Understanding Painful Knees

Ruth Polden
Oct 29
4 min read

Two persons facing each other, knees bent

If you’ve ever struggled with knee pain, you’ll know how much it can affect your daily life. Whether it’s a dull ache when you stand up, stiffness after sitting too long, or that sharp twinge on the stairs, knee discomfort has a way of creeping into everything — walking, sleeping, even your mood. It can be frustrating and draining to feel limited by pain, especially when it seems like no amount of stretching, icing, or “strengthening” quite does the trick.

But your knee doesn’t exist in isolation. It’s part of a beautifully connected system that involves your feet, hips, and the rest of your body. When one part of that system becomes stiff, overworked, or out of balance, the knee often ends up caught in the middle. Understanding that relationship can make all the difference.

The Knee: A Joint Caught Between Two Masters

The knee is a remarkable joint — both strong and mobile. It connects your thigh bone (femur) to your shin bone (tibia) and is supported by ligaments, muscles, and a delicate network of connective tissues. Its main job is to bend and straighten your leg, but it also absorbs and transmits the forces that move through you as you walk, run, climb, or simply stand.

Here’s the interesting part: the knee doesn’t generate much movement on its own. Instead, it reflects what’s happening above and below it — at the hip and the foot. The hip joint allows the leg to rotate and move freely, while the foot and ankle adjust to the ground beneath you. The knee simply connects the two, transmitting forces smoothly when everything works together.

When that coordination breaks down — say, the pelvis is tucked, the hips are stiff, or the feet lose flexibility — the knee starts taking on extra work. Over time, this can lead to discomfort, inflammation, or wear and tear that shows up as pain.

When Focus Becomes Too Narrow

It’s natural, when your knee hurts, to focus all your attention right there — to massage it, ice it, strengthen it. And while local care is important, it’s often only part of the picture. The knee may be the victim, not the culprit.

Imagine the body as a chain of movement and support. If your foot is stiff or your ankle doesn’t move freely, the shock of walking can’t be absorbed properly. That extra force travels up to the knee. Similarly, if your pelvis is tucked under or your hips don’t rotate easily, your legs lose their natural rhythm, and again the knee takes the strain.

So instead of treating the knee as a problem to “fix,” it can be far more effective to look at the way your whole body moves. How do your feet meet the ground? How does your pelvis shift when you walk? Are your ankles and hips free to share the work?

The Subtle Ways We Add Pressure

Many of us have habits that unknowingly add stress to the knees. A few common ones include:

Stiffening the feet and ankles — gripping the floor or locking the joints reduces their ability to absorb impact.
Tucking the pelvis — a habit often developed from sitting too much, which limits hip mobility and changes how the legs align.
Bracing — tightening the thighs, glutes, or core in an effort to feel stable can actually restrict movement and make the knees work harder.

Over time, these small patterns of tension can add up, creating the very pain or stiffness we’re trying to avoid.

Finding a Gentler Way to Move

So what can help? The good news is that small, mindful changes can make a big difference.

Gentle yoga can be a wonderful starting point — not the kind that pushes or strains, but slow, attentive movement that encourages awareness of how the whole body participates. Learning to move with the breath, to soften the feet, and to let the hips move freely can begin to release pressure from the knees.

The Feldenkrais Method offers an even more precise and gentle approach. Through Awareness Through Movement lessons, you’re guided to explore how different parts of your body relate and cooperate. You might notice, for example, how the movement of your pelvis affects your knees, or how freeing your ankles makes walking easier. These discoveries help your brain reprogram more efficient, comfortable movement patterns — often reducing pain without force or strain.

For more individualised support, Functional Integration sessions (the hands-on form of Feldenkrais) can be deeply helpful. A practitioner gently moves and supports you, helping your nervous system sense new options for coordination. The experience is often deeply relaxing and can restore a sense of lightness and balance throughout your whole body.

Moving Forward with Ease

Living with knee pain can be exhausting — it can drain your energy, your patience, and your confidence in your body. But it’s worth remembering that pain is not a life sentence; it’s information. It’s your body’s way of asking for a different approach.

By shifting attention from the knee itself to the way your whole body supports and moves, you open up new possibilities for comfort and freedom. Sometimes the smallest, gentlest changes — a softer step, a freer breath, a more balanced pelvis — can bring surprising relief.

Your knees are designed for movement. With care, awareness, and a bit of curiosity, they can learn to move with ease again.

Ready to Explore a Kinder Way to Move?

If you’d like to discover how more easeful movement can help relieve knee discomfort, you’re warmly invited to join a gentle Feldenkrais class or mindful yoga session informed by Feldenkrais principles — either in person in Forest Row or online from your home. These sessions offer a supportive, relaxed environment where you can explore how your whole body works together to support your knees. Through slow, curious movement and renewed awareness, small changes can lead to big shifts — helping you move more freely, confidently, and comfortably in everyday life.