Exercise can play a significant role in pain management. Moving helps your pain in a number of ways. But when you have knee pain, the thought of activity might sound unpleasant at best.
While walking and other types of movement can put pressure on your knees and make your symptoms flare, yoga is a good alternative. With this low-impact activity, you get the benefits of exercise without triggering your knee pain. Yoga can actually ease your knee pain in a few specific ways.
That’s why Dr. Halina Snowball often recommends yoga for her knee pain patients at Integrated Pain Solutions in Stamford, Connecticut. Let’s look at four ways it can make a difference.
Yoga strengthens the muscles that support your knee in a no-impact way. When your muscles are stronger, they better stabilize your knee and reduce pressure on this joint.
Most yoga practices incorporate warrior poses, for example. These are some of the best poses for bad knees and give you a way to engage your quadriceps and hip muscles, which support your knees.
Yoga helps fight some of the stiffness that often comes with knee problems.
By gently moving your body through yoga, you help maintain your mobility. And because many yoga poses incorporate stretching, it can improve your flexibility, minimizing muscle tightness so you feel better as you move your knees.
Moving encourages blood flow throughout your body. Better circulation delivers the oxygen and nutrients your knee needs. This can support healing for knee pain problems caused by injury. Even if your knee issue stems from a chronic condition, this improved circulation can ease your discomfort.
Yoga teaches you how to move your body in specific ways. Your yoga teacher should tell you, for example, not to extend your knee past your ankle in warrior poses. (Overextension can strain your knee.)
As you do more yoga, you learn ways to move that support your knee health and minimize strain on the joint. This can improve your alignment on and off the mat, helping you avoid things that can worsen your pain.
While yoga can be a powerful tool for pain management, it’s important that you apply it thoughtfully. First and foremost, always listen to your body. If the instructor calls for a certain pose but it makes your knee hurt, don’t do it.
Arrive to class early and tell the teacher about your knee problem. They should be able to offer modifications for any poses that could strain your knee.
Set yourself up for success. Choose a thicker yoga mat and bring a towel or blanket to class. Many studios have these tools available for students to use.
You can double up your mat or put your blanket or towel under your knee for any pose in which your knee makes contact with the ground. This prevents excess pressure on your joints, helping your yoga practice improve rather than aggravate your pain.
Dr. Snowball is an experienced yoga practitioner. She can help you explore modifications to enjoy yoga — and its pain-relieving benefits — while protecting your knee. To get started, call our team at 203-293-0549 or request an appointment online today.
