6 Best Exercises for Arthritis in knee Pain Relief

For osteoarthritis (OA) knee pain, exercises are the most important treatment. But performing just any exercises won’t be of much help. You need to do the right exercises for arthritis in the knee in the right manner that actually works.

Knee osteoarthritis is very common among adults, where your walking, and stair climbing becomes painful. In this article, we will discuss very simple yet very effective home exercises for osteoarthritis knee pain.

Exercises for arthritis in knee

I have been working with different arthritis for the last 12 years and have found that OA knee is the most common cause of any given knee joint pain. Though exercises are beneficial I would also recommend the arthritis sufferer to get physical therapy treatment of OA knee where you can expect modalities like TENS, SWD and others.

After years of experience, I have shortlisted the most effective exercises that are bound to give you the result. Further, if you need more in-depth information on exercises, other effective exercises, and lifestyle modification, you may buy my book on amazon “Combat Knee Pain Naturally: Improve Knee function to conquer pain“.

Arthritis knee pain commonly affects the elderly and they complain of pain inside the joint. However, if you have pain just below the knee cap then it could be due to patellar tendinitis and its management is quite different. something else. So, without delay let us start our exercise and please read the article till the end because we have some tips at the end. 

1) Static quadriceps exercises

1. Put a pillow (or bed sheet roll/towel roll) below the knee.
2. Press the pillow and hold it in the pressed position for 5 seconds (count 5) and then release it.
3. Repeat this exercise for a minimum of 30 times in a single session.
4. As pain reduces, it can be repeated as many times as tolerated.

2) Straight leg raise

1. Begin with lying straight on your back.
2. Now, slowly lift your leg keeping the knee straight.
3. Lift it to not more than 30 degrees of angle for the maximum benefit.
4. Hold it for 5 seconds and then lower it down slowly
5. Repeat it for a minimum of 10 times in a single session.

3) Pillow press for adductors exercise

1. Lie down flat on your back keeping the knee in the bend position.
2. Keep a firm pillow between the thighs. Pillow should be thick enough to allow press.
3. Press the pillow between the thighs and hold it for 5 seconds and then release it slowly.
4. Repeat this for a minimum of 30 to 40 times in a single session.

4) Straight leg raise on side-lying

4th exercise for arthritis in the knee is straight raise in side-lying. Its starting position is different from normal straight leg raise.

1. Lie down on your side (left or right).
2. As a rule of thumb, keep the exercising knee on top.
3. The knee which lies below is bend to 90 degrees.
4. For example, if you have to perform the exercise on the right knee, lie down on your left side. Keep the left knee slightly bent.
5. Now, slowly raise the right leg to not more than 30 degrees of angle.
6. Hold it for 5 seconds and lower it down slowly.
7. Repeat it for a minimum of 10 times in a single repetition.

5) Knee flexor strengthening exercise

1. Start it by Lying down straight on your tummy.
2. Slowly bend the knee to not more than 30 degrees of angle.
3. Hold it for 5 seconds and then lower it down slowly.
4. Repeat it for a minimum of 30 times in a single session.

6) Standing on toes

The final exercise on our list of exercises for arthritis knee is standing on toes.

1. Stand taking the support of a table or anything as shown in the figure.
2. You can also do these exercises without taking the support of anything if your pain and strength allow you.
3. Now, slowly raise yourself and stand on your toes and lower down slowly.
4. Repeat it a minimum of 20 times in a single session.

Final tips

To progress the knee pain exercise to the next level you need to add weights to increase the resistance of the exercise. This can be easily done by using a weight cuff or by using therabands. Although, using therabands could be a little tricky.

However, occasionally your knee pain may flare up after the exercises. The best way to manage such kind of pain is the application of heat via an infrared lamp. These lamps are easy to use and it is very effective too. You may also consider using a TENS unit which can give you almost instant relief.

You can find in-depth information on all the exercises in my book “Combat Knee Pain Naturally: Improve Knee function to conquer pain“. Also many other less known exercises and home tips. Get your copy now!

But, you make your own DIY weight cuff at home. Simply take a 1 kg packet of table salt and use a towel/bed sheet to wrap it around the lower leg and it will act like a 1 kg weight cuff. 

Keep Reading: OA knee: physio & exercise less prescribed over painkiller|study

Sunit. S. Ekka

Dr Sunit Sanjay Ekka is a physiotherapist in practice for the last 15 years. He has done his BPT from one of the premium Central Government physiotherapy colleges, ie, SVNIRTAR. The patient is his best teacher and whatever he gets to learn he loves to share it on his Youtube channel and blog.