(See “ When to See a Doctor for Knee Pain” for more guidance.) Also seek treatment if your knee feels unstable or is giving out or locking up. When to Seek Help for Knee PainĪny type of pain that results from an injury (like a fall or a blow), that lasts more than a month or that derails your daily activities should be checked out by a professional.
As your legs straighten, those short muscles will pull on the knee, which can hurt. When you stand, you might feel stiff or tight. “When you’re seated for a long time, the knee is in a flexed position, which can cause the muscles to shorten,” Lombardo says. Sitting too much can also lead to knee pain. When you’re off-kilter in one of these areas, that can place extra stress on parts of the knee that aren’t meant to handle it.
Those muscles also need to be stretchy enough to let your knees go through their full range of motion. So how does a lack of strength or flexibility cause knee pain? The muscles in your legs and glutes (butt) need to be strong enough to keep the knee stable, so it won’t shift sideways when you move.