Knee pain can be genuinely frustrating. Maybe it’s trouble getting up off the floor after playing with your kids or grandkids, avoiding stairs, or feeling shaky knees interrupt your daily routine. Knee pain is a lot like low back pain in that everyone seems to have it, and not many people understand what to actually do about it. A lot of people are told they just have to live with it because they’re “getting older,” but that’s rarely the whole story.
What causes knee pain when there’s no injury?
Most knee pain develops gradually rather than from one traumatic event. A traumatic injury, stepping in a hole, landing awkwardly, a contact-sport injury, can cause a torn ligament like an ACL, MCL, or PCL, and those usually need surgery, especially for athletes. But for most people, knee pain starts as an ache or a throb with no clear event behind it, and gets worse over time.
The knee joint is influenced by the muscles and joints above it (the hip) and below it (the foot and ankle). Hip alignment directly impacts knee alignment: weak hip muscles let the knee drift toward the midline (a knock-kneed pattern). This is also part of why knee pain is more common in women, who tend to have wider hips and less quad development on average.
Can knee pain heal on its own?
Sometimes. If you’ve overexerted yourself doing something unfamiliar, like a full flight of stadium steps or a workout heavy on squats and lunges, you may develop delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). That pain shows up in the muscle, not the joint, and it typically resolves within a few days of rest or modified activity.
Pain that develops in the joint itself is different. It’s usually caused by abnormal strain or stress on the joint, and while rest and medication help temporarily, real improvement means figuring out what’s actually causing the extra stress.
How can I naturally “lubricate” my knees?
Ever notice your knees ache more in cold weather? Cold reduces circulation and the flow of synovial fluid around the joint, the fluid that keeps things gliding smoothly. Bending and straightening your knee 5–10 times helps redistribute that fluid and can ease the ache, especially after sitting for a while or when temperatures drop.
What exercises should I avoid with bad knees?
The knee is a complex joint involving the femur, tibia, and kneecap (patella), and different exercises stress different parts of it. A knee extension machine, for example, loads the kneecap more than the rest of the joint. If you have osteoarthritis between the femur and shin bone, deep squatting, lunging, and jumping movements add extra stress and are worth avoiding or modifying.
5 exercises to start with
These are good starting exercises, especially if your knee is sore and painful right now. Start simple, then progress to more demanding exercises as you get stronger.
Quad sets
Sit on the floor or bed with your knee straight and supported. Tighten the quad muscle along the front of your thigh by pressing your knee as straight as possible, flattening the back of your knee toward the ground. Hold 10 seconds, 5–10 reps, 2–3 times per day.
Straight leg raises
Lying on your back with the opposite knee bent, tighten your quad and lock your knee straight. Lift your leg to the height of your other knee, keeping it locked the whole time. 2 sets of 10 reps, once a day.
Side leg raises
Lie on your side with your bottom knee bent. Straighten your top leg, keeping it in line with your body, and lift it toward the ceiling 18–24 inches without letting it drift forward. 2 sets of 10 reps, once a day.
Clam-shells
Lie on your side with both knees bent forward and feet stacked. Keeping your pelvis rolled forward and feet touching, lift your top knee away from the bottom one without rolling backward. 2 sets of 15 reps, once a day.
Mini-squats
Stand in front of a counter or chair for support. Feet shoulder-width apart, perform a shallow knee bend, keeping your weight back toward your heels and your knees behind your toes. Only go as deep as comfortable, and go a little deeper next time as you feel stronger. 2 sets of 10 reps, once a day.
All of these should feel comfortable, not painful: “no pain, no gain” doesn’t apply here. If any exercise makes your pain worse, stop and reach out.