3 hip exercises for your knee pain

Have you ever suffered from knee pain around or under your kneecap (patella)? This may be related to a condition called patellofemoral syndrome.

Treatment for this type of knee pain includes exercises to improve the strength of your front thigh muscles (quadriceps). You may have also even had your knee taped, braced or stimulated.

However, if you haven’t done anything to strengthen your hip muscles, you are missing out!

A recent research study (1) reviewed the best available research on the best exercises for patellofemoral syndrome. It found that a combination of hip and knee strengthening will reduce your pain and help you return to your usual level of activity.

Specifically, exercises to strengthen your thigh (quadriceps), and hip (abductors, lateral rotators, and extensors) muscles were found to be better than knee exercises alone. A strong and more stable hip is thought to reduce the stress at the knee.

The evidence also suggested that they should be done 3x/week for at least 6 weeks, even if you had moderate-to-severe pain for at least three months.

Some of the exercises used in the study include the following (3 sets of 10):

1. Attach one extremity of an elastic band around your ankle and attach the other extremity to a solid object on your side.
2. In standing, put your knee on a stool and position yourself so you will be pulling your foot towards the inside to externally rotate your hip.
3. Only your hip should rotate, your body should stay perfectly still and straight.

1. Attach one extremity of an elastic band around your ankle and attach the other extremity to a solid object on your side.
2. In standing, put your knee on a stool and position yourself so you will be pulling your foot towards the outside to internally rotate your hip.
3. Only your hip should rotate, your body should stay perfectly still and straight.

1. Lie on your side against a wall with your bottom leg bent in front.
2. Lift up your top leg on the wall, keeping it straight, and your pelvis stable.
3. Once you reach the maximum range without any movement of your pelvis, externally rotate your hip so that your foot is pointing upwards. Rotate your leg back before returning to the initial position and repeat.

These are “Level 1” type exercises. If you would like more information about your knee pain or how to progress your exercises, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

1. Nascimento et al, titled “Hip and Knee Strengthening Is More Effective Than Knee Strengthening Alone for Reducing Pain and Improving Activity in Individuals With Patellofemoral Pain: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis” (J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48(1):19-31. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.7365).