Knee pain can affect anyone at any age and many people suffer through it. The major cause of knee pain is an injury such as torn cartilage or a ruptured ligament. Some infections like arthritis or gout are also possible reasons for knee ache.
Pain can be severe and may force you to wear braces for relief or a mandatory surgery to move normally. Even at times, you may not be able to straighten your leg or experience stiffness and swelling. Sometimes you can hear crunching noise popping out from your knee when you move.
The more effective way to reduce the pain for patients with severe pain, according to the British Medical Journal, is a supervised exercise therapy than the usual care.
Essay 123 prepared a brief look at the exercises that can help you relieve the knee pain in a simple way.
1. The Hamstring Stretch:
Lie down straight on the floor is the first step to start this exercise. Then bend your knees in such a way that soles are flat on the ground.
Make yourself comfortable in this position and lift your one leg off the ground. After lifting your leg just pull your knee towards your chest with the help of your hands behind the thigh just below your knee. You should pull the knee to feel a proper stretch that is not painful.
Keep yourself in the stretched position for 30 seconds and lower your leg. Repeat the same steps for your other leg now.
2. Leg Extension:
Sit on a chair in such a way that your back is straight and your feet are flat on the floor with hip-width apart from each other.
Look straight while contracting your thigh muscles. Slowly start raising your one leg from the floor. Make it extend as high as possible while keeping your buttock on the chair. Do not move your buttocks off the chair in any case.
Pause a bit at maximum height and then lower your leg to the initial position. Repeat the same with the other leg as well.
3. Calf Raises:
Stand in a position that both of your feet have a distance of shoulder-width. Better to position yourself next to a wall and if not hold on to something else for the support.
Once you are ready, lift both of your heels off the floor at the same time. Keep them lifting until you feel that you are standing on your feet balls. Once you felt your weight on feet balls start lowering your heel slowly.
Repeat the same steps for 10-15 minutes in one go.
4. Straight Leg Raises:
Lie on the ground in such a way that your one leg is bent and the other is straight in front of you.
Contract quadriceps of the straight leg and start it raising slowly from the ground until it is at the same height as your bent leg.
After reaching the top, stay in that position for a few seconds and then lower it down to the initial position.
Now do the same for your other leg.
5. Prone Leg Raises:
Lie down on your stomach and rest your head on arms.
Before raising your left leg, make sure to tighten your glute and hamstring muscles. Raise the leg to maximum possible height you can comfortably without having a feel of pain. Ensure your pelvic bones on the ground throughout.
Once the leg is at maximum height, hold it there as long as you feel comfortable.
Once you are done at that position lower your leg, rest for a moment, and repeat for the other leg.
6. The Half Squat:
Get yourself into a standing squat position. Make sure that the feet are shoulder-width apart. For balance keep hands on your hips or you can put them out in front.
Gradually bend the knees into half-squat while looking straight ahead. Go down around 10 inches. Pause there for 5 seconds and then stand up in such a way that your heels feel the pressure.
