8 Best Yoga Asanas for Knee Pain Relief. If you’re frequently dealing with knee pain, even something as simple as climbing a flight of stairs can feel like an impossible task. Knee pain is caused by injured tissues or weakened bones in the joint, and it can be extremely bothersome.
Luckily, yoga can be beneficial for reducing knee pain and providing instant relief. Check out this article for the best yoga poses for knee pain relief – you may be able to control the pain in your knees with regular practice.
Table of Contents
Causes Of Knee Pain:
Here we have listed a few reasons that cause knee pain.
- Arthritis.
- Menopause.
- Obesity.
- Post-operation recovery.
- Usage of certain drugs.
- Physiological ageing.
- Injury.
People who perform high-mobile activities like soccer players, bodybuilders, and athletes.
How Can Yoga Help With Knee Pain:
Yoga has been practiced in India for centuries and is an excellent way to tone and strengthen your muscles naturally. If you are suffering from chronic knee pain, it may be caused by an injury to the ligaments, knee capsule, muscles, or other connective tissues.
Yoga can help reduce the sharp pain of the knee joint and it is always important to be careful before you try any new pose and how it affects your existing condition. Baba Ramdev knee treatment and Iyengar Yoga for knee pain are two accessible Yoga poses that are being promoted by yoga experts.
Best Yoga Poses That Give Comfort To Your Knees:
Look into the practical yoga poses that help in reducing knee pain:
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Bridge Pose (Sethu Bandhasana):
Sethu Bandhasana, or the bridge pose, is one of the best yoga asanas for knee pain that help you stretch your joints in the knees that help reduce the tension. You can perform this pose at the comfort of your home and energizes your body, reducing the pain in your knees. Breathing during the whole process is also very important.
How To Perform Bridge Pose for Knee Pain Relief:
- Start by lying on your back with your hands on the side.
- Lift your hips and knees while inhaling fresh air, putting pressure on your hands and shoulders.
- As you perform this pose, you can start feeling pressure in your shoulder and knee muscles.
- It might be challenging to achieve this on the first go, so don’t expect perfection for the first time.
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Hero’s Pose (Virasana):
The hero pose, also known as Virasana, is a stretch that helps strengthen your knees. It’s an effective way to reduce fatigue in your legs after a long day, and it can also help elongate your quadriceps. If you have a previous knee injury, it’s best to avoid this pose or at least perform it under the guidance of a trained yoga instructor.
How To Perform:
- Place a yoga mat and kneel on the floor.
- Bring your knees together so that there is a gap between the feet.
- The thumbs need to be firmly placed on the floor.
- Slowly lower your hips and sit down in the gap between your calves.
If you are having trouble bending so far, then you can place a book in between your calves so that you don’t have to bend more.
- Try staying in this posture for 30 seconds.
- Unless you have a previous knee injury, you can try this pose without worry.
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Makarasana:
The crocodile pose, also called Makarasana, is one of the best yoga exercises for knees. It helps reduce inflammation in your knees and control the spasms. It relieves you from your pain and is also considered one of the most comfortable poses in yoga for knee pain.
How To Perform:
- Place a yoga mat and sleep on it with your stomach facing the floor.
- Keep your hands straight and above your head, keep your knees straight, only the toes touching the floor.
- Breathing slowly, raise your arms and legs simultaneously above the floor as high as you can.
- Try to keep yourself in this position for 5 to 10 seconds.
- Keep your knees and elbows as straight as possible for effective results.
- Maintain yourself in this pose for as long as you can initially and then slowly increase the amount of time.
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Chair Pose (Utkatasana):
The chair pose, or utkatasana, is one of the best yoga stretches for knee pain. By shifting your body weight to your hip sockets, this pose takes pressure off your knees and relieves pain. The chair pose is also great for strengthening your knees by pointing your hamstrings and quads.
How To Perform Chair Yoga Pose for Knee Pain:
- Stand straight with your hands on the side and keep your feet slightly apart.
- Slowly drop your hips by bending your knees, similar to sitting in an imaginary chair.
- Place your hands upward and try keeping them straight.
- Stay in this pose for five seconds and then slowly come into your initial position while exhaling.
- Don’t force yourself in stretching more than you can, as it can cause more damage than good.
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Tree Pose (Vriksasana):
The Tree Pose, or the Vruksasana, is a yoga pose that has been popular for its balancing and knee strengthening properties since ancient times. This pose supports the shins and calves and is one of the accessible yoga poses for knee pain relief
How To Perform:
- Stand erect with your hands on the side and feet together.
- Slowly put your hands upward, forming a namaskar.
- Now lift your right foot and place it on the inner part of your left thigh.
- Stay in this position for 5 to 10 seconds.
- Come back to the initial position.
- Repeat the same process with the other leg.
- All the while performing this pose, try keeping your knees and elbows straight.
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Veerasana (Warrior Pose):
Veerasana, or the Warrior pose, is a great pain relief stretch for those suffering from knee joint pain. This pose helps tone the muscles in the knee joint areas and can be very helpful in relieving pain. People with knee issues can try this Warrior pose in yoga poses for knee pain as it is very safe and helps stabilize your knee.
How To Perform:
- Stand straight with your hands stretched out parallel to the ground and a hip-width gap between your feet.
- Slowly bend your right knee forward and stretching your left leg simultaneously.
- Remain in this position for 10 seconds.
- Repeat the same process with the other leg.
- Remember to keep your hands straight during the whole process.
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Trikonasana (Triangle pose):
The Triangle pose, or Trikonasana, is a great yoga pose for those suffering from knee joint pain. It helps to balance and fine-tune the tissues that promote the healthy functioning of your knees, as well as providing proper alignment between your shinbones and thigh bones.
How To Perform:
- Stand erect with your toes facing opposite directions and both feet wide apart.
- Stretch your hands outward parallel to the ground.
- Bend towards the right from above the waist and place your right palm on the floor and your left palm should be upward facing the sky.
- Stay in this position for at least 10 seconds.
- Repeat the same process with the other leg.
- Performing this pose might be difficult initially, but with practice, you can achieve success.
- It might not be an asana of yoga for knee pain in old age.
Frequently Asked Questions And Answers:
- Can Performing Yoga with Bad Knees Be Ok?
Yoga is definitely beneficial if you’re dealing with pain in your knees on a daily basis. However, if you have a severe knee injury or a torn ligament, it’s better to skip yoga or any other type of workout until your condition improves. Otherwise, yoga is a low-impact workout that can help improve and strengthen your knees.
- How do I Protect My Bad Knees During Yoga?
Ans. Performing yoga can be much more comfortable if you can follow some simple rules, especially if you have bad knees.
- Always use a mat while doing yoga.
- Keep breathing during the whole process.
- Try to micro-bend your knee.
If you are taking the help of a trainer, then express all your concerns about your knee pain so that there are modifications made accordingly.
- How Does Diet Affect Your Knee Pain?
Ans. Diet plays an essential role in treating any ailment, and knee pain is no exception. Maintaining your weight so that there is minimal pressure on you is another key. Try to add fresh vegetables, fruits, healthy beverages, and avoid spicy, salty, and deep-fried food.
