Are you having knee pain as you stand up out of a chair? The problem might not be your knee, it might be your lateral hip strength. The knee is a hinge joint – that is, it is designed to move from a bent position to a straight position. But, when we get weak in the muscles along our lateral thigh and hip, the knee moves from side to side as we stand up.
Whatever the pain or discomfort in your knees is caused by, strengthening can help. With some extra attention to the lateral thigh and hip, you’ll be back to your regular routine pain-free in no time!
Here are three exercises that progress from a simple seated hip strengthener, to a strengthening exercise that incorporates moving from sit to stand, and then finally an exercise challenging the hip strength while moving side to side in a squat position.
We hope the exercises and stretches we have compiled will help you! If pain persists, we encourage you to seek an evaluation with one of our physical therapists.