to note that if you experience severe pain when doing these physical therapy exercises, kindly consult your doctor or physiotherapist at the earliest to rule out any serious injury.   

Below are the five exercises that can help reduce knee pain at home. These online physiotherapy exercises are perfect for someone looking for simple exercises to start the healing process until they can make an appointment with a physiotherapist.

Straight Leg Raises

Straight Leg Raises, or SLR, is an excellent exercise to strengthen your quadriceps while putting some stress on your hip musculature. Considering the contraindications, it is often prescribed for knee pain, after any knee surgery, or sometimes even after hip surgery. There are numerous variations to this exercise, helping you to progress gradually. All you need to remember is to keep the leg you are lifting straight from the knee throughout the exercise, maintain your breathing pattern, and stabilize your pelvis.  

Hamstring Stretch

Hamstring tightness can cause low back pain and affect the hip and the knee. Tight hamstrings are one of the most common problem areas for athletes. Adequately stretching your hamstrings will help you maintain the required range for your hip and knee, thus helping you prevent knee pain and improve your posture. You can perform hamstring stretches in various positions, including lying on your back (supine), sitting, and even standing. It is always advisable to start this exercise in your pain-free range and not overstretch. You can progress gradually. 

Static Quadriceps

Static quadriceps, also known as isometric quadriceps, are almost always prescribed to a patient with knee pain. Because it does not cause visible movement at the joint (static), it essentially works by simply contracting the quadriceps muscle. It is a great exercise to strengthen your quadriceps muscles when in extreme pain. It improves the stability of the knee joint and helps prevent further injuries. 

Quadriceps Stretch

Quadriceps tightness can have a negative effect on your knee and hip and thus on your overall posture. Tight quadriceps can impact the patella or the knee cap, causing its misalignment, thus affecting the stability of the knee joint. Quadriceps stretch is an effective stretching technique to improve range of motion, flexibility, and stability and is essential to prevent any injuries. Like the hamstring stretch, one can perform this exercise in various positions, ensuring correct posture and overpressure. 

Heel Slides

Heel slides are easy leg exercises you can do at home. They're often used to help with knee pain and injuries, but they also help increase the range of motion in your knee.

They also help to strengthen the muscles in your hips and legs. This simple exercise is usually performed while lying down on your back. You gradually slide the heel of one leg to bend the knee till tolerated and then straighten your knee again while sliding your heel down. 

Try these simple yet effective physiotherapy exercises to reduce knee pain at home.

Radian is an app that guides you through your recovery process while making sure that you adhere to your workouts to be consistent and reach your desired level of mobility. We have a library full of exercises designed to treat knee pain and are guided by experts. 

You can also consult with a top physiotherapist who helps you by creating a treatment plan using our app so that you can perform online physiotherapy exercises in Mumbai, MH, and beyond from the comfort of your home. 

If you wish to, you can also book an in-person consultation with Radian's physiotherapist and perform physiotherapy exercises in Mumbai itself in the clinic before you start doing it from your house.

Visit our website to book a consultation call now.

And be sure to book Managing Joint Pain by Radian Physiotherapy with Chris Pedra, and explore the best options for managing joint pain without trying too hard. In this session, we will get active and learn to take care of our joints through a series of mobility exercises.