Closeup of a young woman touching her bent knee.

 

Knee bursitis Exercises

Body Part:
Knee

Equipment:
Stretching Strap

Level:
Beginner

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Roland Liebscher-Bracht

Germany’s trusted pain specialist

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Roland & Petra

THE PAIN SPECIALISTS

Over 30 years of research and hands-on experience make the Liebscher & Bracht pain therapy what it is today: an outstanding approach to naturally treating pain conditions. Making use of the mechanics of the body, it offers people the chance to free themselves of their discomfort by using unique and incredibly useful techniques. All this happens without having to rely on medication or operations.

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Knee Bursitis Exercises: A 3-minute 2-step Relief Routine

Are you suffering from knee bursitis? Our stretching routine can help alleviate your pain and reduce the swelling. If you’d like to start exercising, jump to our video. If you’d like to learn more about knee bursitis, keep reading.

What is knee bursitis?

Knee bursitis — also known as housemaid’s knee, carpenter’s knee, and carpet layer’s knee — develops when one of the bursae surrounding the knee becomes inflamed. Bursae are small sacs filled with synovial fluid between our bones and soft tissue. Bursae are like cushions; they provide protection when we move by minimizing friction. When a bursa becomes irritated, it overproduces synovial fluid and swells. A swollen bursa puts pressure on the surrounding parts, causing pain and discomfort.

Our bodies contain over 150 bursae 1). Each of your knees may have as many as 11 bursae; four major bursae surround each knee 2). They are: 

  • The prepatellar bursa covers your kneecap.
  • The suprapatellar bursa is above the knee between your thigh bone and quadriceps tendon.
  • The infrapatellar bursa is below your knee between the top front of your shinbone and the patellar tendon.
  • The pes anserine bursa is between your shinbone and hamstring muscle’s three tendons.

Symptoms of knee bursitis are that the affected area is:

  • tender or feels warm to the touch,
  • stiff or feels weak,
  • swollen or red.

You may feel pain when you move your knee or when it is stationary, and your range of motion may be reduced.

If you have prepatellar bursitis, the most common form, you may develop a squishy lump at the front of your knee. If you have infrapatellar bursitis, a lump may develop on the front of your shin below your kneecap. Infrapatellar bursitis may also cause pain that radiates down your shin.

What causes knee bursitis?

You may develop knee bursitis if you:

  • play a sport where players regularly fall on their knees,
  • experience a blow directly to your knee,
  • overuse your knee (activities that require jumping or crawling),
  • are obese,
  • have gout, rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis in your knee.

You may be at risk of developing knee bursitis if your job requires you to kneel continually or for long periods, especially on hard surfaces. Frequent pressure on the knee irritates the bursa and causes inflammation. Knee bursitis is common among roofers, coal miners, gardeners, plumbers, and carpet layers. 

A woman has wedged the ball of her foot against a door jamb.

Exercise 1: Calf Stretch

    • Stand facing a door jamb.
    • Wedge the foot of your affected leg so that the ball of your foot is flat against the jamb and your heel is on the floor.
    • To keep from slipping, transfer all of your weight onto your wedged foot. Keep your affected knee straight.
    • Move your hips toward the jamb. You’ll feel a stretch in your calf.
    • Intensify the stretch by arching your lower back slightly and bending forward. Make sure to keep your buttocks aligned with your legs; do not let your buttocks poke out.
    • Forcefully press the ball of your foot against the door jamb and hold for about 5 seconds.
    • Release the pressure and bend further forward.
    • Rotate between pressing the ball of your foot against the jamb, releasing and bending forward. Continue for 90 seconds.
    • Finish and slowly come out of the position. Repeat the stretch on your other leg if necessary.
    A woman is laying on her stomach. She is pulling her left leg toward her buttocks with a stretching strap while Roland Liebscher-Bracht looks on.

    Exercise 2: Thigh & Knee Stretch

    For this exercise, you’ll need our Stretching Strap.

    • Sit on the floor.
    • Place the foot of your affected leg into an end loop of the Stretching Strap. With your knee bent roll onto your stomach.
    • Pull your heel towards your buttocks and press your groin against the floor. You’ll feel a stretch in your front thigh muscles and knee.
    • Push your foot against the pull of the strap and hold for about 5 seconds. Release and pull your foot closer to your buttocks.
    • Rotate between pushing your foot against the pull of the strap, releasing and pulling your foot closer to your buttocks. Continue for 90 seconds. 
    • Finish and slowly come out of the position. Repeat the stretch on your other leg if necessary.

    Your routine for a better bend.

    Perform our knee bursitis exercises 6 days a week and leave 1 day for rest. When you notice that your knee pain is subsiding, you can adjust the frequency of your exercise.

    Sources & Studies

    • ↑1 Williams, C. H., Jamal, Z., & Sternard, B. T. (2022). Bursitis. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
    • ↑2 Rishor-Olney, C. R., & Pozun, A. (2022). Prepatellar Bursitis. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.

    The Best Exercises and Tips Against Knee Pain

    Download our FREE PDF guide featuring our 6 most popular exercises for getting rid of knee pain. 

    Liebscher & Bracht PDF Guide and Exercises about Knee Pain.

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