Yoga for Arthritic Knees: Exercises & Poses for Knee Pain Relief

Exercising is neither easy nor recommended when you have acute or chronic knee pain. But your doctor will certainly advise you to keep your joints moving. This way you can prevent aggravating the pain and delay disability. Yoga can be a good way to keep your knee active. It improves flexibility, strength, and balance, which, in turn, improves your overall knee health.

In this article, we will discuss various exercises for knees and look at different poses in yoga for arthritic knees. Read on to find out how to alleviate knee pain with the power of yoga.

How Does Yoga Help Manage Knee Pain?

Yoga involves stretching your muscles and ligaments around your knees gently. This helps reduce stiffness and enhance the range of motion.
Yoga helps realign the body in a way that removes extra stress from the knees, reducing o
verstraining and the risk of injury.
Targetted yoga can help strengthen and stabilize your quadriceps and hamstrings.
Most importantly, yoga encourages a better connection between the mind and the body. Practicing mindfulness will help you understand your body, its requirements and limits better and hence, help avoid exertion.

What Kind Of Yoga Poses Should You Do?

If alleviating knee pain is your primary concern, here are a few yoga asanas for knee joint pain that you can ease your way into.

Balasana or The Child’s Pose: Get on your knees and lower your back towards the heels as you stretch your arms forward. Rest your forehead on the mat and hold for a few breaths. This pose stretches your knees, hips, and thighs gently.

Virabhadrasana II or The Warrior Pose II: Lunge and extend your arms out on either side of your body. Bend one knee forward to a 90-degree angle while keeping your back straight. Hold for a few breaths and repeat the same with the other knee. This pose stretches your quadriceps and hamstrings and stabilizes the knee joint.

Setu Bandhasana or The Bridge Pose: For this yoga for arthritic knees, lie on your back, bend your knees up, and rest your feet comfortably apart on the floor. Press into your feet and lift up your hip. Hold for a few breaths and come back down slowly. This pose strengthens the highs and buttocks that can share some load with the knee joint.

Vrikshasana or The Tree Pose: Stand with your feet slightly apart. Shift your body weight to just one foot and place the other foot on the calf or inner thigh of the standing leg. Join your hands palm-to-palm over your chest. Hold for a few breaths and release. Repeat by switching sides. This yoga for bad knees will improve balance and minimize the risk of injury.

Utkatasana or The Chair Pose: Stand with your feet together, then bend your knees and lower your hips as if you’re sitting back into a chair. Extend your arms overhead and hold for several breaths. This pose strengthens the quadriceps and glutes, which can help stabilize the knee joint.

Savasana or The Corpse Pose: This is a relaxation pose that allows your body to rest and recover. Lie on your back with your arms by your sides and your legs extended. Close your eyes and focus on your breath, allowing your body to relax completely. Practice this between two asanas to allow your body to relax a bit.

Always remember, the aim of yoga is aligning your mind and body. So, don’t perform any pose that causes you pain or discomfort. Start easy and gradually you will ace the poses. Use props such as blocks or bolsters to support your body and reduce strain on your knees. If you feel any lingering pain, consult your healthcare provider and take corrective measures.

Performing yoga asanas for knee joint pain can beautifully complement your medical care routine. With yoga, you can not only enhance the health of your knee joint but also the surrounding muscles and ligaments. It will boost your overall health.