Top 10 Yoga Poses for Treating Knee Pain

Isn’t it a common thing to feel a strain on the knees after a long adventurous day? Yes, it is! And it is also that common that almost 19% of the whole world’s population(1) suffers from it making it the second cause of chronic pain that affects more than one- third of the American population alone. Many people resort to complicated methods but don’t consider practicing yoga for knee pain relief.

It might be due to lack of knowledge about its amazing benefits but not anymore as we tell you all that you must know about practicing yoga for relieving the aching knee pain off your body.

You will be shocked to know that yoga can be practiced even after a knee replacement surgery that has also become a significant treatment(2) that people undergo with more than 600,000 knee replacements getting carried out in one single year.

Scroll down and learn about the different poses to practice, mistakes that can aggravate the pain and the postures that people with knee replacement can practice.

• 1. Yoga Poses
     • Reclined Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose
     • Bridge Pose
     • Banana Pose
     • Mountain Pose
     • Chair Pose and More
  2. What Mistakes People Do
  3. People with Knee Replacement

The Most Beneficial Ten Yoga Poses for Knee Pain to Get Best Results

Life can be miserable with excruciating knee pain. Knee pain can snatch away your essential happiness, mobility, and comfort. If you are someone suffering from knee pain, then opt for yoga for knee pain. The best thing about yoga is it heals from the core. Unlike other medication and treatment, yoga does not suppress the pain.

[Also Read: Home Remedies to treat Knee Pain]

Now let us talk about ten yoga postures for knee pain:

1. Reclined Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose or Supta Padangusthasana:

Reclined Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose is great for hamstring and .

Direction:

1. Lie down.
2. Lift one leg, with feet pointing towards the ceiling.
3. Bring the leg slightly towards you and feel the stretch in the thigh area.
4. Now try to touch the big toe of the lifted leg with the same side hand.

2. Bridge Pose or Setu Bandhasana:

Setu Bandhasana is good for knee pain, hip toning, and knee strengthening

Direction:

1. Lie down on your back.
2. Bend your knees. Your feet should touch the ground.
3. Your hands should be beside your body and palms should touch the ground.
4. Now slowly lift your hips. Your entire body weight will be on your feet and neck area.
5. Hold the pose for 30 to 60 seconds.

[Read: KT Tape for Knee Pain Relief]

3. Banana Pose or Bananasana:

Banana Pose is good for lower back, neck, and knees. Any beginner can practice this yoga exercise to strengthen knee.

Direction:

1. Lie on your back.
2. Put your right feet on your left feet.
3. Lift both of your arms above your head and stretch them.
4. Now bend your legs and hands on the left side of your body, creating a banana like shape.

4. Mountain Pose or Tadasana:

Tadasana is an excellent knee strengthening yoga pose for joints and hip.

Direction:

1. Stand with big toes and heels together.
2. Now open and stretch out your feet.
3. Keep your spine straight. Take deep and full breaths.
4. Try to shift full body weight on your toes.
5. Now bring all your consciousness to your feet and work on distribution over the toes.

[Read: Relieve Shoulder Pain with Yoga]

5. Chair Pose or Utkatasana:

This pose is one of the most practiced yoga poses for knee pain. It strengthens knee join and shin.

Direction:

1. It is a transition from Tadasana. Stand straight like in tadasana.
2. Lift both your hands and stretch it in front of you.
3. Now bend your knees, as if you’re sitting on an imaginary chair.
4. Hold the pose for 30 seconds initially.

6. Warrior I or Virabhadrasana:

Virabhadrasana strengthens your lower back, spine, thighs, and shin altogether. It enhances overall strength and is one of the most effective yoga pose for knee pain.

Direction:

1. Stand with your feet wide apart.
2. Twist your body in the right side with hands stretched out. Your right palm should point to the right side.
3. Now lift both your hands above your hand and join your palms.
4. Now you can do two things; first, you can bend your upper body back as in Suryanamaskara or look straight ahead while holding the pose.

7. Half Lord of the Fishes Pose or Ardha Matsyendrasana:

Ardha Matsyendrasana pose is helpful for knee pain as it opens outer hip or knee abductors and stretches it out.

Direction:

1. Sit in cow pose and do deep breathing.
2. Hold the left knee into the chest with your hands or the crux of your elbow and face toward your left
3. Hold this pose for 30 to 60 seconds.
4. Repeat this step on the right side.

[Read: Yoga for Vertigo Treatment]

8. Hero Pose or Virasana:

Initially, practicing Virasana can be challenging. But with regular practice, it helps to release the toxins in joints and ease them.

Direction:

1. Sit on your knees hip-width gap apart.
2. Keep your spine straight throughout the process.
3. Your feet should be beside your hip wide-opened.
4. Hold the pose for 60 seconds.

9. Easy Pose or Sukhasana:

Sukhasana is the most comfortable and relaxing pose. It reduces stress and removes anxiety. It is suitable for curing knee pain.

Direction:

1. Sit straight and keep your spine erect.
2. Now Bend both your legs and bring them in an interlock posture.
3. Keep breathing normally.

10. Lotus Pose or Padmasana:

Lotus pose is one of the most common yoga poses. It is suitable for knees, spine and overall well-being.

Direction

1. Sit straight with legs stretched in front of you.
2. Now bring your right leg on your lap. The knee should touch the ground.
3. Then bring your left leg and place it on your lap above the right leg. It will look like interlocked.
4. Rest both of your hands on your knees or lap.

[Read: Essential Oils for Knee Pain Relief]

What Mistakes People Do While Practicing Yoga that Causes Knee Pain?

Yoga is a natural way to heal and addresses almost all the ailments. But it is a vigorous practice and needs to be practiced correctly. If someone does or practices, any yoga for knee pain poses in the wrong way, then it can give rise to some other physical issues or problem. An incorrect yoga posture can be a cause of severe damage and injury.

Understanding the nitty-gritty of yoga and all the risks related to practicing yoga is essential to avoid any danger. Let’s talk about general mistakes while doing yoga exercise for knee pain:

Uneasiness: If you are feeling any strain, discomfort, and uneasiness while doing a pose then immediately stop doing that pose.

Incorrect Posture: Doing or holding an incorrect yoga posture can be fatal. Imagine you are doing cobra pose and the posture is wrong. Consequently, leading to tissue tear, muscle cramps, or damage certain nerves and ligaments too.

Other Physical Issues: If you have other physical ailments like asthma, cardiac troubles, old injury, surgeries like knee or hip replacement, then talk to your doctor first before starting yoga for knee pain. A pregnant woman should consult her doctor before doing any yoga, and it is mandatory.

Overdoing: Do not think that doing something more than needed will bring the result faster. Our body has its limitation. If you push yourself to go beyond the limit or force your body to overdo a vigorous exercise like yoga for weak knees, it can cause serious harm.

Impatience: Yoga is not a quick fix. If you think you will repeatedly do the yoga poses mentioned above and get rid of knee pain altogether in one night, then you are wrong. Yoga needs patience, and your body needs to adapt to the new habit. Yoga heals slowly but surely.

[Read: Simple Yoga Poses for Arthritis]

Can People with Knee Replacement Surgery Practice Yoga Without Any Harm?

If you think yoga is an off limit after knee replacement surgery, then this part of the article is for you. Knee surgery or any surgery gets along related precautions. We feel unsure and scared before and after operations.

But do not worry, the right kind of yoga after knee surgery is easy and useful, but proper guidance and experienced trainer is needed to avoid any further damage or injury. To do that you must get the medical clearance from your orthopedic surgeon.

Talk to your surgeon about your fear, needed precaution, frequencies of doing yoga, hidden risks and type of surgery you had. Talk with him about the implant if there is any. If you have a prosthetic implant in your knees, then it can be vulnerable when it comes to doing yoga.

Since it strengthens the hip-area and thighs and shin, the upper body chair pose is suitable after knee replacement., But you need to get that go-ahead from your surgeon, before proceeding with any yoga for knee pain.

Knee pain should not be an obstacle. Do not think that you should keep all the enjoyment at bay if you are suffering from knee pain. It is hard to feel motivated to practice yoga for knee pain. But once you get that motivation, do not waste a single day.

Yoga is a boon for everyone. Be patient and make yoga a part of your daily life for a healthy life. The efficacies of yoga are limitless. Yoga can align your body, mind, and soul. So, stop feeling stressed and do yoga.