Knee pain can plague people of all ages and result from a variety of factors. If you have chronic pain due to arthritis or an old injury, adopting a regular yoga practice may help. Yoga strengthens your bones and stretches your muscles, including the ones around your knee, which can help prevent injuries. However, do not do yoga while you are injured or without first checking with a physician.
Causes of Knee Pain
An injury to the tendons, ligaments or bursae around your knee can all cause pain, as well as inflammation. You may also have a form of arthritis or a mechanical issue like a dislocated kneecap, degenerated bone or a problem with the alignment of your joints. Being overweight, practicing certain sports or living with a previous injury can all make you more likely to develop knee pain.
Yoga for Relief
Yoga is an invigorating physical and mental practice that requires linking your breaths with your movements. This form of exercise will stretch and strengthen the muscles and tendons around your knees, which can in turn relieve some of your pain. There are many yoga exercises that are specific to the knee, as well as many forms and styles of yoga. Take a class from a licensed instructor and tell her about your knee pain. She can suggest poses for you to try as well as modifications if your pain prevents you from doing some of the movements.
Yoga for Prevention
You can help prevent certain kinds of knee pain by keeping yourself at a healthy weight, which yoga can assist you in doing. When you are overweight, it puts added pressure on your joints and increases your risk of becoming injured or developing osteoarthritis. Weak and tight muscles can also contribute to knee pain, and yoga can help you become stronger and more limber, making you less likely to become injured as well.
Precautions
If you have just been injured, do not attempt to do yoga. Rest your knee for at least a day or two and try to stay off of it as much as possible. You can also ice it to help relieve the swelling and pain as well as elevate it with a pillow. If you are practicing yoga and notice that a certain position aggravates your knee, do not do it. Ask your instructor for modifications and seek medical attention if the pain persists.
