Knee Pain & Exercise

The benefits of exercise are limitless. Exercise improves our health by decreasing the risk of all causes of mortality as well as reducing anxiety and depression. With the indisputable health benefits of exercise, why do so many people start exercising but end up quitting?

One of the frequently cited reasons for quitting exercise is exercise related injuries or general pain. Knee pain is a common complaint for both experienced and novice exercisers.

What Causes Knee Injury?

Knee injuries are caused by a traumatic or nontraumatic mechanism.

A traumatic knee injury occurs from one specific incident and is often more serious than nontraumatic injuries. For example, a traumatic knee injury could occur while running when you step in a hole, feel your knee collapse, and have immediate pain.

A nontraumatic knee injury is often chronic in nature and frequently described as an overuse injury. The first step in managing knee pain is to determine what the specific cause of your knee pain is.

Evaluation by an athletic trainer, physical therapist, sports medicine specialist or an orthopedic physician can help pinpoint the source of injury.

How Can I Prevent Knee Pain From Derailing My Progress?

Passive modalities like heat or ice are often used to try and prevent pain, but simple steps can be taken to give yourself better results than passive treatments ever could. Managing the volume and intensity of exercise load, ensuring proper movement patterns, and building leg strength can go a long way in preventing knee pain as well as to help reduce knee pain caused by overuse.

How Do I Safely Progress Exercise?

Starting a new exercise program is exciting and can lead people to do too much too soon. Rapid increases in activity can cause joint pain as well as overall body soreness that can lead individuals to skip workouts, not see expected results, and quit exercise altogether.

A good rule of thumb for beginning exercise is to start slow and gradually increase the volume and intensity of activity every week or two. It is important to ensure you are taking enough time off between workouts to fully recover. It can be beneficial to complete light activity such as going for a walk to help improve recovery between workouts. Recovery is essential for the body to rest, repair, and prepare for the next workout.

What Is Movement Quality?

When first starting a strength training program it is important to learn how to properly complete the essential movement patterns of; upper body pulling, upper body pushing, squatting, and hip hinging. Working with a qualified exercise professional will help make sure you are completing these movement patterns in a smooth and controlled manner through a full range of motion. Although pain may be felt at the knee, limitations in range of motion at the hip or ankle can be a contributing factor to developing pain. Full ankle and hip range of motion as well as the strength and stability to control that full range of motion helps to maintain long term health of the knee joint.

What Muscles Should I Focus On Strengthening?

Every muscle of the lower body plays a part in preserving the health of the knee joint. Training the entire lower body including the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves is important to increase strength and decrease forces transmitted to the knee.

What Strengthening Exercises Are A Good Place To Start?

To reduce the likelihood of joint injury, consider a mix of strengthening exercises including:

• Squatting: Body weight squat, goblet squat, split squat
• Hip Hinging: Kettlebell/dumbbell deadlift
• Upper Body Pulling: Row varieties/chin ups
• Upper Body Pushing: Pushups/dumbbell overhead press
• Core: Dead bugs, bird dogs, planks
• Accessory strengthening: Calf raises, hip abductions, clam shells

Slowly increasing activity, insuring you are moving well and moving often, and strengthening the lower body can play great dividends in reducing the chance of developing knee pain during exercise.