Stiffness in Knees? Here’s some great tips to beat knee pain

If you are experiencing stiffness in your knees, you know how difficult it is to maintain a regular exercise regime. Knee stiffness is something many of us will experience, especially those with an active lifestyle.  Athletes and fitness enthusiasts often have to contend with knee discomfort as part and parcel of their chosen sport/pastime. Because of this, it becomes essential to learn some standard knee strengthening exercises that can assist with recovery from pain and stiffness and more importantly injury prevention. A personal trainer will often recommend working on alignment and developing supporting muscles that will help protect the knee and for most of us this is the key to avoiding knee stiffness and pain especially after exercise. Of course if you are experiencing pain and stiffness in your knees you should consult a doctor before undertaking exercises to help strengthen the knee, in the event you have a knee injury exercise may exacerbate things further.

It’s also important when strengthening your knees that you don’t overcomplicate your approach. We recommend you find three basic exercises that don’t require specialist equipment and can be performed anywhere and get to work! Below are the three most effective methods of strengthening your knees which in turn will help to reduce knee stiffness after exercise.

Wall squatting

1. You should stand relaxed with your back faced against a wall or use an exercise ball balanced against a wall.
2. Next raise a leg and bend the other leg making sure that they make a 30-degree angle.
3. Hold it in the same position for thirty seconds.

The calf stretch

As the name suggest, this is more a stretch than a strengthening exercise but it is an important exercise to help prevent injury.

1. Stand up pointing your feet towards a wall and then extending the right leg in a backward position making sure that the heel is down.
2. Gradually, bend the left knee and at the same time, stretch the other leg.

Lunging exercise

This exercise is very effective in developing quadriceps, gluteal muscles and hamstring muscles.

1. Start with your legs together about a shoulder width apart.
2. Step forward using the right foot.
3. The knees are elevated at a 90-degree angle above the toes.
4. Keeping the position for 20 seconds, resume the position then do the same lunging with the other leg next.

Common knee complaints

Runners make up the greatest portion of knee related injuries. Their knees are under frequent and prolonged strain from training and performing in races. Here are some of the possible knee injuries that runners face that often end up requiring treatment to get back on track or simply just avoid injuring the knee again.

Runner’s Knee

This painful and inconvenient condition is the most common injury among runners. The correct medical term is Iliotibial Band Syndrome and is often caused by tracking and alignment issues with your actual knee caused by tight calf and hamstring muscles. Another primary cause is weak quadriceps. Strengthening exercises such as wall squats will help strengthen the quadriceps. It is also advisable to spend some time before and after each run stretching both the calves and hamstring muscles.

Meniscus Tears

The meniscus is the name for that small cartilage cushion in your knee joint that keeps your thigh bone (femur) and calf bone (tibia) from rubbing together. Obviously, this is a very important piece of tissue. Unfortunately, overuse can cause it to tear and cause pain and a clicking feeling when it moves. Tears in the meniscus don’t heal easily. Their centers are devoid of blood vessels. Because blood is restricted to the affected area, there is no way for the body to transfer nutrients for rebuilding.

The basic anatomy of a knee joint

A knee joint consists of three bones – the femur, tibia and patella. Understanding the make-up of the knee and the functions it performs, including bending, straightening, twisting and rotating, may give you a new appreciation for what we typically ask of our knees.

The two primary bones, femur (thigh bone), and the tibia (shin bone) from the knee’s hinge joint. The patella (kneecap) provides protection for the front of the joint. Other knee components include ligaments, tendons and bursae . Components work with leg muscles to manage the pressure your knee receives as you walk, run and jump. Understanding the makeup of the knee may give you a new appreciation for what we typically ask of our knees.

Ligaments
Four ligaments work together to connect the femur to the tibia. Consisting of fibrous band-like tissue, ligaments surround the knee joint. Ligaments help the joint move in most directions and provide stability. Two collateral ligaments, in the centre of the knee joint, restrict sideways motion.

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), located in the centre of the knee, connects the tibia to the femur. It also limits the tibia’s forward and rotation movement. The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) behind the ACL restricts the tibia’s backward motion.

Tendons
Made of the same material as ligaments, tendons connect muscles. Quadriceps tendons attach the quadriceps muscle, — in the front of the thigh–to the patella. The patellar tendon connects the patella to the tibia. The quadriceps and patellar tendons, along with the quadriceps muscle, straighten the leg – key when performing knee strengthening exercises, such as knee presses or straight leg raises.

Cartilage
The articular cartilage covers the ends of the tibia and femur and the underside of the patella. Two additional pads of cartilage—the lateral meniscus and medial meniscus—provides additional cushion for the knee joint. These pads absorb shock to the knees.

Bursae
Bursae refer to fluid-filled sacs that surround the knee and cushion the joint. Prepatellar bursae sit in the front of the kneecap and anserine bursae fall about two inches below the knee joint, on the inside knee. The Infrapatellar bursae are located just below the patella.

Below are a few exercises you can carry out to help strengthen your knees that will in turn help reduce knee stiffness and pain as the muscles supporting the knee play a larger role. Remember you should always seek out the advice of your personal trainer or medical professional before undertaking any specific exercises for strengthening your knees if you are already experiencing some pain.

Managing stiffness in your knees

In many cases knee strengthening wont be enough, you will also need to assess your approach to exercise and your training equipment. In order to prevent knee pain and stiffness, there are few proven methods you can try.

Buy quality running shoes

Before you start exercising at all you should invest in a pair of decent running shoes. Do not just visit a local shoe store and buy the pair that you like because they may not be appropriate for you. Find a store for athletes and ask them to measure your feet and do an actual fitting. Ask the employees to recommend some shoes for your purpose and help them find the proper support for your feet because they themselves are usually athletes and they know what to look for.

Warm up and cool down before running

Running is a great form of exercise and has many mental and physical health benefits. Do a few stretches before you begin and jog in place for a few minutes to loosen up the knee and increase your heart rate. When people bypass these types of exercises, it will put even more tension on your knees and often result in problems over a longer period.  Warm up and cool down exercises along with strengthening exercises are vital because they help your body stretch and prepare for running.

Exercise to Increase Knee Strength

Knee strengthening exercises are important because they keep your body balanced and help prevent knee pain. You should strengthen the entire lower body and train the thighs and shins in order to keep the knee strong. Knee stiffness usually occurs when the body is strained for example if you attempt to do too much before you are ready. Gradually increase your mileage and create a steady routine.

Use Ice Packs

Ice packs will help you recover faster, alleviate knee pain, and reduce swelling.

Summary

While the methods outlined above are proven to help with some knee conditions, such as knee pain and stiffness we recommend getting an opinion from a professional if you experience a moderate degree of pain performing any of the exercises mentioned above. In most cases knee stiffness can be prevented by strengthening the supporting muscles but it’s important to speak to your GP if you suspect an injury that is limiting your ability to live an active lifestyle.