Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Health Statistics shows that knee pain accounts for 19.5 percent of cases of chronic pain in adults age 18 and older. Looking ahead, a quarter of adults age 65 and older report having felt bothersome knee pain in the last month, according to a study published in the aptly named journal Pain.
Why so common? Because a vast array of musculoskeletal issues can trigger it, says Jacque Crockford, an exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise. “Osteoarthritis, tendon and ligament damage, overuse injuries, obesity and muscular imbalances can all be factors in knee pain,” she says.
But, if and when knees hurt, the knee-jerk reaction of skipping exercise doesn’t tend to make things much better. (Of course, there is a benefit to resting when recovering from acute injuries, but eventually you’ll want to get back into the gym. That’s where evaluation from a physical therapist or sports medicine doctor can come in handy for knee pain relief.)
“When a car sits for a period of time without the engine being run and wheels turning, the gears begin to rust and firing up the motor becomes more difficult with time,” Crockford says. “The body works in much the same way: When movement slows down or stops, so does the ease of movement. The joints are not being well lubricated for movement, and connective tissue is less functional. There is always an inherent risk to physical activity, but the risk that one takes when remaining physically inactive is much greater.”
What’s more, Baltimore-based strength and conditioning specialist Erica Suter notes that strengthening the muscles that surround and connect to the knee can dramatically help take excess pressure off of the knee joint and therefore provide knee pain relief. One University of Pittsburgh review shows that exercise, especially strength-training exercise, significantly reduces knee pain even in cases of osteoarthritis.
Here, experts share lower-body exercises that commonly give knee-pain sufferers trouble but, when performed with a few little tweaks, can ease pain during both your workout and the rest of your day. If you experience pain during these or any other exercises, consider talking to a physical therapist to find the best solutions for you.