Top 5 Exercises to Manage Chronic Knee Pain at Home

Living with chronic knee pain can turn everyday tasks like climbing stairs, walking, or standing for long periods into major challenges. While medical treatment plays a crucial role in long-term relief, at-home exercises can be a powerful way to reduce stiffness, support joint function, and improve mobility between visits.

At Silver Pain Centre in Toronto, we take a multidisciplinary approach to knee pain relief, combining medical diagnostics, image-guided procedures, and personalized treatment plans. Many of our patients ask how to stay active safely at home, and these low-impact physiotherapy exercises are often a great place to start.

1. Straight Leg Raises

A foundational movement, straight leg raises help strengthen the quadriceps without placing stress on the knee joint. Strong quads provide essential support to the knee and help absorb impact during movement.

How to do it:
Lie on your back, bend one knee with the foot flat on the floor, and keep the other leg straight. Slowly lift the straight leg to the height of the bent knee, hold for 3–5 seconds, and lower it down.

Reps: 10–15 per leg

2. Glute Bridges

Many people overlook the role of the glute muscles in knee stability. Weak glutes can affect hip and knee alignment, increasing the load on the knees. This movement targets the hips and lower back for a more stable foundation.

How to do it:
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Press through your heels to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Hold at the top, then lower slowly.

Reps: 10–15

3. Wall Sits

Wall sits build endurance in the quadriceps and hamstrings, helping to support the knee during functional activities like walking, sitting, and climbing stairs.

How to do it:
Stand with your back against a wall. Slowly slide down into a seated position with your knees at a 90-degree angle. Hold the position for as long as is comfortable, aiming to gradually increase duration over time.

Start With: 15–30 seconds

4. Hip Abduction with Resistance Band

Strong hip abductors help control leg movement and protect the knees from collapsing inward. This simple move supports both knee alignment and balance.

How to do it:
Stand tall with a resistance band looped around your ankles. Shift your weight to one leg and slowly lift the opposite leg out to the side without leaning your upper body. Return to start and repeat.

Reps: 10–15 per leg

5. Cat-Cow Stretch

Knee pain can sometimes be linked to tightness or stiffness in the lower back. This gentle spinal stretch increases flexibility and helps reduce tension in the entire lower body chain.

How to do it:
Begin on hands and knees. Inhale as you arch your back up toward the ceiling (cat pose), then exhale as you drop your belly and lift your tailbone and chest (cow pose).

Duration: 1–2 minutes, slow and steady breathing

When to Seek Professional Treatment

While home-based exercises are helpful, they’re not always enough, especially if pain is caused by underlying issues like:

• Osteoarthritis
• Meniscus tears
• Patellar tracking problems
• Tendonitis or bursitis

At Silver Pain Centre, we provide advanced diagnostics (ultrasound and fluoroscopy), non-surgical interventions, and customized treatment plans that may include:

• Image-guided steroid or PRP injections
• Nerve blocks or radiofrequency ablation
• Regenerative medicine
• Physiotherapy referrals

Our 20,000 sq. ft. clinic in North York offers:

• Shorter wait times
• Free parking
• Virtual and in-person options
• OHIP-covered consultations and many procedures

Whether you’re managing chronic knee pain or recovering from an injury, we’re here to help you move better and feel stronger safely. Consultations and many of our treatments are covered by OHIP.

Visit Us: 4646 Dufferin Street, Unit #9, Toronto, ON M3H 5S4

Call Today: (416) 512-6407