Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsStraight Leg RaiseSingle-Leg BalanceSeated Knee ExtensionResisted Side StepsStep-UpsWall SquatsHamstring StretchButterfly StretchOther OptionsExercises to AvoidPain Relief Tips
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Straight Leg Raise
Single-Leg Balance
Seated Knee Extension
Resisted Side Steps
Step-Ups
Wall Squats
Hamstring Stretch
Butterfly Stretch
Other Options
Exercises to Avoid
Pain Relief Tips
Strengthening and stretching exercises can help ease medial (inner) knee pain. This includeschronicconditions like kneeosteoarthritis (OA)and kneebursitisoracuteinjuries such as a sprainedmedial collateral ligament (MCL)anddislocated kneecap.
Verywell / Laura Porter
Principles of Recovery and Rehabilitation
Straight leg raises are a great way to target thequadriceps musclesin the front of your thigh. This exercise activates the knee-supporting muscle without placing excessive pressure on the knee joint itself.
Straight leg raises can be helpful for conditions like an MCL sprain, knee OA, knee bursitis,meniscal tears, or apatellar subluxation(a partially dislocated kneecap).
To do a straight leg raise:
Verywell / Ben Goldstein
A single-leg balance is used to target and stabilize many different muscles in the leg. It helps build strength and balance in people with medial OA, a medial meniscal tear, patellar subluxation, or an MCL sprain.
To do a single-leg balance:
As you progress, try closing your eyes or standing on a sofa cushion or thick bath towel. This can help improveproprioception(your awareness of your body in space). Be sure to stand close to a counter or chair to catch yourself if you start to lose your balance.
Ben Goldstein / VeryWell
Seated knee extension requires aresistance bandorankle weight. This exercise helps build knee strength in people with medial OA, medial meniscal tears, MCL sprains, or a type of bursitis known aspes anserine bursitis.
To do a seated knee extension:
Resisted Side-Steps
Resisted side-stepping also involves a resistance band and targets the triangular-shapedgluteus mediuslocated on the outside of your hip.
Strengthening the muscles of the hip and pelvis helps stabilize the knee and can help treat symptoms of medial knee OA, medial meniscal degeneration, an MCL sprain, a patellar subluxation, or pes anserine bursitis.
To do resisted side-steps:
Ben Goldstein / Verywell
The step-up exercise can be performed on stairs or a stable platform 8 to 10 inches high. This exercise also activates the quadriceps muscles and can help reduce pain associated with knee OA, MCL sprains, meniscal lesions, and patellar subluxations.
To do step-ups:
As per its name, a wall squat is an exercise that only requires a wall. As with all squats, the quadriceps are strengthened and the knees are stabilized, which can help with conditions like knee OA, meniscal tears, an MCL sprain, a patellar subluxation, or pes anserine bursitis.
To do wall squats:
You should only lower your body down as far as you feel comfortable. With persistence, you will gradually gain strength and will be able to get into a deeper squat position. If you feel any pain while lowering or lifting yourself,stop.
Never lower your body beyond the 90-degree mark (pictured). Doing so places excessive stress on the knees and can cause injury.
SrdjanPav / E+ / Getty Images
To do a hamstring stretch:
As you get stronger, you can hold the stretch longer or add repetitions.
Thebutterfly stretchis a yoga pose traditionally used to stretch the inner groin muscles, called theadductors. While it doesn’t directly target the knee joint, it can stabilize the pelvis so that you are more balanced when you stand or walk. Doing so can support recovery from knee injuries like a medial meniscus tear.
To do the butterfly stretch:
You can repeat this exercise several times as a warm-up or allow extra time for gravity to loosen your adductors naturally. Never push your knees toward the ground as this can end up injuring or tearing your groin muscles or tendons.
Safe Activities for Knee Pain
If you have medial knee pain, you may need some time to rest until the acute pain and swelling have passed. You should then start moving again, albeit at a reasonable pace.
Some injuries, such as an MCL tear, can take a full six to eight weeks before you can return to normal activity. During that time, you may need aknee splint, brace, or compression bandage to support the knee. A mobility device like a walker, a pair of crutches, or a cane may also be needed.
As you regain mobility, there are certain low-impact activities that you can do regularly to recover. These include:
The knee is ultimately a complex but delicate structure, and you should avoid certain exercises and activities that can set your recovery back, including:
If you experience pain, stop immediately. It means you are overdoing it.
Other Ways to Relieve Inner Knee Pain
To relieve acute inner knee pain:
See a healthcare provider if the pain and swelling don’t go down (or get worse) after a few days.
Summary
Stretching exercises can help ease medial knee pain while strengthening exercises can help provide knee support and stability. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, you may need to meet with a healthcare provider or physical therapist to design a safe, effective, and appropriate rehabilitation plan.
The aim of any program is to take it slow and steady, increasing the intensity and duration of activities gradually. Avoid weight-bearing exercises, running, jumping, or any activity that requires a quick change of direction until you are amply healed and your provider gives you the OK.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Seehafer L, Morrison S, Severin R, Ness BM.A multi-systems approach to human movement after ACL reconstruction: the cardiopulmonary system.Int J Sports Phys Ther.2022;17(1):60–73. doi:10.26603/001c.29451Bennell KL, Kyriakides M, Metcalf B, et al.Neuromuscular versus quadriceps strengthening exercise in patients with medial knee osteoarthritis and varus malalignment: a randomized controlled trial.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2014;66(4):950-959. doi:10.1002/art.38317Bunt CW, Jonas CE, Chang JG.Knee pain in adults and adolescents: the initial evaluation.Am Fam Physician. 2018;98(9):576–85.Swart NM, van Oudenaarde K, Reijnierse M, et al.Effectiveness of exercise therapy for meniscal lesions in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Sci Med Sport. 2016;19(12):990-998. doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2016.04.003Fox AJ, Wanivenhaus F, Burge AJ, Warren RF, Rodeo SA.The human meniscus: a review of anatomy, function, injury, and advances in treatment.Clin Anat. 2015;28(2):269-87. doi:10.1002/ca.22456Ménétrey J, Putman S, Gard S.Return to sport after patellar dislocation or following surgery for patellofemoral instability.Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2014;22(10):2320-2326. doi:10.1007/s00167-014-3172-5Reis FJJ, Macedo AR.Influence of hamstring tightness in pelvic, lumbar and trunk range of motion in low back pain and asymptomatic volunteers during forward bending.Asian Spine J. 2015;9(4):535-540. doi.10.4184/asj.2015.9.4.535Asci M, Balta O, Kurnaz R, Eren MB, Kuyucu YE, Gunes T.“Horizontal butterfly” technique in repair of radial meniscus tears: a biomechanical study,Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc. 2018 Aug 16;52(5):392–396. doi:10.1016/j.aott.2018.07.002Arthritis Foundation.Physical therapy for arthritis.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Seehafer L, Morrison S, Severin R, Ness BM.A multi-systems approach to human movement after ACL reconstruction: the cardiopulmonary system.Int J Sports Phys Ther.2022;17(1):60–73. doi:10.26603/001c.29451Bennell KL, Kyriakides M, Metcalf B, et al.Neuromuscular versus quadriceps strengthening exercise in patients with medial knee osteoarthritis and varus malalignment: a randomized controlled trial.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2014;66(4):950-959. doi:10.1002/art.38317Bunt CW, Jonas CE, Chang JG.Knee pain in adults and adolescents: the initial evaluation.Am Fam Physician. 2018;98(9):576–85.Swart NM, van Oudenaarde K, Reijnierse M, et al.Effectiveness of exercise therapy for meniscal lesions in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Sci Med Sport. 2016;19(12):990-998. doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2016.04.003Fox AJ, Wanivenhaus F, Burge AJ, Warren RF, Rodeo SA.The human meniscus: a review of anatomy, function, injury, and advances in treatment.Clin Anat. 2015;28(2):269-87. doi:10.1002/ca.22456Ménétrey J, Putman S, Gard S.Return to sport after patellar dislocation or following surgery for patellofemoral instability.Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2014;22(10):2320-2326. doi:10.1007/s00167-014-3172-5Reis FJJ, Macedo AR.Influence of hamstring tightness in pelvic, lumbar and trunk range of motion in low back pain and asymptomatic volunteers during forward bending.Asian Spine J. 2015;9(4):535-540. doi.10.4184/asj.2015.9.4.535Asci M, Balta O, Kurnaz R, Eren MB, Kuyucu YE, Gunes T.“Horizontal butterfly” technique in repair of radial meniscus tears: a biomechanical study,Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc. 2018 Aug 16;52(5):392–396. doi:10.1016/j.aott.2018.07.002Arthritis Foundation.Physical therapy for arthritis.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Seehafer L, Morrison S, Severin R, Ness BM.A multi-systems approach to human movement after ACL reconstruction: the cardiopulmonary system.Int J Sports Phys Ther.2022;17(1):60–73. doi:10.26603/001c.29451Bennell KL, Kyriakides M, Metcalf B, et al.Neuromuscular versus quadriceps strengthening exercise in patients with medial knee osteoarthritis and varus malalignment: a randomized controlled trial.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2014;66(4):950-959. doi:10.1002/art.38317Bunt CW, Jonas CE, Chang JG.Knee pain in adults and adolescents: the initial evaluation.Am Fam Physician. 2018;98(9):576–85.Swart NM, van Oudenaarde K, Reijnierse M, et al.Effectiveness of exercise therapy for meniscal lesions in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Sci Med Sport. 2016;19(12):990-998. doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2016.04.003Fox AJ, Wanivenhaus F, Burge AJ, Warren RF, Rodeo SA.The human meniscus: a review of anatomy, function, injury, and advances in treatment.Clin Anat. 2015;28(2):269-87. doi:10.1002/ca.22456Ménétrey J, Putman S, Gard S.Return to sport after patellar dislocation or following surgery for patellofemoral instability.Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2014;22(10):2320-2326. doi:10.1007/s00167-014-3172-5Reis FJJ, Macedo AR.Influence of hamstring tightness in pelvic, lumbar and trunk range of motion in low back pain and asymptomatic volunteers during forward bending.Asian Spine J. 2015;9(4):535-540. doi.10.4184/asj.2015.9.4.535Asci M, Balta O, Kurnaz R, Eren MB, Kuyucu YE, Gunes T.“Horizontal butterfly” technique in repair of radial meniscus tears: a biomechanical study,Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc. 2018 Aug 16;52(5):392–396. doi:10.1016/j.aott.2018.07.002Arthritis Foundation.Physical therapy for arthritis.
Seehafer L, Morrison S, Severin R, Ness BM.A multi-systems approach to human movement after ACL reconstruction: the cardiopulmonary system.Int J Sports Phys Ther.2022;17(1):60–73. doi:10.26603/001c.29451
Bennell KL, Kyriakides M, Metcalf B, et al.Neuromuscular versus quadriceps strengthening exercise in patients with medial knee osteoarthritis and varus malalignment: a randomized controlled trial.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2014;66(4):950-959. doi:10.1002/art.38317
Bunt CW, Jonas CE, Chang JG.Knee pain in adults and adolescents: the initial evaluation.Am Fam Physician. 2018;98(9):576–85.
Swart NM, van Oudenaarde K, Reijnierse M, et al.Effectiveness of exercise therapy for meniscal lesions in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Sci Med Sport. 2016;19(12):990-998. doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2016.04.003
Fox AJ, Wanivenhaus F, Burge AJ, Warren RF, Rodeo SA.The human meniscus: a review of anatomy, function, injury, and advances in treatment.Clin Anat. 2015;28(2):269-87. doi:10.1002/ca.22456
Ménétrey J, Putman S, Gard S.Return to sport after patellar dislocation or following surgery for patellofemoral instability.Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2014;22(10):2320-2326. doi:10.1007/s00167-014-3172-5
Reis FJJ, Macedo AR.Influence of hamstring tightness in pelvic, lumbar and trunk range of motion in low back pain and asymptomatic volunteers during forward bending.Asian Spine J. 2015;9(4):535-540. doi.10.4184/asj.2015.9.4.535
Asci M, Balta O, Kurnaz R, Eren MB, Kuyucu YE, Gunes T.“Horizontal butterfly” technique in repair of radial meniscus tears: a biomechanical study,Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc. 2018 Aug 16;52(5):392–396. doi:10.1016/j.aott.2018.07.002
Arthritis Foundation.Physical therapy for arthritis.
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