Cross-legged sitting is a fairly common sitting position, especially among women. But sometimes you feel knee pain from sitting cross legged which is very annoying. You feel like a sharp stabbing pain that comes and goes. In addition, this posture also carries some potential risks for the body and health of each individual. When you sit with your knees crossed or bent under you, you overstretch the ligaments and muscles surrounding your knee. Additionally, this can increase the pressure on your knee joints, resulting in swelling and pain. You should limit how much time you spend bending or crossing your knees. Moreover,  if you feel it recurring and unable to get rid of it. You should visit your doctor and discuss your condition.

How Cross Legs Affect Your Body

Just as we experience knee pain from sitting cross-legged, cross-legs also affect other parts of the body such as the neck and back. So we should be aware of how cross legs affect other parts of the body.  

A Pain In The Neck (And Back And Joints)

When we cross our legs, we apply compression and pressure to our leg and knee joints and nerves. In addition to our health, the way we sit has a significant impact on how our bodies move and function. When you sit with your legs crossed, your hips are uneven and your pelvis has to rotate. When the pelvis isn't stable, it can cause unnecessary pressure on the neck, lower back (lumbar) and middle back (thoracic). As a result, the longer you sit in this position, the more pressure is placed on your knee and spine, increasing the chances of long-term injury.

It Can Affect Your Nerves

Although unlikely to cause permanent nerve damage, this particular and common position does have a direct effect on the peroneal nerve just behind the knee joint. When this nerve is pinched or compromised, it may cause pain. Sitting with your legs crossed often results in stiffness and walking problems, as well as numbness after a prolonged period of sitting.

It Negatively Affects Your Posture

Studies have shown that poor posture affects our joints, slows down digestion, affects our circulation, and even adds to our stress levels. In those who practice proper posture, cortisol levels decrease by 25%, the stress hormone. Cross-legged individuals slouch more frequently and have misaligned spines, so sit up straight instead!

It’s Not Good For Your Circulation

During sitting, your legs struggle against gravity to keep blood flowing as it should, making it even more difficult for blood to circulate to different parts of the body. Vein inflammation (spider veins and varicose veins) may result in a blood clot and raise your blood pressure (hypertension).

For optimal health, maintain a balanced pelvis and sit with your knees and ankles at 90-degree angles. Slowing down and being consistent will help you break the habit of sitting with your legs crossed.

How Sitting Cross-Legged Can Affect Your Knees

When you feel knee pain from sitting cross-legs, you should be aware of what is causing this condition. But if you don't get knee pain in this cross-legged position, you're fine, Duvall says. If you don't sit there all day, this seated stance may even help you stay mobile and keep your joints limber.

"Moving into and out of different positions every day makes your body healthier," she says. You put strain on certain joints, muscles, and ligaments when you repeat the same movements.

By sitting in this pretzel position (along with others), you can add variety to your daily movement patterns and improve the range of motion in your knees and hips. It should be noted, however, that every individual's body is different. Cross-legged sitting can exacerbate pre-existing knee problems if you experience any discomfort in the knees.

Swelling and pain can result from keeping the joint bent for an extended time. This position can also aggravate a meniscus tear, depending on what is wrong at the knee." A meniscus is a piece of rubber cartilage that cushions your shinbone and thigh bone. The cross-legged position, which forces your knee to rotate, is not recommended when you have a torn meniscus.

What To Do If You Feel Knee Pain From Sitting Cross Legged 

If you occasionally sit cross-legged for extended periods of time without experiencing pain, you will not harm your knees. In general, prolonged sitting is not good for your overall health. While you may feel knee pain from sitting cross legged, for a while, even if you have healthy knees.

Perform these mellow movements before standing to ease stiffness and improve mobility in your knees.

1. To assist the joints in moving, slowly and gently bend and straighten your knees.
2. Do five ankle circles in each direction. As a result, the blood will flow and the lower legs and knees will be warmed up.
3. To get movement and rotation above and below the knee, rotate your entire leg at the hip socket in and out.
4. In the final step, fully straighten your legs and gently squeeze your quadriceps while lifting your kneecaps. Squeeze for five seconds, then release and repeat three times.

Following the above-mentioned steps can help you get rid of knee pain when cross legged.

When To Visit Your Doctor

If knee pain when crossed legged occurs only for a while and you get rid of it immediately then you can manage your knee pain at home. But if it is very painful and you are unable to get rid of it you should visit our doctor if you have symptoms like;

• Pain
• Redness
• Tightness 
• Rigidity
• An inability to fully straighten the knee
• Noises such as popping or crunching.

Final Thoughts

Many people suffer from knee pain from sitting cross legged. Sometimes they take it seriously and sometimes they ignore it. But every pain is a signal, so we should never ignore it. Try taking breaks when sitting, walking around the room, and stretching your legs to keep yourself reminded to pay attention to your posture. Finally, you should invest in an ergonomic chair that supports your lower back.