Sports Chiropractor Shares the One Stretch That Can Instantly Reduce Knee Pain
As we age, our knees are often one of the first joints to start acting up. Whether you're climbing stairs or sitting down on the couch, that familiar ache can creep in, often accompanied by stiffness in the hips and ankles. For athletes and anyone who spends serious time in the gym, those nagging pains aren’t just annoying—they can seriously derail training and performance.
If you want to keep knee pain at bay, Bret Hoffer, D.C., a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, recommends incorporating specific stretches into your routine. These moves help strengthen the muscles that support the knee, boost range of motion, and ease discomfort. But don’t wait until your knees are wrecked—Hoffer says the best time to start is before the pain sets in.
"I played tennis most of my career through college, and hindsight's 20-20. Had I known all of these details back then, my knees would probably be a lot better. I was dealing with some issues, and I wanted to do some rehab on them, so I used bands to come up with some things to access the internal-external rotation of the knee joint. And that helps kind of glide the joints on top of each other so that the meniscus and the tissues inside are lubricated."
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How to Do the Banded Knee Stretch
- Sit down with your thighs at 90 degrees, your feet flat on the ground.
- Attach a resistance band to a poll or something to your left or to your right, depending on which knee you're working on.
- Wrap the band around the ball of your foot that's opposite the poll where you attached your band.
- Lift up your toe slightly and turn your foot on your heel out and in to rotate the entire knee joint.
- For extra stability, hold your knee gently so your leg stays in place.
Related: The 4 Moves Golf Coaches Swear by to Instantly Improve Your Game
Muscles Essential for Stabilizing the Knee
Most people think that knee strength starts and ends with the knee, but it’s a bit more complex than that. According to Hoffer, three key muscles play a major role in supporting knee health, and targeting them can make a big difference in reducing pain and improving mobility.
Popliteus
The popliteus is behind the calf muscle and runs diagonally across the knee, attaching behind the knee. This muscle stabilizes the knee, particularly when changing direction or walking downhill.
Gastrocnemius
The gastrocnemius is the chief muscle of your calf, which flexes the knee and foot. It crosses the knee and ankle joint and helps your knees to bend properly, and allows you to point your toes downward.
Tibialis Anterior Muscles
The tibialis anterior muscles are great stabilizers of the knee. "Most people don't exercise them because you get a lot of exercise when walking uphill or jogging because as you lift your toes off the ground, you're contracting that front shin muscle."
Strengthening More Than Just Your Knee
According to Hoffer, if you want truly healthy knees, you need to focus on more than just the joint itself. That means targeting not only the quads and hamstrings above the knee, but also the calves and other muscles below it. When all of those are strong and stable, the knee becomes more stable too.