Knee Pain? The Problem Might Be Your Ankles

Dr. Alyssa Kuhn, arthritis expert, tells us what most people don’t know (and what to do about it):

The root of mobility

Fun fact: knee pain during squatting, stairs, and walking can come from stiff ankles, because our ankles are meant to absorb stress before it travels up to our knees.

This means that limited ankle movement from old sprains, arthritis, or inactivity shifts extra load to the knees, forcing them to compensate.

Quick self-test: stand a hand’s width from a wall, drive your knee forwards while keeping your heel on the floor; difficulty touching the wall or a lifting heel suggests limited ankle mobility—do test both sides, as they often differ.

If you do the test and find it’s indeed an issue, then here are some exercises that, if done little-and-often, can fix that:

1. Ankle rocking: use a staggered stance and rock your weight backwards to lift your toes, then forwards to lift your back heel; this warms your ankles and calves and improves movement before walking or lower-body exercise.
2. Heel raises: rise onto your toes and slowly lower your heels; this strengthens your calf muscles while helping them lengthen, which supports better ankle mobility—can be done on the floor, a step, or one leg if you feel comfortable doing so.
3. Toe lifts at a wall: stand with your hips, back, and shoulders against a wall and lift your toes; this strengthens the muscles along your shins that help your ankles bend properly.

For more on all of this plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

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The Secret To Better Squats: Foot, Knee, & Ankle Mobility

Take care!