Seasonal Achy Knees? Try this stretch!

As the sun shines a bit more brightly and the weather warms up, a lot of seniors will find themselves living a more active lifestyle. This might involve activities like walks with friends, participation in specific sports like pickleball and golf or working out in the garden. Living a physically active lifestyle is, of course, a great healthy choice for the body! However, especially when our activities change, become more frequent or more intense, there can be unintended consequences.

As a physiotherapist, I regularly see clients this time of year with a relatively sudden onset of achy knees with no known cause (no specific time of injury). Often, I find this is because one of the large muscles that crosses the knee joint has developed more tightness than usual. When using muscles for activity that is more challenging (in volume or intensity), the muscle generates increased tension in the tissue. When a muscle is tight, it makes it harder to move the joint, in this case the knee, as freely as normal and can cause discomfort.

The ”Quad”

The quadricep muscle (often referred to as “the quad”) is the large muscle at the front of the thigh. It is responsible for straightening the knee and helps with lifting the hip upward. It is prone to holding tension as it isn’t easily stretched “by accident” through everyday movements. This muscle is used heavily when we walk, squat and participate in most physical activities. As a result of its high use, tightness in this muscle is often the culprit when it comes to seasonal achy knees.

Typically, in this scenario, the discomfort is centered around the front of the knee and covers the kneecap and surrounding areas. It isn’t necessarily painful to touch but is sore with activities like squatting down, walking on hills, stairs and when sitting for long periods of time. Fortuntaely, there is a stretch that can help!

Stretching 101

Before getting into the details of the stretch, there are a few points to mention. Firstly, stretching should not be painful. It is normal to feel some tension in the muscle itself (that’s the point!) and that can be uncomfortable but shouldn’t be downright painful. Also, that discomfort should not be in the joint itself. So, in the case of the quadricep muscle stretch, the tension should be felt through the front of the thigh between the hip and knee but not in the hip or knee themselves.

It is also important to consider the rest of your body comfort. When stretching one muscle, it’s important not to strain in others. This will be important when choosing which version of the quadricep stretch works best for you.

The Stretch

To effectively stretch the quadricep muscle, the knee must be bent while keeping the hip in a relatively straight or slightly backward bent position. Although it can be done lying down, it is typically best to do in standing. Here are three possible variations on the standing quadricep stretch that can help relieve tension in the muscle. Any stretch is likely most helpful if held for 20-30 seconds, repeated 2-3 times and done after physical activity (when the muscle is warm and tired from exertion).

Holding with the Hand

Standing upright, use one hand to reach back pull the foot up towards the buttocks. It is helpful to have the other hand on a solid surface to maintain your balance easily (struggling to keep balance while doing a stretch often makes it less effective). Hold some tension in the abdomen to prevent the lower back from arching as the leg is pulled backward to get the stretch in the thigh. Once a “pulling” sensation is felt, this position is held for the duration of the stretch.

Holding with a Strap

This variation is the same set-up as with the hand but a strap or towel is used around the ankle to reduce the length of reach needed by the arm – sometimes this is helpful if the neck or shoulder feel strained while attempting the stretch with the hand.

Holding with a Chair

A chair can be used if the muscle is quite tight, the knee doesn’t tolerate bending well or the neck/shoulder aren’t comfortable holding the leg in the stretch position. In this option, the foot is placed on the seat of a chair behind the body. Again, hands should be placed somewhere for stability to reduce any chance of a stumble or fall (during the stretch and while getting in/out of the position).

Of course, knees can be painful for a number of reasons. This can include acute (sudden) injuries, osteoarthritis, cartilage injury and even referred pain from hip or lower back dysfunction. With a new onset of pain for no known reason, it is always important to seek medical evaluation by a professional (like a physiotherapist!) to determine the root cause of the problem. However, while waiting for that medical appointment, this simple stretch might help!