The causes of knee pain can be varied. They are caused, for example, by injuries during sports, accidents or signs of wear and tear, such as osteoarthritis. Sometimes, however, anatomical malpositions, such as knock knees or bow legs, also promote pain in the knee.
The muscles surrounding the knee are often too weak to support the body weight. Modern people hardly move and spend most of their time in front of the computer, which can lead to shortening of the calf and hip flexor. Those who stand too much, i.e. are exposed to physical work, are more likely to suffer from shortening of the thigh muscles. In addition to weak muscles, adhesions and shortening of the muscles are often the cause of knee pain. Bending, climbing stairs, walking – all these activities make themselves felt in the knee. With a regular workout, the muscles surrounding the knee can be strengthened and knee pain can be effectively relieved.
Stretching the calf against knee pain
Place the heel of your right leg in front of you so that the tips of your toes are pointing up. Now lean forward with your body towards your outstretched right leg.
Keep the cervical spine straight while your gaze is directed towards the floor. The back leg can be bent quietly. To keep your balance, you can support yourself with your hands on your thighs. Position the weight more forward to feel a stretch. Hold this position for a few seconds and straighten back up to perform the stretch with the other leg.
Stretch the front of the thighs
Reach your right hand to your right ankle and bring your leg back so that your heel touches your buttocks.
If you cannot keep your balance at first, you can support yourself with your free arm against a wall or the back of a chair. Make sure that your pelvis remains straight and that you do not go too much into a hollow back. The more upright the posture, the better. Hold the stretch for a few seconds and move to the other leg to stretch the front of the thigh as well.
Strengthen the outer side of the thigh
Now you need to strengthen the lateral thigh muscles. Lie on the floor and try to keep your body straight sideways. Feel free to support yourself with your arms or hands on the floor to keep your balance. If you feel stable in this posture, you can now lift your top leg upward to stretch the outside of your thigh.
Raise and lower the leg several times in succession to exercise the muscles. Perform the up and down movement rather slowly to achieve an effective stretch. Then switch to the other side and perform the exercise completely here as well.
Strengthen the inside of the knee
The goal of the next exercise is to strengthen the inner thigh to strengthen the knee. To do this, sit upright on a chair and place your legs hip-width apart. Bring your palms inward to your knees and push them outward while pressing your legs slightly against them, still inward. Hold this stretch for about 10 seconds and release your hands. Repeat this exercise about 6-7 times.
Strengthen front of the thigh
Now slide your buttocks up to the edge of the chair and keep your legs open at hip width. Now lift the right leg up and hold this position for a few seconds. Lower your leg and switch to the left leg. Make sure here that your upper body remains straight. Repeat this sequence about 8 times to effectively strengthen the front of the thighs.
Doing these exercises regularly will effectively strengthen the muscles surrounding your knees. A strong musculature causes a stabilization of your knees and helps to release shortenings as well as adhesions. This can relieve pain and movements such as bending or stretching feel smooth again.