Yoga for Knee Pain: 10 Yoga Poses to Help Knee Pain

Whether you're an athlete recovering from an injury, an office worker experiencing the strains of sedentary life or someone seeking relief from age-related aches, yoga offers a gentle, low-impact way to improve strength and mobility, which can help reduce pain.

"Practicing yoga consistently can help increase muscle flexibility, which relieves tightness and strain on joints," Patrick Franco, RYT-500, director and lead trainer at YogaRenew 200-Hour Teacher Training, tells LIVESTRONG.com.

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"And many of the standing poses engage the muscles of the legs (quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles)," he says. "This muscular engagement helps stabilize the knee joint, which provides support, reducing strain on the knee."

But not all yoga poses are beneficial for people experiencing knee pain — especially if the pain is due to an injury. Below, Franco shares the types of poses that can be most helpful, as well as those to avoid or modify.

"Practicing yoga with knee pain requires patience and caution to ensure you don't exacerbate the problem and cause more harm than good," Franco says.

"Therefore, it is essential to consult with a healthcare professional before starting a yoga practice, especially if you have an injury."

If you're new to yoga — or coming back to it after some time off — it's important to ease into things.

"As with any new physical activity, start slowly, allowing your body to get acclimated to the new movements," Franco says. "It's more important to be consistent than it is to go fast."

Start with the 10 yoga poses below, divided into three different categories, along with modifications.

"Opt for yoga poses that are gentle on the knees as well as modifying other poses with the use of props," Franco says.

"Practicing standing poses builds strength, stability and flexibility throughout the entire lower body, including the feet, ankles, calves, knees, quadriceps and hamstrings," Franco says.

If balancing in this pose is difficult, placing the toes of your right foot on top of a block can help.

"Seated poses take the burden out of the legs by practicing in a chair or on the floor," Franco says. "They are ideal poses to improve flexibility and mobility in the spine and lower body."

You can also perform this pose while sitting in a chair: Place your feet on the floor, soles together, and knee bent and pointing outward.

"Lying on the back is calming for the nervous system," Franco says. "Plus, these poses improve flexibility and mobility in the spine and lower body without much effort."

Poses that require you to bend the knee deeply can cause excess strain on the muscles and ligaments supporting the joint, especially if they're already tight. So it's best to avoid (or modify) poses like:

The knee joint is meant to bend forward and back and any lateral pressure on the knee could cause further pain or injury. Avoid or add props to:

If you have knee pain, discomfort and/or inflammation behind and around the knee cap, poses that place the knee cap on the floor can exacerbate the injured area. These poses include:

Don't be afraid to grab a block, blanket, pillow, bolster or strap. "Yoga props were developed specifically to make yoga poses more accessible for people of all body types, age and injury," Franco says. Using yoga props to modify your practice is one of the best way to help prevent injury.

The way you position your body can help distribute your weight more evenly, which reduces stress on the knees and leaves you feeling light and spacious, he says.

Be attentive to any movement or pose that causes pain or discomfort. "If holding certain postures is causing pain, then either modify or skip it," Franco says.

"Yoga is a gradual process, you never want to do too much too soon," Franco says. Don't feel rushed to put yourself into a pose your body's not ready for.