

The researchers concluded that yoga could be a medication-free means of relieving pain and improving mobility. In these studies, people experienced pain relief and functional improvements as early as 2 weeks after regularly getting on the mat. By the end of the study, their pain and symptoms had decreased more than those of the control group, and they had a better overall quality of life.Ī 2016 review looked at six studies on the effects of yoga on osteoarthritis.

Half were assigned to an 8-week yoga program. In 2013, for example, researchers worked with 30 women who had knee osteoarthritis. Studies show that people with knee pain can get some much-needed relief by practicing yoga a few times a week. On the bright side, several specific yoga poses can help provide relief, as we’ll explore below. It’s best to see a doctor or physical therapist to find out what’s causing your particular pain. Or blame your job: Sitting at a desk all day can create imbalances in your body by weakening your butt muscles, Miller says. Other typical culprits of knee pain include injury to a ligament (like a torn ACL), weak quads or hamstrings, or a chronic condition like tendinitis. “The knee never acts in isolation because of the way the soft structure of the cartilage is designed,” explains Jill Miller, certified yoga instructor and creator of Yoga Tune Up.

Because it’s a joint, it’s affected by the muscles surrounding it, including the quads, hamstrings, and calves. Strangely enough, the issue usually isn’t with the knee itself. In a 2011 analysis, researchers noted a marked increase in the number of knee replacements and people with knee pain over a 20-year period, due at least in part to osteoporosis and other conditions.Īnd according to a 2018 estimate, around 25 percent of Americans experienced knee pain - a 65 percent uptick over the previous 20 years. Chronic knee pain is on the rise in America.
