Knees can be painful due to a number of reasons and may ache following either a twisting injury, a flare up of osteoarthritis, a period of inactivity or perhaps due to an activity of repetitive overuse.
If you have been left feeling concerned that the worsening ache in your knees has been acting more like a weather gauge predicting the recent spells of bad weather and you feel that it’s time to get ready for pain free walking in the Spring sunshine then read on!
Here at Altrincham Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic, we’ve put together a few video clips to try and help ease symptoms and strengthen your main muscle groups which are important for weight-bearing and function in your lower limbs. Even if your knees are pain-free, it’s worth working on balance, strengthening, and control to keep you strong, active, and symptom-free.
The videos include a combination of mobilising exercises and strengthening exercises and have been designed to be bitesize in nature to integrate into busy lives.
The knee mobilising exercises can help increase the circulation within the knee joint which can ease swelling after a recent injury or if it has been swollen as a result of osteoarthritis. Strengthening the muscles around the knee joint can help to support the joint and reduce the stress on the joint itself and in turn reduce pain. Strengthening both the glutes (which help stabilise the pelvis) and the quadriceps (which stabilise the knee and control the kneecap or patella) can help to keep aches and pains at bay and maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.
This series of exercises progress from non-weightbearing or seated exercises through to weightbearing either on both legs or one leg. Working on both the strength, control and flexibility of the knee which in turn helps reduce pain and stiffness.
Access our videos to help your knees
We’ve put together three knee-specific videos to help improve knee pain, as well as a hip strengthening video clip that can also assist in reducing pain at the front of your knee; which is also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome. If your knee requires more support for your current levels of activity, then have a look at our guide on how to tape your own knee for comfort as appropriate.
