DIY Workout Recovery, Mobility and Massage - Knee Pain? Try This Self Massage + Stretch
Have you ever had knee pain while walking, running or perhaps doing simple daily tasks like squatting down to pick something up?
This weeks mobility, massage, and stretch helps with some very common knee issues we have seen in our manual therapy practice. Often times it’s not just about the knee itself so we will lay out how to look at the knee but also up and downstream from the issue. This can then help improve things like your running, squat, or provide for a nice post workout recovery. Give it a watch below…
Knee Pain: 3 Things you can do to help…
We will use a three tiered approach her to address the knee and you can use this very same approach as far as the general principles with most joints and tissues.
Knee pain in particular can be a persistent and frustrating issue that affects people of all ages and lifestyles. Whether it’s a result of injury, overuse, or underlying health conditions like arthritis, finding effective and sustainable solutions is crucial for maintaining an active and pain-free life so you can keep doing what you love to do each day.
In this article and video, we’ll explore the benefits of this 3 stepped holistic approach to knee pain relief, combining self-massage, nervous system input (training), and mobility exercises to groove things in.
One of the key contributors to knee pain is muscle tension and tightness in the surrounding areas. Self-massage techniques, such as cross friction thumb work, can really help relieve tension, “breaking” up knots, and improving blood circulation. By targeting specific muscle groups like the quadriceps, glutes, and calves, you can also temporarily alleviate stress on the knee joint and promote better flexibility to then utilize and train in. Incorporating this practice into your routine can lead to increased range of motion and reduced discomfort, laying the foundation for a more comprehensive approach to knee pain management.
The nervous system plays a crucial role in how our body perceives and responds to pain. Chronic knee pain can lead to heightened sensitivity in the nervous system, creating a cycle of discomfort and reduced mobility. Nervous system training involves practices such as mindfulness, deep breathing, and progressive relaxation techniques. By incorporating these practices into your routine, you can train your nervous system to respond more adaptively to pain signals. Mindfulness meditation, for instance, has been shown to reduce pain intensity and improve overall well-being.
In the technique we use today, using the breath combined with contracting and relaxing your muscle can help you attune to your body’s signals; but also exploit a natural window directly into the autonomic (think automatic) nervous system .
Interestingly, another contributor to knee pain is lack of mobility AND strength in the muscles surrounding the knee more immediately, but also other tissues much further away can contribute to pain and discomfort. Mobility exercises, focused on improving joint range of motion and stability, are essential components of a comprehensive knee pain management plan. In the movement we do today, we are focused on actively bringing our knee joint through various movements like flexion, extension, and rotation (the knee does have a small amount). Using this exercise can also be used as a diagnostic tool to help highlight areas that may need a little more work in your training program which will be critical in terms of having changes gel.
Without further ado, here is the very simple and easy routine to give a shot!
Massage the knee- trace the knee cap, use cross friction movements with your thumbs, and circle the area with your finger tips
Contract and relax-inhale for 4 count as you contract/tighten the muscle under the foam roller or tennis ball. Then, exhale for 8 count as you relax and allow the muscle to melt deeper into the foam roller/tennis ball. You see me using a side-lying position high up in my IT band; but you can also lie face down with the top of your thigh directly on the apex of the roller with the other leg off to the side to support. These are just 2 spots to try.
Knee mobility- Seated with your arm or hands supporting your leg, begin by extending your leg up as far as comfortable, then rotate the lower leg inward as far as you can without getting the hip involved, then drag your heel back to the floor where you will then rotate the lower leg outward as far as comfortable. Do this 3x in both directions.
Remember, the goal is to calm your nervous system while providing some direct input into the areas your focused on with some self massage, use the window into affecting the nervous system that the breath creates, then increase motion and further assess. You can parlay this into your training for a much more affective session to bake things in further; or again, use it as a restore to baseline.
Give it a go and play with using your self massage and foam roller or ball on the areas that feel the most tender or perhaps needed for Y O U. Remember, this is just a simplified example, so if you need some further guidance, shoot us a message and we will be happy to help!
If you missed our last movement flow piece with a video to try for cranky neck after a rough nights sleep, check that out here.
Interested in having some expert hands to help you with any current or ongoing issues? Book your first appointment with a 15% discount here using code MT15.
We will be back again soon with more DIY mobility and massage, but if you have a specific issue or area you would like to see us cover in one of these, let us know.