Knee Rehab Exercises

Amongst all the joints in our body, knee is the one which is most prone to injury. This is because most of the joints in our body have a ball and socket arrangement, due to which a joint is held together by soft tissues, which makes them less prone to injury. But the knees are covered by a knee cap and they support the weight of the body. So when accidents occur, there are chances of knee damages or injuries. However, in such cases either a knee surgery or exercises helps in the recovery of the patients. Knee rehab exercise helps to recover quickly from the injury.

Importance of Knee Exercises

For those who have undergone a knee surgery or an injury, exercise strengthens the muscles that surround the knees. This reduces the burden on the knee joint. People who have weak knee muscles can also work to improve their muscles. Before you undertake any rehab program, you should ensure that it is being conducted by an experienced specialist. Your trainer should start and end the exercise program by simple stretching exercises. You can do a few stretches in the beginning. You should never try to skip this step, as this is like a warm-up set of exercise.

Before you start with the program, make your trainer explain you the important rules of these exercises, and their importance. Know how to stretch and how much to strain your muscles without harming them. The muscles that these rehab centers focus on most are those that surround the knee. These muscles include: hamstring muscles, quadriceps, calf, muscles near the ankles and so on. Stretching should be done very carefully.

You should never overdo these exercises. For the first few days, your trainer will ask you to repeat an exercise two or three times and gradually increase this number. The amount of time spent and the kind of exercises done may vary from one person to another. For example, the exercises done during knee amputation rehab will be completely different for someone who is recovering from a knee surgery.

knee rehabilitation exercise

Hip Muscles: The hip joint is often neglected part of the body. Researches indicate that the hip muscles have an important contribution in strengthening the muscles around the knees. Weak muscles around the hips can lead to pain in the knees. Many physical therapists these days give equal importance to these muscles during the knee rehab program.

An important part of the program of the knee rehab exercises involves low-impact cardiovascular exercises. These exercises help in building the stamina of the patients. Some of these exercises include riding a stationary bicycle, swimming, or other exercises done in the swimming pool, and in some cases walking. You must do them regularly even after the rehab program is over. This will help you to retain good health in the long run.

Most of the knee rehab exercise programs contain following things:

  • Isotonic resistance
  • Stretching and passive motion
  • Eccentric movements

Your trainer or physiotherapist will demonstrate these exercises to you and when you do them he will check that you do them in the correct manner. The result of regularly following a well designed program can be often good and makes one stronger and resistant to injury than before the initial incident.

Typical Home Exercises for Knee Rehab

Here is the typical home exercise program for knee rehab. The exercise programs should include following instructions. But before going for it first consult with your doctor or therapist about its appropriateness and the number of reps.

  1. Exercise to strengthen Ankle: Flex ankle up and down.
  2. Quadriceps sets: Tighten thigh muscles and hold as it is for 5 seconds.
  3. Heel slides: Flex your hip and knee. Return knee to the straight position.
  4. Leg lifts: Keeping knee straight, raise leg 6 inches above the ground.
  5. Knee extension: Place a pillow under your knee. Lift your foot off the mat.
  6. Knee flexion stretch: Place a towel under your heel. Pull your knee towards your chest. Hold your knee in this flexed position for 15-20 seconds. Return knee to the straight position.
These are some of the exercises that will help you to strengthen your muscles. If you experience any pain during the sessions, report it to your care giver immediately.


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