YOGA FOR KNEE PAIN

Knee pain is a very acute problem and quite common in the modern lifestyle. It is seen in case of aged, adult and teenagers. Knee bursitis, rupture ligament, torn cartilage, bone degeneration, use of drugs like steroids, diuretics are few of the important factors that lead to knee pain. Stiffness and swelling are common with knee problem patients.

What causes knee pain?

Some of the most common problems are sprained ligaments, meniscus tears, tendinitis, and runner's knee. If you have an old knee injury that wasn’t properly treated, it may flare up now and then or cause constant pain.

Other things can also cause knee pain, such as:

Bursitis: A bursa is a sac containing a small amount fluid that’s under the skin above your joint. Overuse, falls, or repeated bending and kneeling can irritate the bursa on top of your kneecap, causing pain and swelling. Doctors call this prepatellar bursitis. It’s also called ''preacher's knee."

Dislocated kneecap: The kneecap slides out of position, causing knee pain and swelling. Your doctor may call this “patellar dislocation.”

IT (iliotibial) band syndrome: The iliotibial (IT) band is a piece of tough tissue that runs from your hip down to the outer part of your knee. When you overdo activity, it can become inflamed over time. That causes pain on the outer side of the knee and is common in runners when going downhill.

Loose cartilage: Sometimes, a knee injury can break loose cartilage. These pieces can get stuck in the joint, which causes pain and swelling. Many times people will have the sensation of “catching” in the joint when they are active.

Osgood-Schlatter disease: This condition happens when you’re young, when bones and other parts of the knee are still changing. It can cause a painful bump below the knee, where a tendon from the kneecap connects to the shin. Overdoing exercise, and irritation at a point on the bottom of your knee, called the tibial tubercle, often make this area hurt. The ache may come and go over time. It's especially common in teenage boys and girls.

Osteoarthritis: This is the “wear and tear” type of arthritis. It’s a top cause of knee pain after age 50. This condition causes the knee joint to ache or swell when you’re active. Joints affected by osteoarthritis can also be stiff early in the day.

Patellar tendinitis: This means you have inflammation in the tendon that connects the kneecap to the shin bone. Tendons are tough bands of tissue that connect muscles to your bones. When you overdo exercise, they can become inflamed and sore. You may also hear it called “jumper’s knee” because repetitive jumping is the most common cause.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome:Muscle imbalance, tightness, and alignment of the legs usually cause this condition. It’s not due to an injury. It's particularly common in teenage girls.

KNEE PAIN SIGNS & SYNDROMS

Obviously, it hurts! But the type of pain can vary, depending on what the problem is. You may have:

• Pain, often when you bend or straighten the knee
• Swelling
• Trouble bearing weight on the knee
• Problems moving your knee

If you have these symptoms, see your doctor. He will check your knee. You may also need X-rays or an MRI to see more detail of the joint.

YOGA AND KNEE PAIN

For the patient of knee pain, slow and controlled movement is required. If there is no or less movement, the condition may worsen. With the help of Yoga one can do possible stretching movement. Yoga is good to avoid knee injuries by keeping the knees healthy and flexible. Knee pain management through Yoga, in fact, is possible by stretching and strengthening the surrounding knee muscles. Yoga poses enhance the flexibility of joints thus helpful in knee injury and lengthening of nearby joint muscles.

Yoga Asanas(exercises) for knee pain...

1. Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

2. Utkatasana (Chair Pose)

3. Virabhadrasana 1, 2 & 3 ( Warrior pose 1,2 & 3)

4. Setu Bandhanasana (Bridge Pose)

5. Garudasana (Eagle Pose)

6. Ardha Pawanamuktasana (Half wind releiving pose)

7. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

8. Vrikshasana (Tree Pose)

Precautions

Do not practice any Asana OR Pranayama in which you don’t feel comfortable.
Do not over do the exercises if you feel pain in your body.
Start exercises mildly and then increase the repetitions as per your capacity.
People suffering from Back pain, Slip disc OR chronic disease should only practice Yoga and other exercises under the expert supervision otherwise do not do it.

Pregnant women should only practice Yoga under the supervision of an expert, otherwise do not practice any exercise by watching videos or website material.