As the second most common type of pain, knee pain is experienced by millions of Americans. The simple act of stretching can be helpful in various ways. One stretch is particularly powerful.
How common is knee pain?
It’s extremely important to prevent knee pain because it’s so incredibly common. In fact, it’s second only to low back pain among common pain conditions, according to the American Academy of Pain Medicine. More than a third of Americans say that they need knee pain relief, says the American Osteopathic Association. The knee can become hurt because of excessive weight or an injury, the latter sometimes arising from poor form or failure to stretch properly during exercise.
Benefits of stretching for knee pain relief
There are numerous ways in which stretching allows the body to function properly. Pain and injuries frequently occur because of poor circulation to the area that gets hurt. Stretching assists by loosening the fascia and allowing blood to flow more freely, delivering more oxygen and nutrients. In that way, it helps prevent knee pain.
Additionally, if you become injured, you can achieve knee pain relief with stretching because it improves your range of motion. “Movement helps counteract the body's freeze response to the trauma of injury,” notes FitDay. “The more flexible the body is, the more able it is to move in a full way so that it can heal.”
Prevent knee pain with this stretch
To prevent or reduce knee pain, use the knee flexion stretch. It essentially allows you to bend your knee more easily. Just be careful not to overstretch.
Get onto your stomach on the ground. Bend your knee as far as you can without experiencing pain. Once that becomes more comfortable (possibly days or weeks later), get into a chair. Again bend your knee, bringing your foot toward the back of the chair beneath it. Use the other foot to push it if that helps. The final stage of this stretch is standing and bending the knee. Holding your ankle or the leg of your pants, bring the heel to your buttocks.
A knee flexion stretch “clears space within the joint capsule itself,” explains BJ Gaddour of Men’s Health. “It also helps to unglue the tight tissues of the high calf and lower hamstring, both of which intersect behind the knee.”
Expertise for recovery
Are you suffering from knee pain? At Envista Medical, we offer many non-invasive treatments for short-term and long-term knee pain relief. Avoid knee surgery.