Top Effective Yoga for Knee Pain & Arthritis | Medically Approved
Butterfly Pose for Knee Pain & Arthritis
How Does Butterfly Pose Help? Butterfly pose is a simple and highly effective yoga for knees. It is a must-do yoga to strengthen knees; it stretches the knees and thigh muscles. All adults can perform the butterfly pose.
How To Do Butterfly Pose?
- Sit straight.
- Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together.
- Your feet should be close to your pelvis area.
- Move your knees like a butterfly (in an up and down motion).
- Take deep breaths.
- Do this pose keeping the spine erect.
How Often Can You Do Butterfly Pose? You can do this yoga asana for knee pain twice a day for 5-10 minutes. Maintain a 2-hours gap from your last meal.
What Results Will Be Seen? This yoga for joint pain promotes knee movement and helps improve your knee pain. The butterfly pose renders a great stretch to the knees and improves blood circulation.
Note: Keep a towel under the outer thighs to avoid any pain if you have a knee injury. Men suffering from sciatica should be more careful when performing this pose. Sciatica is irritation in the sciatic nerve causing pain in the lower back, hips, buttocks, and legs.
Bridge Pose for Knee Pain & Arthritis
How Does Bridge Pose Help? The pose mainly focuses on strengthening inner thighs and hamstrings to improve knee pain. Men of all age groups can perform this yoga for joint pain.
How To Do Bridge Pose?
- Lie down on the floor on your back with bent knees.
- Stretch the arms towards your feet, exhale, lift your hips, and back towards the ceiling.
- Hold the pose for 10-15 seconds.
How Often Can You Do Bridge Pose? Perform one-two times daily on an empty stomach.
What Results Will Be Seen? Performing bridge pose removes body stiffness and increases the body's range of motion. It reduces knee pain and strengthens glutes, quads, and core.
Note: Do not perform if you have neck or back injuries.
Cobra Pose for Knee Pain & Arthritis
How Does It Help? This yoga for joint pain makes knees strong and flexible. It can be beneficial yoga for knee pain in old age. Cobra also strengthens the spine and stretches the lungs, chest, and shoulders.
How To Do Cobra Pose?
- Lie on the abdomen and firmly lift your chest with arms straight.
- Hold the position for 10 seconds.
How Often Can You Do Cobra Pose? Perform it every day for 3-4 minutes on an empty stomach.
What Results Will Be Seen? Cobra pose is great yoga for knee pain relief as it helps improve the range of motion in joints.
Note: Perform this yoga exercise for joint pain relief under professional guidance if you have a back injury. Do not overdo the backbend.
Locust Pose for Knee Pain & Arthritis
How Does It Help? It is an effective yoga for knee pain as it strengthens calf muscles. Generally, men falling in the age group of 18 to 60 in normal conditions can perform it. You can also overcome back pain problems with the Locust pose.
How To Do Locust Pose?
- Lie down on your stomach and raise your head and feet towards the ceiling.
- Hold the pose for 3-5 breaths.
How Often Can You Do Locust Pose? Beginners can perform one round of 5 stretches of this yoga for joint pains.
What Results Will Be Seen? Locust pose strengthens the muscles, especially glutes, hamstrings, and calves, thus helping in knee pain.
Note: If your neck and feet are flexible, try to do a deeper backbend gradually. This is an effective yoga for rheumatoid arthritis.
Child's Pose for Knee Pain & Arthritis
How Does Child's Pose Help? The child pose is yoga for knee pain relief. Anyone from any age group can perform this asana for knee pain. It stretches the upper and lower back, glutes, quads, knees, and ankles.
How To Do Child's Pose?
- Kneel and sit on heels.
- Exhale and lay your torso down between your thighs, bringing your chest and head toward the floor.
- Keep your arms by your side, palms facing down.
- Stay in the pose for 2-5 minutes, breathe through your nose.
How Often Can You Do Child's Pose? In the beginning, do this once a day. You can increase the frequency with time.
What Results Will Be Seen? This simple yoga exercise for knee pain relief improves overall leg strength. It is one of the best resting poses and an excellent way to de-stress the knees and back.
Note: You can use a blanket roll under your knees or in front of the ankles for comfort.
Warrior Pose for Knee Pain & Arthritis
How Does It Help? The warrior pose is a good yoga exercise for knee pain relief. It stretches the leg muscles and can be performed by people of all age groups.
How To Do Warrior Pose?
- Move your feet 3 to 4 feet apart, aligned to each other in a standing position.
- Bend into a sideways lunge.
- Turn the heel of the bent leg 45 degrees.
- Raise your arms parallel to the ground and focus on breaths.
How Often Can You Do Warrior Pose? It can be done for 10 seconds to 2 minutes on each side, depending on your stamina.
What results will be seen? Practicing this yoga exercise for knee pain relief helps in knee alignment and strengthens our inner quad muscles.
Note: This standing yoga pose can be therapeutic for sciatica. Do not perform the full version of the pose if you have a severe knee injury. Practice the modified version under expert guidance.
References
- Steffany Haaz Moonaz, Clifton O Bingham , Lawrence Wissow, and Susan J Bartlett, July 2015; Yoga in Sedentary Adults with Arthritis: Effects of a Randomized Controlled Pragmatic Trial- Yoga in Sedentary Adults with Arthritis: Effects of a Randomized Controlled Pragmatic Trial - PubMed (nih.gov)
- Justin Mahr, December 2018; Can yoga therapy help to decrease osteoarthritis-related pain in adults with knee osteoarthritis?- Can Yoga Therapy Help to Decrease Osteoarthritis-related Pain in Adults with Knee Osteoarthritis? (pcom.edu)
- Diana M Taibi and Michael V Vitiello, June 2012; Yoga for Osteoarthritis Nursing and Research Considerations- (PDF) Yoga for Osteoarthritis Nursing and Research Considerations (researchgate.net)
- Tusconi., Massimo, August 2018; Integrative effect of yoga practice in patients with knee arthritis- Integrative effect of yoga practice in patients with knee ar... : Medicine (lww.com)