Best Knee Pain Relief Stretch - with beginner versions

Today I’m going to show you AskDoctorJo’s favorite stretch for knee pain, with 15 different variations in four different positions, so if you can’t do this stretch in standing, you can do this lying down. If you can’t do this lying on your stomach, you can do this lying on your back or your side. There are basically 3 to 4 variations of quad stretch in each position, from easiest to hardest. Each level corresponds to how much flexibility or range of motion your knee has.

Disclaimer: please consult your local medical doctor and/or physical therapist before attempting these exercises. The exercises in this video are very general and might not be appropriate for your specific needs and situation. You are responsible for any injuries that might occur while attempting these exercises. For the first standing position and the easiest variation, you simply need a chair behind you and something to keep your balance in front of you. Bring your foot to rest on top of the chair behind you and let it sit there for 20-30 seconds. If you start to get a cramp behind your knee, start over or try a different position. For the second variation in standing, use a strap, towel, or belt and wrap it around your ankle. Then pull the ankle up behind you while maintaining your balance. For the third variation in standing, this is only if you have a long stretching strap or yoga strap. This one is good for people who have shoulder issues since you don’t have to extend your shoulder behind you. The fourth variation in standing is your normal quad stretch. Use your hand to pull your ankle behind you. You can do most of the standing variations in side lying position. The easiest variation will be the short strap behind your back. There is no easier version because you are lying down. The alternative of this assisted quad stretch in side lying is with the long stretching strap. Again this is only useful for people who have shoulder problems. The last variation in side lying is simply using your hand to grab your ankle. The prone position is Doctor Jo’s favorite stretch. Similar to side lying position, the easiest version is using the short strap wrap around the ankle and pull. The alternative is the long strap over the shoulder. Lastly, you can use your hand like in standing and side lying. If you want to stretch your quad lying flat on your back, you can! You just need to lie on a bed or a table that is high enough that you foot clears the floor when you let it dangle off the edge. The easiest version is short strap wrap around the ankle. The alternative is long strap over the shoulder The last is using your own hand to grab the ankle. Lastly I will talk about advanced quad stretches. To do the quad stretch correctly, you need to make sure the knee being stretched is either at the level of the other knee or slightly behind. If you rest your knee on a chair or a couch, you can use that as an anchor to keep your knee from going forward. This way it guarantees that you are stretching your quad correctly. If you are really flexible, you can do the same thing on the floor. I’m not flexible so it’s a little difficult for me.

Every De Quervain Exercise You Will Ever See

Does your thumb hurt at this exact location? Did you do the Finkelstein’s Test and it hurt like crazy? Do you feel a sharp burning pain in the tendon of your anatomical snuffbox whenever you try to grip, pinch, use scissors, or pick up anything with your hand? You probably figured out you have De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis and that’s why you’re watching this. In this video I’m going to show you all the advice and exercises that I found by watching these 9 different YouTube Channels. To summarize all the tips and exercises these doctors, physical therapists, and physiotherapists have mentioned, I have a list here. There are generally five major categories of advice/exercise types that have been mentioned. There is cryotherapy (icing), activity modification (avoiding the use of the thumb and splinting), massage techniques, stretching exercises, and strengthening exercises. Channels reviewed: Bob & Brad, AskDoctorJo, Strength-N-U, Forward Therapy, Woodbine Physiotherapy Toronto Canada, Orlando Hand Surgery Associates, FORM Hand, Wrist & Elbow Institute, Mr Physio, and Matt DeStefano. I also added some exercises not included in these channels at the end of this video.

Disclaimer: Please consult your local medical doctor and/or physical therapist before trying the exercises in this video. These exercises and treatment options are the general exercises for De Quervains Tenosynovitis and might not apply to your specific situation or condition. You are responsible for any injury you might sustain while trying these exercises.

How to Fix Shoulder Blade Pain

If you wake up with a painful mid back, specifically where the shoulder blade is, here is what you can do. Step one, warm up the muscles. You can use a heating pad or simply take a hot shower. Step two: massage the muscles. I like to use the foam roller since it covers a large surface area. You can also use a back massager to target the rhomboid muscle, which sits in the shoulder blade. If you don’t have a back massager, you can use a tennis ball instead. Step three: stretch the muscles. You can stretch your back of your shoulder with an elephant shoulder stretch. You can stretch the latissimus dorsi against the wall or the floor. You can also use the cat stretch. Step four: Stabilize the shoulder joint. A lot of times we overwork our rhomboid because the rotator cuff and lower trapezius are weak. Make sure you strengthen your lower trapezius and your rotator cuff tendons so they can help alleviate stress from your rhomboid. You can also incorporate the alphabet series to strengthen the back of your shoulders as well as pull ups, chin ups, or lat pull downs to strengthen your latissimus dorsi. Disclaimer: Please consult with your local medical doctor and/or physical therapist before attempting these exercises. The exercises and advice in this video are very general and might not apply to your specific situation. You are responsible for any injury that might occur from doing these exercises.

Exercises for Hip Arthritis

Here are some good exercises for hip arthritis. Hip squeezes in sitting position strengthens the groin and the inside of your thighs. You can use a pillow, a couch cushion, or anything that you can use as a cushion. You can also do this exercise lying down on the floor or on your bed. Clamshell exercise in sitting is a great exercise to stretch your hip and groin muscles. You can do this either in sitting or lying down. If you are able to tolerate some added resistance, that’s even better! Resisted clamshell is a great way to strengthen your hips to provide stability. All you need is a resistance band that is long enough to wrap around your knees. Hip abduction exercise in standing is also a good way to strengthen your hip. Simply bring your affected hip to the side while holding on to something stable for balance. Hip extension exercise in standing works the muscles in the back of your hip. You can also do this by your countertop or vanity top, which may provide more stability for your upper body. Hip flexion exercise works the muscles in the front of your hip. Sit to stand is a very functional exercise that works mostly your quads, but if you straighten up your body all the way at the end and squeeze your glutes, you can also work the hips. Supine bridge is an excellent exercise you can do lying down on the floor or on your bed. It strengthens your lower back and your glutes. It also helps to move around in your bed.

Disclaimer: Please consult with your local medical doctor and/or physical therapist before doing any of these exercises. These exercises are very general and might not apply to your specific condition or situation. You are responsible for any injury that may occur by trying these exercises.

How to Fix IT Band Syndrome

In this video I go over how to manage the symptoms of illiotibial band (ITB or IT band) syndrome as well as how to fix the problem at its roots. IT band syndrome is when the irritation of the IT band causes pain and inflammation of the knee. This could happen as bad ergonomics (inappropriate seat height) or muscle imbalance of the hip abductors. To treat the symptoms, you need to ice, rest, massage, tape, and medicate the area to reduce the inflammation. To fix the root cause in the case of muscle imbalance, you need to strengthen your gluteus medius. I will demonstrate my favorite gluteus medius exercises in this video. All video footage in this video either belong to me or acquired from Storyblocks.

Disclaimer: please consult your local medical doctor or physical therapist/physiotherapist before attempting these exercises. These exercises are very general and might not apply to your specific needs. You are responsible for any injury that you might sustain from doing any of the exercises or treatments that I suggested in this video. Instruction for icing: put ice pack over your lateral knee for 15-20 minutes. Make sure there is a contact layer separating the ice pack and your skin, to avoid frost bite. It is also a good idea to ice the knee after doing the exercises or after massaging. Instruction for massaging: massage the lateral hip and knee for no more than 5 minutes at a time. Instruction for stretching the IT band: 30 second hold or less pain-free stretch, 3 sets if pain-free, 1-2 times a day. Instruction for hip exercises: 10 repetitions and rest, repeat 3 sets total. Do the exercises only when it does not increase your pain/symptoms.

Core Strengthening Exercises for Beginners

In this video I go over core stabilizing and core strengthening exercises for beginners. These are important exercises for anyone with back pain and back injury. You could say they are essential for back rehabilitation. There are essentially four parts to this rehab program: Transversus Abdominis (TA) strengthening lying down, TA strengthening through planks, obliques strengthening through side planks, and back and glute strengthening through supine bridge. I am introducing the easiest and most beginner friendly versions of these exercises.

DISCLAIMER: If you're experiencing pain, numbness, or tingling down into your leg or foot, I strongly encourage you to go get it checked out by a local doctor or physical therapist. The exercises I present in this video are very general and may of may not be indicated for your specific problem. You are encouraged to seek local help from a professional who can recommend treatment specific to your individual needs. The exercise prescription go as follows: TA Strengthening lying down: 10 repetitions, 3 sets, twice a day Plank: 10-30 second hold, 3 sets, twice a day Side plank: 10-30 second hold, 3 sets, twice a day Supine bridge: 10 repetitions, 3 sets, once or twice a day If you find that these exercises are too easy, here are progressions for each exercise that are more difficult and challenging. TA Strengthening

Plank

Side plank

Supine Bridge

If you cannot tolerate lying down on your back, check out my core stabilization playlist for seated and standing core exercises.