Arthritis Knee Exercise ProgramAre you looking for an arthritis knee exercise program? Knee Osteoarthritis can be managed with following some general osteoarthritis treatment and exercise guidelines. Learn what steps you should follow to reduce your knee joint pain.
General Treatment Concepts
It is important that both stretching and strengthening exercises be performed pain free. You may feel some discomfort with the range of motion exercises but do not push into pain. If you do not have a limitation in your knee range of motion, only follow the strengthening exercises. If you do have ROM restrictions, follow the stretching exercises to increase your mobility first before moving on to the strengthening exercises. As part of a knee exercise program, consider using a stationary exercise bike. Repetitive motion helps to mobilize and lubricate stiff joints. I Water is a great form of exercise for arthritis. If you have access to an arthritis water exercise class, consider incorporating it into your regular exercise routine. Any form of arthritis knee exercise program that you can tolerate is generally encouraged. As any additional body weight can create more stress on knee joints, controlling body weight is an important means of reducing knee stress and pain. If you enjoy and can tolerate walking, biking, swimming, or even Tai Chi, incorporating more exercise into your routine is encouraged. Finally, if exercise alone does not reduce you knee joint pain, consider using a arthritis knee brace to help minimize your pain and improve walking tolerance.
Arthritis Knee Exercise: Stretching
Knee Heel SlidesWhile lying on your back, hook a rope or dog leach around your foot. Use the rope to pull your foot up toward you buttocks, allowing your knee to bend. Bend your knee until you feel a strong stretch. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
Knee Prone HangLie on your stomach with your legs hanging over the edge. Position your leg so that your knee cap is off the edge of the bed. Relax your leg and allow it to hang as straight as possible. Try to let the leg hand for 2-5 minutes. Repeat a couple of times a day.
Arthritis Knee Exercise: Strengthening
Quad SetPosition yourself with the knee as straight as possible. Roll up a hand sized towel and place it directly under the knee. Keeping your heel on the ground, push the back of your knee against the towel. Hold for a count of 5. Repeat 2 sets of 10 repetitions.
Sidelying Hip AbductionLie on your side with the surgical leg on top. Bend the non surgical leg to help keep you balanced. Tighten the quadriceps muscle, keeping your knee as straight as possible. Slowly lift you leg up toward the ceiling. Lift and lower your leg slowly. Repeat 2 sets of 10 repetitions.
Straight Leg RaisePosition yourself lying on your back with the arthritic knee straight and the opposite knee flexed. Tighten the quadriceps muscle on the involved leg. Keeping the muscle tight, lift the leg off the ground and up to the level of the opposite bent knee. Lift and lower leg slowly. Repeat 2 sets of 10 repetitions.
BridgesLie on your back with both knees bent. Keeping your stomach tight, slowly lift your buttocks up off the floor. Hold at the top for a count of 5 seconds. Repeat 2 sets of 10 repetitions.
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ReferencesInt J Rheum Dis. 2011 May;14(2):145-51. doi: 10.1111/j.1756-185X.2011.01612.x.Physiotherapy management of knee osteoarthritis.Page CJ, Hinman RS, Bennell KLJ Physiother. 2011;57(1):11-20.Strength training alone, exercise therapy alone, and exercise therapy with passive manual mobilisation each reduce pain and disability in people with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review.Jansen MJ, Viechtbauer W, Lenssen AF, Hendriks EJ, de Bie RA |
