6 Yoga Poses for Knee Arthritis Pain: Ekattva Recommendations

August 29, 2022 Spiritual Punditz, Rishikesh

“Yoga poses for arthritis knee pain” has become a widely searched query among men and women over the last decade.

As we grow older, the strain of everyday movements begins provoking symptoms of pain in our knees. Having pain in or around a joint for 1-2 days is one thing but if it doesn’t go away, consider it a sign of arthritis. According to the Arthritis Foundation, more than 14 million Americans had symptomatic knee arthritis in 2019.

A 2020 report by EClinicalMedicine suggests that around 22% of adult males and females (who are above 40) across the globe have knee osteoarthritis. A lot of men and women have no idea what this problem is all about and which yoga poses they should perform to deal with knee arthritis pain.

In this blog, Ekattva Yogshala - an YA recognized yoga academy in Rishikesh, India - will tell you about the meaning and causes of arthritis knee ache. We will also discuss the yoga poses you should perform in order to get rid of it.

Let’s understand the meaning of knee arthritis first!

What is Knee Arthritis?

Knee arthritis is a condition in which the natural cushioning between knee joints wears away. Our knee comprises three bones - femur (upper leg bone or thigh bone), tibia (bone in front of the lower leg), and patella (stocky, triangular bone located at the front of the knee). Knee arthritis happens when these bones rub up closely against one another.

Men and women suffering from knee arthritis will notice pain, swelling, stiffness, reduced ability to move, and smooth, hard bumps of extra bone around the knee. They will also find it difficult to perform everyday activities including walking, bending back, and climbing stairs.

What are Causes of Knee Arthritis Pain?

As we said earlier, the most common cause of knee arthritis pain is age. Our ability to heal cartilage slows as we grow older. Experts say that almost every man and woman develop some degree of knee osteoarthritis. But do you know this isn’t the only major reason?

The following reasons can also increase the risk of developing knee arthritis pain:

Weight gain and obesity
Genetic mutations
Inherited abnormalities
Repetitive stress and injuries

Which Yoga Poses Can Help in Dealing With Knee Arthritis Pain?

People who practice yoga regularly can reduce their knee arthritis pain to a great extent. It strengthens the muscle around the affected knee joint and stabilizes it. But the question that arises here is, “What yoga poses should you perform in order to overcome knee arthritis pain?”

Ekattva Yogshala has prepared a list of 7 yoga poses that can help you with knee pain. Adding these yoga asanas to your practice will help you strengthen the muscles around the knee:

#1 Chair Pose

Chair Pose is a strengthening and heat-building yoga pose that brings all parts of your knee together into a unified and powerful whole. Also called Utkatasana, it makes the practitioner feel like sitting in an imaginary chair. Chair pose strengthens the hips, thighs, and calves - all of which make the knee function better.

Other than helping men and women deal with knee arthritis pain, this yoga pose can also relieve stiffness in the shoulders, back, and arms.

Steps to perform chair pose:

The following are the steps to perform chair pose for knee arthritis pain:

Stand still. Inhale deeply and lift your arms over your head, making sure your biceps are just slightly in front of your ears. You can either keep arms parallel or join palms.

Exhale and start bending your knees, while projecting out your feet. Lean your trunk slightly forward over your thighs. Make certain you form a right angle with the tops of your thighs.

While keeping your inner thighs aligned, press the heads of thigh bones down in the direction of your heels.

Now secure your shoulder blades up against your back. Orient your tailbone down towards the floor and toward the pubis to keep your lower back extended. Hold this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

#2 Bridge Pose

Known as Setu Bandha Sarvangasana in Sanskrit, the bridge pose is a reclined backbend and chest-opening yoga asana that can be used to fix pain caused by knee arthritis. As the name suggests, it involves raising the hips and sternum while moving the arms down towards the mat to form a bridge-like posture for toning, strengthening, and offering better support to your knees.

Want to improve digestion and blood circulation? No problem. Want to overcome menstrual pain and menopausal symptoms? No problem. The Setu Bandha Sarvangasana also helps men and women put an end to all these problems.

Steps to perform bridge pose

Here are steps to perform bridge yoga pose for fixing knee arthritis pain:

Center yourself on the yoga mat while lying on your back. Keep the soles of your feet on the ground and point your knees up to the sky.

Move your feet close to your buttocks. Gently press down on them and take a deep breath to lift your hips without squeezing your glutes.

Stretch out the back of your neck while tucking your chin slightly towards the chest.

Place your hands under the back on the floor. Broaden your collarbones and get on top of your shoulders. Firm the outer shins and tilt your upper thighs inward.

Bear down gently on your heels and lift the back of your thighs and the bottom of your buttocks even higher while keeping the thighs equidistant.

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#3 Hero Pose

One of the best yoga poses for men and women to fix knee arthritis pain. Hero pose is a seated asana that helps in stretching the quads and ankles for increasing flexibility in the knees, ankles, and thighs. A remedy for arthritis, it boosts the blood circulation around the knee joints and strengthens them. Also called Virasana, it is also a good counter to clumsy posture and allows for better breathing.

Steps to perform hero pose

The following steps will tell you how to practice the hero pose in right manner:

Start by sitting in a kneeling position while keeping your hips over your knees and the tops of your feet on the yoga mat.

Keep your knees together while separating your feet to either side until they are about 18 inches apart.

Lower your hip between the feet. For those who are struggling, you can use your hands to move your calf muscles out and sit accurately. Point your feet straight back, turning neither inward nor outward.

Slide your shoulders away from your ears while resting your hands on your lap. You can hold this position for a minute or more.

#4 Twisted Triangle Pose

Some of our readers might be aware of this popular yoga pose called the twisted triangle pose. This asana is widely used by practitioners for stretching and strengthening various muscle groups. Used sometimes as a counter-pose to Utthita Trikonasana, the twisted triangle pose spans hamstrings, groins, glutes, hips, and ankles in the human body and helps in getting the better of knee arthritis pain.

Steps to perform twisted triangle pose

Here are steps to perform the twisted triangle yoga pose for fixing knee arthritis pain:

Stand on your yoga mat with your feet around 2 to 3 feet apart and arms on the sides. Align your heels.

Set your right foot out 90 degrees while making sure your toes are pointing to the top of the mat. Allineate your right knee cap with the center of your right ankle. Turn your left foot inwards to a 45-degree angle.

Bring hands towards your hips while squaring them forward.

Now raise your left arm and point it towards the ceiling, ensuring your bicep comes next to your left ear.

Exhale. Hinge forward from hips and keep the spine long. Put your left hand to the outside of your right foot while opening your torso to the right.

Draw your right hip back with your right hand. Keep it side by side with the left hip.

Inhale. Lengthen your spine. Exhale again while rolling down your right shoulder back and extending your right arm straight up toward the ceiling.

Turn your head up and look at your right thumb. Press down gently through your back heel while keeping your hips leveled. Hold this position for up to 1 minute.

#5 Reclined Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose

Another amazing yoga pose that can help men and women deal with pain triggered by knee arthritis. The reclined hand-to-big-toe asana offers a supine stretch to hips, thighs, hamstrings, kneecaps, and calves. Triggered back pain after working for straight hours at office? Fret not, reclined hand-to-big-toe pose can also help you relieve lower back pain.

Supta Padangusthasana is also a perfect preparatory pose for those yoga enthusiasts who want to master the big toe pose.

Steps to perform reclined hand-to-big-toe-pose

The following are steps to perform reclined hand-to-toe-pose for overcoming arthritis knee pain:

Lie down on the ground while avoiding forcing your lumbar spine to flat and legs extended straight down on the mat in front of you.

Direct your right heel up to the right heel up towards the ceiling. Check if your buttocks and hips have a tendency to lift. Maintain the natural curve of your lower back instead by lengthening your tailine down into the mat instead.

Extend out actively through the heel of your left foot, and press your left leg firmly down into the ground.

Now soften up your shoulder blades on the yoga mat. Also, keep your gaze soft and jaw relaxed.

Hold the yoga pose anywhere around 5 to 20 deep breaths. Exhale again and bend your right knee into your chest. In the end, release your right leg to the ground.

Repeat the aforementioned steps with the other leg as well.

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#6 Tree Pose

Our list will be considered incomplete without talking about this asana! Tree pose, as the name suggests, includes tucking one leg into the other while folding hands in a prayer position above the head, resembling a tree. Also called Vrksasana, this yoga pose is beneficial for overcoming arthritis pain and strengthening knee bones and muscles.

Steps to perform tree pose

Here, follow these steps to perform the tree pose and get rid of knee arthritis pain:

Stand straight on the yoga mat and try to feel how your weight is distributed equally on all 4 corners of each foot.

Shift your weight into the right foot while keeping it straight. Lift the left foot slowly off the floor.

Bend your left knee and bring the left sole high onto your inner right thigh. Maintain the balance.

After taking 5 to 10 breaths, lower your left foot to the floor. Repeat the aforementioned steps again with your other leg.

Above are 6 different yoga poses that can help you deal with pain triggered by knee arthritis. When practiced several times a week under proper guidance, these asanas can help you get relief from chronic joint issues.

However, keep in mind that these yoga poses for knee arthritis pain may not work for everyone. Visit a doctor in case your knee pain gets worse. In case your knee arthritis in already at an extreme stage, some of these poses may not be practical for you. Consult a trained yoga teacher for guidance.

Join Ekattva Yogshala’s online yoga for everyone classes to learn yoga basics from university-trained teachers. Got any queries to ask? Send them to info@spiritualpunditz.com and have them answered by our yoga experts.