How to Heal Knee Bursitis

Are you struggling with knee bursitis? Do you experience swelling, limited range of motion or pain in your knee joint? If so, you probably need to strengthen the muscles that support your knee, and this video is for you.

Knee bursitis occurs when a bursa, one of the small fluid-filled sacs near the knee joint, becomes inflamed. Bursae act like lubrication discs that reduce friction and cushion pressure points between your bones, tendons, muscles, and skin. The inflammation in the bursa can occur above, below, or on top of your kneecap, as well as on the lower, inner knee.

Typically, the primary contributors to knee bursitis are impact injuries, prolonged pressure, repetitive stress exercise, or excessive time spent kneeling. And while it can be a painful condition for some, for others the bursa becomes inflamed without causing any pain.

Treatment options can be frustrating, and while injections and surgery are often offered for bursitis, most people can heal on their own with an at-home self-care routine focused on movement. In this video, I’ll reveal what I learned when recovering from bursitis myself, and the exercise tips that will hopefully help you on your healing journey. Let's get started!

VIDEO CONTENTS
00:00 Knee bursitis
00:03 Knee bursae anatomy
01:22 Safety disclaimer
01:42 Lucas’ bursitis story + healing tips
02:04 Regression exercises
02:43 Draining + surgery
03:04 Reduced range-of-motion exercises
03:34 Backwards walking
04:59 Lucas’ healing protocol
05:55 Treadmill workout

DISCLAIMER – this video is for educational purposes only. If your knee pain is severe, please see a doctor for a full diagnosis and before starting any self-care routine.

WHAT IS KNEE BURSITIS?
Knee bursitis is caused by inflammation in one or more of the bursa, small fluid-filled sacs, located near your knee joint.

There are several bursae in your knee, helping to reduce friction and provide cushioning for the joint. The largest and most commonly known bursa are the prepatellar bursa (located in front of the kneecap) and the infrapatellar bursa (located just below the kneecap), followed by the pes anserine bursa on the inside. Other bursae are situated around the knee to facilitate smooth movement and minimize friction between tendons, ligaments, and bones.

Bursitis often results from repetitive stress, overuse, or trauma to the knee. Common symptoms include pain, swelling, and tenderness around, along with limited range of motion. Causes can include activities that put excess pressure on your knee, such as kneeling or prolonged friction.

WHAT WE’LL COVER
* Healing exercises to experiment with
* Why a treadmill is a powerful tool for bursitis rehabilitation
* Why you should exercise in the sagittal, coronal, and transverse planes

WANT MORE?

Got a question? Please post down below.

#Bursitis #KneeBursitis #KneePain

[notyourguru]

This was the most hopeful and down to earth info I've found yet. Thanks!

[dominiquesmith]

Been doing dynamic twisting and backwards walking lately, shocking how much it helps. And its great to get confirmation about this routine. Also the "couch stretch" helps too

[paulinehenri]

Excellent program: 65 yrs old: have been backwards walking and happy to add these to the program. Thank you

[joecook]

Thank you for the tips. So many of the online sources were trying to usher me straight to the doctor’s office. I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and what worked for you.

[artaddictionstudio]

Solid video, you speak very well and clearly and with empathy and intelligence. Thanks for the tips and I pray you have good health.

[BRPeterYoga]

The KneesOverToesGuy is the best, Lucas! Thanks for referencing his work. I’ve learned a great deal from him over the years. It’s great that you’ve found a way to heal from the bursitis in your knee. Love the idea of switching up the walking direction. Gonna try this to help strengthen my knees. Thanks for the great videos! I learn something from every single one of them!

[LifeOfaMatt]

Awesome video!!! Thank you! My left knee started giving me a trouble last week. I will try the treadmill exercises tonight. I have a 10k and half marathon coming up and I don’t want my knee stopping me from doing these events! Again thank you!

[dlmk]

Fantastic thank you. I received a great whooping pes anserine because I didn't stretch and ran a 5k first time in years. I'm doing a lot of stretches now and continuing my weight lifting which is the best for me. I've also noticed a high incline on treadmill is helpful like 6 level and 3 mph. Can't wait to try the backwards and side steps! Ty!

[eddiesparks]

Good information. I fell and hit my knee on the sidewalk yesterday afternoon and pain hasn’t been bad. However, I came home and sat on the bed for about an hour doing work on my laptop and when I got up it looked like a tennis ball on top of my knee!!

[AdenaKaiba]

Very interesting and oh so useful, thanks a lot !!

[dannyplabjj]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I love your approach !

[aok]

Hi Lucas, really value your content! 60 year old fit male hiker here from New Zealand.

[rosestewart]

I'm a Senior in my 70's and walking backward especially on a treadmill is Not an option for me. I could experience a fall and at this age....it's dangerous. I have tried acupuncture and it has helped.

[Savvyrose]

I have the kinds of bursitis on the top of my knee and kinda at the start of my thigh, it's on my right knee and it's really swollen for the last few days and I was sitting criss-cross applesauce on my porch trailer or smoking a cigarette and I stood up and I guess I stood up too fast or something but something moved and popped in my knee and now I don't have any pain at the moment 😮 it really hurts hur to know my knee in general and sometimes when I walk the worst is squatting. Im definitely doing these thanks for the video

[ricos]

Thanks Lucas, I will give this a try (I don't have access to a treadmill, but will just run backwards and sideways).

[livetechsupport]

In 2009 I slammed my left knee on a slow bike crash and got infrapatellar bursitis (went away on its own after around 2 weeks). Now in 2024, I landed on my right knee rollerblading and had to do a lot of kneeling for the job and wound up with prepatellar bursitis sticking around past the 2 weeks mark. Activities like hiking definitely inflame it, but I'm going to try and calm it back down naturally through natural things like fish oil and curcumin.

[ryancasey]

I have had this for almost a year now and it’s only gotten worse because I was told it was a cyst. X-rays just told me it’s bursitis and I’m worried it’s too far gone now to not get surgery. I was told to stay off it completely.

[albertraschiatore]

Yeah I just tried that walking backwards wow I can feel the difference. Walking forward my swollen knee on the inside right and top. I can feel it the puffiness. Walking backwards I can't feel it at all. I just walked backwards in the house a little bit and in the driveway. So I've been getting . This inflammation around my knee cap. About three times once a year. The first time it took 24 days for it to go away. The second time it took 11 days. Right now I'm at 8 days. Don't think it will be totally gone by 11 days this time.

[Munrubenmuz]

Good to hear someone say it's a 'guessing' game. Physios act like your body is a car with parts you can just 'fix'.

[ICEFOOL]

Im a bilateral below knee amputee and had an inflamed bursa form on the outer part of my fibula head. I’ve had it for going on a year and a half now and at first it felt like a rock hard marble under my skin. Overtime it has decreased some in size some but now it’s starting aggravate the nerve it sits around. With my condition and having to rely on prosthetics for daily mobility, what would be your recommended method for getting rid of this thing once and for all? Any help would be greatly appreciated.