Exercises in a Knee Rehabilitation Program

The knee joint is one of the most active joint in the human body and any sort of disorder or pain can affect the walking and movement of the body as a whole. Rehabilitation programs help and assist those patients having knee issues. Exercises are the most vital part carried out in almost all the knee rehab programs. The exercises are designed for clients suffering from knee injuries, pre and post surgery conditions, and minor and major knee pains and diseases.

Importance of exercise in a knee rehab program

Precisely there are four main reasons:

§  To prevent the muscles that surround the knee

§  To diminish the burden on the knee joint

§  To restore strength and full range of motion

§  To make the knee immune

Knee rehab Exercises

A knee rehab exercise program generally consists of the following exercises:

·         Stretching: Stretching is performed in the first and the last part of almost every rehab programs for knee.  Some of the stretching carried out are:                                            

§  Ham string stretching

§  Quadriceps stretching

§  Calf muscle stretching

·         Exercises designed for ligament injury

§  Heel slide: The Patient is made to sit with legs stretched out. The injured leg is bent slowly while sliding the heel across the floor towards the patient. The leg is moved back in the starting position and can be repeated 8 to 10 times.

§  Isometric contraction of the quadriceps:  The patient is made to sit on the floor with the injured leg straight and the other leg bent. The patient is asked to contract quadriceps of the injured knee without moving the leg and holding it for 10 seconds. It can be repeated 10 times.

§  Prone knee flexion: Patient lies on his stomach with legs straight. The knee is bent slowly with heels moving towards the buttocks. The patient is asked to hold the posture for 5 seconds and relax. It can be repeated 10 times.

§  Passive knee extension: Patient is made to sit on a chair and the heel of the injured leg is placed on another chair of equal height. The patient is asked to relax his knee and allow his knee to straighten.

§  Half squats: The patient is asked to slowly bend his knees and squat lowering his back and thighs into a half squat. The patient should hold the position for about 10 seconds and then return to normal repeating it 10 to 12 times.   

·         Other exercises

§  One leg standing:  The patient is asked to stand on one of his injured leg to make the knee adapted to full body weight. It can be performed for 10 to 15 seconds and 7 to 10 times.

§  Straight leg rises: The patient is asked to raise his leg while he is lied down and slowly lowering the leg after 5 to 10 seconds. Can be performed 3 times.

§  Imaginary bicycling: The patient is asked to lie on the floor and with both legs up and then imitate the pedaling movement in the air.

§  Swimming and hydro exercises: A range of swimming styles and aquatic exercises is developed and executed in knee exercise rehab program. It allows patient to move freely in water eliminating the force of gravity.

A wide range of other exercises are also followed along with the above mentioned exercises in a knee rehabilitation program for the fast recovery and proper working of the knee. The full concentration and focus of the knee rehabilitation exercises is to recover and strengthen muscles surrounding the knee.