Injuries to the knee can be debilitating, impacting one’s ability to walk, run, or participate in daily activities. However, knee physical therapy exercises can help strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee joint, improve flexibility, and reduce pain. It is important to consult with a physical therapist before starting any exercise regimen to ensure that you are performing the exercises correctly and safely.
Quad Sets
“Quad sets help to isometrically strengthen your quadricep muscle,” Prestipino says. “The quad muscles are needed in sitting, standing, squatting and running. Strengthening your quads helps to support the knee joint, helping to decrease pain.” Exercises for knee arthritis, such as leg lifts and kick-backs, can strengthen the muscles around the knee joint and help a person stay active. Swimming and elliptical training are also suitable options.
One common knee physical therapy exercise is the quad set. To perform this exercise, sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Tighten the muscles on the top of your thigh by pressing the back of your knee down into the floor. Hold for a few seconds, then relax. Repeat this exercise several times, working up to three sets of 10 repetitions.
Either way, you might feel like the last thing you should do is get on your feet and move your joint around. But often physical therapy (PT) is what your doctor suggests to get your strength back and put you on the road to recovery. Stretching the muscles that you strengthen is an important part of preventing injury. Strengthening exercises build muscle to help support your knee, but can also tighten the muscles. Gentle stretching after strengthening exercise reduces muscle soreness and will keep your muscles long and flexible.
Straight Leg Raises
“You want to make sure you’re stretching your hamstrings, quads, calves and hip flexors to help address any stiffness you might feel,” says Dr. Orlandi. Research suggests physical therapy may be more beneficial in reducing knee pain than home exercises, so it might be worth looking into options near you. Your hip abductor muscles, located on the outside of your hips, help you to stand, walk, and rotate your legs with ease. Strengthening them can help prevent and treat pain in the hips and knees. Using your body weight to strengthen your quadriceps, rather than a weighted machine, helps keep added pressure off your knees. Straight Leg Raises are simple and will strengthen your quadricep muscles.
Straight leg raises can help strengthen the quadriceps muscles without putting too much strain on the knee joint. To perform this exercise, lie on your back with one leg bent and the other straight. Slowly lift the straight leg up to the height of the bent knee, then lower it back down. Repeat on both legs, aiming for three sets of 10 repetitions.
After the thrombus was detected, the physiotherapist immediately stopped IPC treatment and slightly adjusted exercise therapy and manual therapy to prevent complication occurrence. For acute DVT, however, early walking and stress therapy were recommended by a previous study [13]. After 2 weeks of physical therapy, the circumference of both lower extremities decreased. Studies have shown that 30–40 mmHg pressure socks can effectively reduce lymphedema, and the maintenance effect is also long-term[14].
These are just a few examples of knee physical therapy exercises that can help improve strength and mobility in the knee joint. Remember to always listen to your body and consult with a physical therapist if you experience any pain or discomfort while exercising. With consistency and dedication, these exercises can help you on the path to recovery and improved knee health.
This stretch is good for flexibility and range of motion. Standing leg lifts improve stability, balance, and strength. Stand holding on to a counter or the back of a chair.
Physical therapy can reduce postoperative complications and promote postoperative rehabilitation. In clinical practice, physical therapy is often applied in perioperative patients, and its effects are widely studied and reported in orthopedic surgery but lacking in total pelvic exenteration. Knee exercises recommended by a physical therapist can help reduce knee pain, and also promote healthy movement in your daily life. Strengthening the muscles around your knee means better support for the knee joint, and promoting flexibility can help maintain range of motion in both your muscles and joints. Obturator nerve injury (ONI) is a rare but complex complication after pelvic lymphadenectomy [17]. The most important clinical significance of ONI are adductor muscle weakness and spasm, and paresthesia in the distal medial thigh, which is consistent with this case.
