Gymnastics for diseases of the knee joints

Therapeutic exercises for knee joints

The knee joint is one of the most complex and mobile in the human body. It bears a large load during walking, running, jumping, moving up stairs, and static loads. As a result of injuries, inflammatory and degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the knee joints, the blood supply and nutrition of the tissues deteriorate, the cartilage layer of the intra-articular surfaces of the bones becomes thinner, the menisci are destroyed, and the functioning of the musculo-ligamentous apparatus is disrupted.

Arthritis, osteoarthritis, changes in the integrity of bones and ligaments lead to chronic progressive inflammation and impaired mobility of the knees. To treat diseases, medication, surgical therapy, physiotherapy and exercises to strengthen the knee joints are used. Physical therapy (physical therapy) is prescribed at different stages of the disease and significantly improves the function of the musculoskeletal system.

Objectives and rules of training

A set of therapeutic exercises is prescribed by a doctor depending on the nature and severity of the pathological process, concomitant diseases, and the patient’s age. Full-fledged training begins during the period of subsidence of the acute phase of the disease - reduction of pain, normalization of body temperature, reduction of local inflammatory manifestations. The main goal of gymnastics is:

Exercise therapy can be done in groups under the supervision of a specialist

With daily performance of a set of exercises, the function of the knee joints is restored completely or partially, depending on the degree of disturbance of the anatomical structures.

During exercise therapy classes, you should adhere to the following rules:

• training must be regular, the course of treatment is from 14 to 30 days;
• gymnastics should be done 2-3 times a day for 10-15 minutes, the total exercise time is 30-45 minutes;
• the load on the knee joints should gradually increase, the frequency of exercise repetitions starts from 3-4, increasing to 10-15 in one approach;
• amplitude at the beginning of training is low and increases towards the end of the gymnastic complex;
• each exercise is performed carefully, muscles and ligaments are well worked;
• after physical exercise, you should rest in a lying position on a hard surface with your knees bent, which helps restore blood flow in the trained joints;
• after a set of exercises, you can take a contrast shower, perform self-massage of the affected joint and surrounding soft tissues;
• Gymnastics should not bring discomfort or pain; if discomfort occurs, you should stop training;
• Pain syndrome during subsequent training requires consulting a doctor.

You should not expect a quick positive effect; exercise therapy improves the condition of knees with arthrosis and arthritis as a result of long-term patient treatment, which does not exclude other types of therapy.

A set of exercises using the Evdokimenko method

An effective exercise therapy complex for the rehabilitation of inflammatory and degenerative diseases of the knee joints was created by Russian academician, rheumatologist and psychologist Pavel Valerievich Evdokimenko. Based on his many years of experience, he has developed exercises that have a positive effect on the musculoskeletal system and improve the emotional state to combat the disease.

Most often, dysfunction of the knees occurs with osteoarthritis, which is characterized by the destruction of cartilage and bone tissue, impaired synthesis of synovial fluid, and a decrease in the range of motion of the lower extremities. The disease develops after injury, as a result of metabolic pathology, inflammatory process of the structures of the knee joint (arthritis, periarthritis, bursitis).

The complex structure of the knee joint and its mobility lead to the frequent development of pathology

Before you start physical therapy, you should familiarize yourself with the list of contraindications for exercise:

• arterial hypertension;
• increased intracranial pressure;
• abdominal and inguinal hernias;
• acute blood diseases;
• severe chronic heart and vascular diseases;
• acute inflammatory process in internal organs;
• increased body temperature;
• menstrual bleeding;
• postoperative recovery period for a month.

The physical training complex for arthrosis of the knee joint includes 9 exercises that must be performed in the proposed sequence.

1. Lying on your stomach, arms along your body. One by one, we raise the straightened leg up to a distance of about 15 cm from the floor and hold it suspended for 40 seconds. In this case, the pelvis is tightly fixed, and movements are carried out by the muscles of the thighs and abdomen.
2. The starting position is the same. Bend your left leg at the knee joint at an angle of 90 degrees and slowly lift it to a height of 10 cm from the floor, holding it there for at least 10 seconds. Then perform the exercise with your right leg.
3. The starting position is the same. Slowly raise both legs to the maximum possible height, then smoothly, without jerking, spread your legs apart and bring them together. Exercise may increase blood pressure and should be performed with caution by patients suffering from coronary heart disease and hypertension.
4. While lying on your right side, bend your leg of the same name, and straighten your left lower limb and lift it as high as possible, hold for 20-30 seconds. Then repeat the exercise on your left side.
5. Sitting on a chair, alternately straighten and raise your leg, holding it there for up to a minute. If your knees hurt a lot when doing gymnastics, reduce the range of motion until the discomfort stops.
6. Turn your face to the back of the chair in a standing position and, holding it with your hands, smoothly rise onto your toes, stay in this position for 3 seconds and lower your feet to the floor.
7. The starting position is the same. Now you need to stand on your heels, lifting your feet up as much as possible.
8. The starting position is the same. Raise your left leg onto your toes while your right leg is motionless, then do this exercise with the other leg. It turns out to be a roll from one leg to the other. Feel the blood rush to your knees.
9. At the end of the gymnastics complex, perform self-massage on the anterior-lateral surface of the thigh from the knee joint to the groin for 5 minutes. First, rub the skin, then knead the muscles, and at the end of the procedure, stroke. After the massage you should feel a pleasant warmth.

Joint gymnastics using the Evdokimenko method is available for patients of all age categories

Exercises for knee arthrosis improve its motor function and relieve pain from the first days of exercise, however, to consolidate the positive effect, it is important to undergo a full course of physical therapy. To perform gymnastics correctly, you should consult a doctor who will help you determine the training technique. In addition, there are numerous visual videos on the Internet that explain in detail the features of exercises for diseases of the knee joint.

Exercise therapy for the knees effectively restores their functional activity and is an important part of the complex treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The correct approach and following the recommendations of a specialist when performing gymnastics will help maintain the health of the knee joints and prevent the progression of the pathological process.

Therapeutic exercises for knee joints

The three videos on this page present a set of exercises for treating knee joints.

Indications for therapeutic exercises.

Exercises from the video are useful for knee diseases :

— to restore the knee after knee surgery;

— to restore the knee joint after knee injuries and tendon sprains.

Gymnastics for the treatment of knee joints, part 1

I would like to clarify that the first video presents a basic, that is, an initial set of exercises with which you need to start treating knee joints. And gradually the load needs to be increased.

This is especially true for the first 2 exercises. Over time, after about a month, when performing these exercises you will need to do 12-15 lifts with each leg - and not 5-6, as in the video.

When you learn how to easily and smoothly do exercises from the basic complex, proceed to mastering the extended set of exercises from the following video:

Gymnastics for the treatment of knee joints, part 2

In the future, it is best to practice alternating both complexes. Let's say on Monday, Wednesday and Friday you do a basic set of exercises (gymnastics for the knees, part 1).

And on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (or Sunday) - an extended complex (gymnastics for the knees, part 2).

And one day a week, Saturday or Sunday, is a day off.

Gymnastics for the knee and hip joints, part 3 - office version

Gymnastics for knees and hip joints, part 3 - these are exercises that can be done in any conditions - at home, at work, in the office or in the country. All you need to study is a chair and just a little free space!

You can do exercises from the third complex daily or every other day - as an addition to gymnastics for the knees, part 1 or part 2.

More information about this complex is described here:

Contraindications to therapeutic exercises

Therapeutic exercises for knee joints is a fairly serious treatment method that has its own contraindications.

Despite their usefulness, these exercises cannot be performed:

• on menstruation days in women;

• with significantly increased arterial and intracranial pressure;

• at elevated body temperature (above 37.5 ºС); for influenza, ARVI and sore throat - you need to wait for recovery and wait another 3-4 days;

• in the first month after operations on the abdominal and thoracic organs;

• for inguinal hernias and abdominal hernias;

• for acute diseases of internal organs, for example, with appendicitis, exacerbation of cholelithiasis or exacerbation of cholecystitis, etc.;

• with severe heart damage and severe blood diseases.

If a particular exercise causes sharp pain, it means that it is contraindicated for you or you are doing it incorrectly. In this case, it is better not to do it, or at least postpone it until you consult with your doctor.

Rules for performing exercises

The main rule is that when doing gymnastics, do not rush. If you want to recover, you will somehow have to train yourself to do the exercises slowly and smoothly, without jerking.

Snatching will only tear muscles and damage joints, and will do you absolutely no good.

Remember that even if you perform gymnastics correctly, improvement does not come immediately. In the first 2 weeks of training, joint pain may even increase slightly. But after 3 - 4 weeks you will feel the first signs of improvement in your well-being.

I wish you the will and perseverance necessary to regain your former ease of movement!

Sincerely, your doctor Evdokimenko.

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Medical practice of health

spine?

10. does your back hurt?
11. Are you tormented by radiculitis?
12. Does your child develop scoliosis?
13. Are you worried about frequent headaches?
14. discovered a hernia

    intervertebral disc or arthrosis?

Gymnastics for joint diseases

In some patients, osteoarthritis causes severe pain in the joints, most often in the knees. Doctors prescribe painkillers, but there are cases when yoga is so effective that the pain goes away.

15. Perform exercises at least four times a week, after a warm shower.
16. You should not make sudden movements; exercises should be performed slowly and be sure to stop if pain occurs.
17. If arthritis is diagnosed, you need to exercise especially carefully. Excessive tension can cause damage.
18. If you have back pain or a hernia, do not do exercise 3.
19. Listen to your own sensations during exercise and exclude those movements that cause pain.
20. Before starting classes, you should definitely consult with a specialist.

A set of yoga exercises that help treat arthritis:

Lie on your back, straighten your legs, arms along your body. Pull your right knee to your chest; if you have pain in your left hip, then start with your left knee. Make 5 rotational movements with your right foot in one direction and then in the other. Then slowly make 5 circles with your right knee to the right and left, as if you were trying to draw circles on the ceiling.

As before, bend your right leg and place your foot next to your left knee. Extend your left toes as far as possible. Throw your arms behind your head, clasp your elbows with your hands and try to lengthen your body.

Without lifting your right foot from your left leg, lower your right leg bent at the knee to the floor so as not to experience discomfort from its excessive tension. At the same time, do not lift your left leg and buttocks from the floor. The first time you do this exercise, you can place a pad under your right knee.

Inhale deeply 3 times. You can use your hands to help your right knee take its place above your stomach, and then smoothly straighten your leg and place it on the floor. Repeat this exercise with the other leg.

Exercise “torso rotation”.

Stand facing the seat of the chair. Bend your right leg at the knee and place it on the seat or on the bar under the seat so that your thigh is parallel to the floor and your knee is directly above your ankle.

Place your left palm on the outside of your right knee and, without moving your right leg, turn your body to the right. Place your right hand behind your body, palm outward, and try to reach your left thigh.

Turn your head to the right and look over your right shoulder, trying not to strain your neck too much. Do not bend your back while doing this.

Inhale deeply 3 to 10 times. Every time you inhale air, try to straighten your back as much as possible and seem to become taller. As you exhale, tilt your body slightly to the right, maintaining balance with your arms.

Slowly return your head to its normal position, look straight ahead and lower your arms to your sides. Repeat this exercise, starting with your left leg.

Straighten up to your full height and place your feet shoulder-width apart. Perform this and the following exercises slowly, taking 3 to 10 deep breaths during each exercise. Extend your arms forward to shoulder height, palms down. Raise your hands, place your palms in front of you, as if you were signaling someone to stop. The fingers should be spread apart.

Bend your elbows slightly, clench your palms into fists. Open your palms and touch each other with your thumb in turn so that they form the letter “O”, as shown in the figure.

Extend your arms out to the sides as if you wanted to push the walls apart. Fingers point down. Make 15 small circles with each palm in one direction, and then in the other.

Interlock your fingers, stretch your arms in front of you and make 15 circles clockwise and the same number counterclockwise.

Lower your arms and turn your head to look over your right shoulder. Repeat this movement, looking over your left shoulder. Now look straight ahead and try to touch your right ear to your right shoulder, and then your left ear to your left. Lower your chin to your chest and then return it to its normal position.

Place your hands on your hips and slightly bend your knees. Imagine that you are standing inside an almost empty jam jar and trying, by rotating your hips and buttocks, to collect the remaining jam from the walls of the jar. Perform rotations 5 times in each direction.

This is followed by walking in place for 30 seconds. Afterwards you need to stand on your toes for 5 seconds and slowly lower your feet to the floor.

Therapeutic exercises for joints

Therapeutic gymnastics for joints. One of the main causes of joint dysfunction, as your first highlight , is physical inactivity. A modern person moves little, spends a lot of time sitting on the way to work and back home from work, and often sits at work. Therefore, therapeutic exercises for joints, aimed at strengthening the joints, restoring their mobility and flexibility, becomes a vital necessity. Therapeutic exercises will help with rheumatic diseases such as arthrosis, arthritis, gout, osteochondrosis, radiculitis.

You can choose the necessary exercises yourself. The main thing is to work out all the muscles and joints - from the cervical vertebrae to the feet. You need to do joint exercises for at least 30 minutes.

In each session, you need to pay more attention to one muscle group than to others, in order to more thoroughly work out the joints. All movements - rotations, bending, extension, turns - must be performed at a slow pace. It is also good to carry out self-massage of the feet and hands - fingers and palms.

The program of therapeutic exercises for joints should include not only light relaxing exercises, but also exercises to create tension in one or another area of ​​the body using your own muscle effort (you can simply bend your arm, or you can tense your muscles and bend it, overcoming resistance). Due to this, the ligaments are trained, compression is removed from the joints, even in such large ones as the shoulder, knee, elbow, and hip.

Your I zest offers several simple, but at the same time effective exercises for working the main joints: elbows, shoulders, knees and feet.

Exercises for working out the elbow joints

1. I.p. – standing or sitting. Shoulders are parallel to the floor, forearms are freely lowered, bend your arms at the elbows, clench your hands into a soft fist.

Make rotational movements with your forearms around the elbow joints - 10 times, first in one direction and then in the other direction. It is important to ensure that your shoulders do not move.

2. I.p. - Same. Now do circular rotations with your forearms towards you -10 times, and then away from you.

Exercises to work out the shoulder joints

I.p. – standing, arms hanging freely along the body. Begin to rotate your right arm in the frontal plane in front of you, gradually increasing the speed of rotation. If you do everything correctly, your hands will feel heavy and slightly swollen. Do 10 rotations clockwise and then counterclockwise. Train the left shoulder joint in the same way.

I.p. - standing, feet shoulder-width apart, arms hanging freely along the body. Start to rotate both straight arms at the same time, making large circles with them, as shown in the figure.

Exercises for working your feet

I.p. - standing or sitting. If you are standing, rest your hand on the wall or the back of a chair. Bend your knee so that your thigh is parallel to the floor and rotate your shin clockwise 10 times and then counterclockwise 10 times.

Do the same with the other shin, changing the position of your arms and legs. If you are sitting, then when performing the exercise, it is enough to raise your leg forward and rotate your foot 10 times to the left and then to the right, keeping your leg hanging.

Exercises to work out the knee joints

I.p. - standing. Place your feet slightly wider than your shoulders, knees bent, and place your palms on your kneecaps. Your feet should be parallel, with your toes turned slightly inward. Keep your back straight, don't lower your head, look straight ahead. Make circular movements with your knees - first 10 times inward, then the same number outward (hands on your knees help rotation). At the end of each circular movement, the knees are fully extended.

You can include these exercises as part of a back flexibility routine or as part of your daily exercise routine.

If your neck gets tired due to sedentary work, then to strengthen it and work out the vertebrae of the cervical spine, you can perform exercises from relaxing gymnastics for the neck.

And at the very end, Your First Zest offers you to watch two videos. The first gives an example of a short warm-up and working out the main joints of a person, starting from the toes and ending with the cervical spine.

In the second video, you can see how you can do a simple set of exercises for older people at home, which contains easy, feasible exercises that include exercises to develop mobility and strengthen joints.

Osteoarthritis of the knee joint: therapeutic exercises

Arthrosis (osteoarthrosis) of the knee joint is a chronic disease consisting of degeneration of articular cartilage and its gradual destruction. It is impossible to completely get rid of this pathology - no medications or procedures will help to completely restore the structure of the cartilage. However, almost everyone can slow down the progression of osteoarthritis - they should regularly undergo courses of treatment with appropriate medications, in addition to which they should use physical therapy methods, one of which is therapeutic exercises, or exercise therapy.

From our article you will learn about the basic rules of exercise therapy and get acquainted with some exercises that a patient should perform in order to alleviate his condition.

Exercise therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee joints: what you need to know

Therapeutic gymnastics for this disease is carried out with the aim of strengthening the muscular-ligamentous apparatus of the knee joint, without loading the joint itself. It is for this reason that the vast majority of exercises in the complex are performed from a lying position or sitting on a chair.

Engaging in physical therapy is allowed only if the disease is in remission - there is no redness, synovitis or severe pain in the area of ​​the affected joints. If signs of inflammation are present (osteoarthritis is in the acute stage), you should first undergo a course of anti-inflammatory therapy in a hospital or outpatient setting and only then perform exercises.

Not all exercises are approved for use by a specific patient. So before you start classes, you should visit your primary care physician, rheumatologist or arthrologist. Only a specialist will “give the go-ahead” to carry out the entire complex of exercise therapy or prohibit performing certain exercises.

During exercise, you should not experience pain, much less tolerate it. If pain does appear, you should stop training and reduce the number of repetitions during the next one. If the pain persists even after these steps, it would be a good idea to seek advice from a specialist.

The exercises must be performed regularly - 2-3 repetitions daily, without skipping. Only this approach will help you feel the result. The other side of the coin is overload. Don't think that a high number of repetitions will get you closer to your desired goal faster. In this way, you will only make things worse for yourself - the disease will worsen or the degenerative process will accelerate.

Improvements today, tomorrow and even after a week of daily exercise should not be expected - do not entertain yourself with illusions... After all, the joints have been damaged and destroyed for many years, and it also takes enough time for at least partial restoration of cartilage tissue. In parallel with exercise therapy, follow other recommendations for the treatment of osteoarthritis: eliminate increased dynamic loads on the knees (working in the garden while kneeling is absolutely not for you), carry out regular activities to strengthen the whole body - walks in the fresh air, general strengthening exercises. Never listen to “good” advice that the best cure for osteoarthritis is exercise for the knee joints in the form of walking on all fours. This is simply a huge load on the knees, as a result of which osteoarthritis will worsen.

If you are obese, you should begin treatment for osteoarthritis not with exercise therapy, but with weight loss. Excess weight significantly increases the load on the knee joints, and until you normalize it, unfortunately, you will not get a significant effect from therapeutic exercises.

Rules for conducting classes

• Work out in comfortable sportswear and sneakers that fit properly, with hard rubber soles 2-3 cm thick and a soft elastic upper. Experts do not recommend training barefoot, as this increases the risk of foot injury.
• Each exercise should be performed smoothly, without jerking, focusing your attention on the sensations in the sore knee.
• As you lift and lower your leg, imagine how blood flows to the affected joint and supplies it with oxygen and other necessary substances, as a result of which it is restored.
• At the beginning of your workout, relax your limb. This will improve blood flow to the knee, making exercise easier.
• They begin the exercise therapy course with simple exercises, and as they get used to such a load, they introduce more complex ones into the training.
• Each exercise is first performed slowly and with low amplitude, gradually increasing these indicators.
• As mentioned above, it is necessary to allocate 30-40 minutes to classes every day, but not in one approach, but dividing them into 2-3 for 10-15-20 minutes. Between approaches, the joint needs to rest for 4-6 hours - this is how long it takes for the regeneration of damaged cartilage to be completed successfully.
• When the set of exercises is completed, it is recommended to lie down for a while with your legs extended and relax. In addition, you can do a massage or self-massage of the knee joint area, the technique of which we will describe below.

Osteoarthritis of the knee joints: a set of exercises

• Starting position (hereinafter – IP) – lying on the floor face down, legs straight, arms along the body. Smoothly lift one leg, without bending it, 15-20 cm from the floor, freeze for half a minute, calmly lower it, relax for 10-15 seconds. Do the same with the second leg. Repetitions of this exercise are not required, that is, the frequency of execution is 1 time.
• IP is similar to the first exercise. Smoothly lift one straightened leg to a height of 15 cm, hold it for a few seconds, and lower it back to the floor. Rest for 1-2 seconds. Perform 10-20 times with each leg alternately.
• IP - lying on your stomach, arms extended along the body. One leg is straight, the other is bent at the knee 90°. Carefully lift your second leg, without straightening it at the joint, 10-15 cm from the floor and freeze for half a minute, smoothly lower your leg, straightening it. Relax. Repeat with the other leg. Frequency of repetitions – 1 time.
• IP is similar to exercise 3. It should be performed in the same way, but with a pause not of half a minute, but only for 1-2 seconds. Lowering the limb, relax for a couple of seconds and repeat 10 times with each leg.
• IP - lying on your back with straight legs and arms extended along the body. Slowly raise your legs, without bending them, 10 cm from the floor, gently spread them apart, then bring them together. Do not lower your feet to the floor, but repeat your actions 8-10 times. Lower your legs. Relax. If you have difficulty doing this exercise, skip it.
• IP - lying on your side with the lower leg bent at the knee. Gently lift your upper leg 45° from the floor, hold it in this position for half a minute, gently lower it, and relax. Turn onto the other side and repeat the exercise with the other leg.
• IP - sitting on a chair, legs bent at the knees at a right angle. Smoothly straighten your leg at the knee and lift it above the horizontal plane - as much as possible. Freeze for half a minute or a minute, carefully lower your leg into the IP. Relax. Repeat the exercise for the second leg. The frequency of the exercise is 2-3 times for each limb.
• IP - standing, slightly touching the back of the chair in front. Rise onto your toes and hold in this position for 60 seconds, and then smoothly return to the IP. Repetition frequency – 1 time.
• The IP and method of execution are similar to exercise 8, but you should only linger while standing on your tiptoes for a few seconds. Repeat the exercise 10-15 times.
• IP – similar to the IP in the previous exercise. As far as possible, lift yourself onto the toes of one leg (the other one is on the floor with its entire foot), slowly change the position to the opposite, then “roll” back. Repeat these steps for 60 seconds.
• IP – similar to the three previous exercises. Lift your toes and entire forefoot as high as possible, maintaining support on your heels. Freeze for 1 minute, smoothly return to IP.
• The IP and method of execution are the same, but you should freeze in an elevated position only for a few seconds, then relax for a moment and repeat the exercise. The repetition rate is 10-15.
• IP - sitting on a couch or bed, with your left leg straightened in front of you and your right leg lowered. Make a half-turn of your body to the left, placing your hands on the knee of your straightened leg. As you exhale, bend forward three times, pressing on your knee as if trying to straighten it. Return to IP. Repeat with the right leg.
• IP - sitting on the bed, legs straight, hands on knees. Tighten your thigh muscles as much as possible, leave them in this state for half a minute, and relax. Repeat 15-20 times. When the thigh muscles are tense, the popliteal fossa should be pressed into the bed.

Self-massage technique

As mentioned above, the final stage of each set of exercises should be a massage. It helps to activate blood flow in the area of ​​the knee joints and accelerate the processes of regeneration of articular cartilage. Ideally, massage should be performed after taking a warm, relaxing bath or visiting a sauna.

The intensity of the effects directly depends on the individual sensitivity of the tissues (you should not experience pain).

You can ask someone from your family to give you a massage, or you can do it yourself, based on the following recommendations:

• The first stage is a massage of the thigh muscles. The following massage effects replace each other: stroking, squeezing with knuckles and the edge of the palm, shaking, circular kneading. The manipulations should be repeated 3-4 times each.
• The second stage is a massage of the knee joint area: you should stroke the lateral areas of the joint, rubbing it with the base of your palm both straight and in a circle.
• The third, fourth, fifth stages are a less intense and shorter massage of the thigh muscles, then a knee massage again, followed by a thigh massage again.
• The sixth stage is active physical exercise: flexion and extension of the lower extremities at the knee joint 5-7 times, circular movements of the lower leg and foot.
• The final stage is a massage of the thigh, and then the knee joint.

Other physiotherapy for arthrosis of the knee joints

In the treatment of osteoarthritis, exercise therapy can be combined with other physiotherapy techniques. Electrophoresis, ultrasound radiation, laser and other types of phototherapy work best on joints affected by this disease. Among non-traditional treatment methods, experts recommend hatha yoga.

For a number of diseases, physiotherapy is contraindicated, as it can harm the patient’s health. Such diseases are:

21. severe cardiovascular pathology;
22. active form of tuberculosis;
23. acute inflammatory processes of any localization;
24. oncopathology;
25. increased bleeding;
26. exhaustion;
27. pregnancy period.

In conclusion of the article, we would like to repeat: despite the fact that osteoarthritis is a steadily progressing degenerative disease of articular cartilage, adequate complex therapy will help to significantly slow down the rate of its development, one of the leading places in which is physical therapy, or exercise therapy. By doing the exercises regularly, day after day, while simultaneously following other treatment recommendations, you will probably soon feel the results.

Video of a set of exercises for the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joints.

Exercise therapy complex for the treatment and prevention of diseases of the knee joints

Physical exercises for the knee joint are limited in their variety: there are not many of them, but they are effective in the treatment of many diseases, including arthrosis, osteoporosis and meniscus injuries/fractures.

In this case, knee exercises are used both as treatment and for the rehabilitation of an injured knee. During exercise, not only the joint is strengthened, but also the tendons (ligaments) and knee muscles.

There is no treatment for developing the knee joint without loading: in any case, at least a minimal warm-up with exercises is required.

1 Why do you need a warm-up for healthy knees?

Some may ask: why do a set of exercises for healthy knees? Isn't daily movement enough to keep them in good condition?

No, usually not enough. Especially in the modern world, when both rest and work are somehow associated with inactivity (for most people). Everyday movements such as walking from home to work and from work to home are clearly not enough.

Exercise therapy is indicated for pain in the knee joints

This lifestyle will sooner or later lead to knee joint disease, so training is required for them. Through training, you can strengthen not only the joint, but also the muscular-ligamentous system. The stronger it is, the less chance of developing knee diseases/injuries.

For healthy people, regular daily exercise is enough: at least 20 minutes a day. It is recommended to perform specialized exercise therapy complexes (for example, according to Evdokimenko or Bubnovsky).

Sport is not always a preventative measure. In some cases, it is the opposite: it can lead to injuries or diseases of the joint due to excessive physical exertion. Therefore, athletes also need special exercise therapy for their legs.

A set of exercises should be prescribed by a doctor (traumatologist, orthopedist, or even a therapist), or a rehabilitation specialist.

1.1 When and how often should it be done?

It’s completely pointless to limit yourself to a couple of classes a month; it won’t do any good. There must be a systematic approach to classes, especially if we are talking not about prevention, but about the treatment of existing joint diseases.

Warming up the knee ligaments

Without a systematic approach, it will not be possible to perform exercises incrementally. After all, splits require long-term preparation and stretching of muscles and tendons, the same is true in terms of treating knee joints.

That is, ideally, you need to perform the simplest elements for the first month or two, and then gradually move on to the most difficult ones. The reverse sequence is extremely dangerous due to injuries and ruptures of the muscular-ligamentous apparatus, and even aggravation of the existing pathology.

It turns out that to treat knee diseases, you should engage in exercise therapy for at least a year, even if the pain and other symptoms went away much earlier (this is not a guarantee of recovery). Classes should be held every other day so that the body has time to rest and regenerate damaged tissues.

There are fewer requirements for prevention: it is enough to spend 10-15 minutes warming up the knee joints 2-4 times a week. But you need to do it constantly, throughout your life. This does not guarantee protection against knee diseases, but it significantly reduces the risk of their occurrence.

2 For what knee joint problems is exercise therapy used?

Therapeutic exercise is used for existing diseases or pathological conditions (for example, after injuries) of the knees. Naturally, depending on the disease, an individual set of therapeutic exercises is selected.

A set of exercises for the knee joint

Exercise therapy is effective for the following pathologies of the knee joints:

28. the course of inflammatory processes after surgery (including joint replacement);
29. with the consequences of surgery (for example, with rupture of endoprosthetics, with inflammation after arthroscopy);
30. with bursitis, synovitis, Baker's cyst;
31. after dislocation or subluxation of the knee joint;
32. in the presence of arthritis (including psoriatic, secondary), arthrosis, gonarthrosis;
33. with partial immobilization after a period of prolonged immobility of the limbs (for example, if the leg was fixed in a cast for a long time);
34. for autoimmune diseases of the articular system (for example, ankylosing spondylitis) as a way to slow the progression of knee immobilization;
35. for knee bruises, rotational/axial injuries (which often happens in athletes, especially sprinters), pain after injury (not only in the knee, but also behind it);
36. with instability in the ligamentous-muscular system due to clubfoot or long-term flatfoot;
37. with deformation of the lower extremities due to severe scoliosis.

3 Exercises to warm up a healthy knee joint

The first rule of warming up, even for healthy knee joints: before starting, you need to stretch the muscles, stretch and warm up the joint, and only then start doing the main exercises.

How to do a preparatory warm-up? In most cases, doing a few slow squats and walking in circles for a few minutes is enough.

Warm up the knee joints

List of strengthening exercises for a healthy knee joint:

38. Move 20 centimeters away from the wall and press your shoulder to it on either side. After this, perform slow squats, lowering towards the ground until your thigh touches the wall.
39. Stand up straight, cross your right leg over your left, placing it forward. After this, slowly tilt the left side of your body in the opposite direction, stretching your arms above you. Make sure that your legs do not bend at the knees while bending.
40. Place your hands on the wall and squat on one leg, while flexing the other. This exercise is only suitable for physically strong people, otherwise injuries to the knee joint may occur.
41. Step your foot forward to the length of a long stride. Start squatting, and during the squat the angle at the knee of the exposed leg should be approximately 90 degrees. Keep your back straight, the load should fall mainly on the heel, and the knee should not go through the line of the toe.

4 Therapeutic exercises for knee joints in diseases

With joints already affected by diseases, things are somewhat more complicated. Here we need more gentle exercises that are guaranteed not to lead to an exacerbation or progression of the disease. We will present a list of several safe exercises, but ideally you should contact your doctor to prepare an individual exercise plan.

Exercises for pain in the knee joints

List of therapeutic exercises:

42. very slowly lift your right leg straight at the knee 10-15 centimeters from the floor and hold it in the air for 30 seconds, then slowly lower it, rest a little, and repeat the exercise for the other leg;
43. slowly lift your left leg bent at the knee 10 centimeters from the ground and hold it in the air for about 30 seconds, then slowly lower it to its original position and give a little rest, repeating the exercise on the other limb;
44. lie on your stomach, straighten your legs, stretch your arms along your body, then slowly lift your legs (keeping them straight) to a height of 15 centimeters above the floor and holding them in the air, spread them apart, then hold them in this position for a while and return to the starting position ;
45. sit on a chair, straighten your left leg at the knee and lift it in a straight position as high as possible, then hold it there for 30 seconds or a minute (depending on your endurance, but not through pain!).

4.1 Exercises to develop the knee after injury

Exercises designed to develop knee joints after injuries and bruises are quite specific and differ from therapeutic exercises. It's all about the nature of the damage to the joint tissue: in diseases, inflammatory processes are usually pronounced, while in injuries, swelling occurs and the level of blood supply decreases.

A set of exercises for the knee joints

Exercises for knees after injuries:

46. Lie on your right side, then bend your right leg at the knee and straighten your left leg as much as possible. Next, lift your left leg and hold it in the air at an angle of 45 degrees for half a minute, then slowly lower it and relax. Roll over to the other side and repeat the exercise on the other side.
47. Sit on a chair, straighten your right leg as slowly as possible and lift it while keeping it straight. In this position, you need to hold your leg in the air for 30 seconds, then return it to its original position and let yourself rest. Then repeat the exercise on your left leg.
48. Stand up straight, straighten up, grab the back of the chair (for balance). Rest on your heels, then lift your toes higher and hold them in this position for a minute. After this, lower your fingers and rest for a while.
49. Finish the gymnastics with self-massage of the knee and thigh areas. Perform vigorous self-massage, massaging the upper layers of the thigh muscles and very carefully the surface of the knee joint. 3-5 minutes of self-massage is enough.

5 Dangerous Exercises for Your Knees

There are extremely dangerous exercises for the knee that will do nothing but harm. To avoid performing such exercises, you need to consult a doctor who will determine the prohibitions in each case and select only useful exercises.

Healthy and arthrotic knee

List of harmful exercises for knee joints (if you have knee diseases or after injuries):

50. Any methods of “pumping up” the knee joints while ignoring pain or crunching in them while performing these same exercises. Remember: you can’t exercise through pain.
51. Rotational and axial exercises involving twisting the leg. Such elements are dangerous primarily due to injury to the meniscus, and in some cases so severe that an expensive operation may be required.
52. Any exercise that creates discomfort. Does your knee hurt while stretching or even warming up? This means you are either doing something wrong, or these particular stretching or warming up elements are not suitable for you.
53. Jumping elements. That is, any exercises that involve jumping while performing them are prohibited (for example, jumping rope). With existing joint diseases, jumping will simply lead to the destruction of joint tissue and the progression of the underlying disease.
54. Run. In case of severe illness (or after injury), running, even slow, is contraindicated in most cases.

Exercises for knee pain: Exercise therapy for sore joints

Knee pain can bother people of any gender and age; discomfort and unpleasant sensations lead to limited mobility, which means a forced change in the usual lifestyle and decreased performance.

If you have knee pain, it is impossible to fully engage in sports, household chores, or simply relax.

Therefore, everyone who experiences them more or less often strives to get rid of them. Knee pain can be a consequence of excessive exercise, overwork, or injury.

But often they are a sign of the initial stage of joint pathology, which, if left untreated, can lead to complete loss of mobility and disability.

Even with rare and not very severe pain in the knees, it is worth starting to perform exercises that help strengthen the knee joint, muscle tissue and ligaments surrounding it.

These are the anterior and posterior muscles of the thigh, the adductor femoris muscle - they are the support for the joint and protect it from excessive stress and injury if fully developed.

Exercises to strengthen the knee joint

There are special exercises that will help eliminate annoying, excruciating pain in the knee and at the same time make it stronger, more mobile, and more resistant to stress.

You should work out and train the joints of your legs regularly, and then within a few weeks the result will be noticeable: the pain will become much less severe, and the mobility of the joint will improve.

Leg bending and extension in a sitting position:

55. You should sit on one chair and place your feet on another so that your knees are slightly bent.
56. Then you need to pull your knees down, tensing your muscles.
57. Stay in this position for a few seconds and slowly return to the starting position.
58. Repeat the exercise 5 to 7 times.

Leg extension in a lying position. You need to lie on the floor, on your back, with your right leg bent at the knee. Slowly, straighten it, resting your heel on the floor until it lies on the floor parallel to your left straight leg.

Just as slowly return to the starting position. For each leg, repeat the exercise at least five times.

Leg bending and extension with a towel.

1. You need to sit on a chair, take a long towel, place one foot in the middle, and take the ends in both hands.
2. Now you should slowly pull the ends of the towel so that the foot rises and the leg bends at the knee.
3. Hold this position for a few seconds, then just as slowly and carefully return the leg to its original position, gradually releasing the edges of the towel.
4. For the left and right legs, the exercise is repeated five times.

Exercise to stretch the hamstrings. To perform the exercise, you need to stand straight with one leg forward. Slowly bend your leg at the knee until tension begins to be felt in the femoral muscle.

Hold this position for a few seconds - it is important to keep your back straight and your toes together - and then slowly straighten your knee. Do five repetitions for each leg.

Strength stretching exercise. This exercise is not suitable for all patients, therefore it can be performed only after the doctor’s permission, if the disease is not in an acute or advanced stage. Large loads on the joint can worsen its condition and accelerate the development of the disease.

There are several options for performing the exercise. You can do squats with one leg resting on the wall. While sitting on a chair, you can raise your legs straight or bent. To prevent pain in the joint, strengthen and stretch the ligaments and muscle tissue around the knee joint, in a standing position, raise the bent knee as high as possible.

More than 50% of patients, doing exercises daily, after 2-3 weeks noted that the pain became significantly weaker, and the knee joint became stronger and more mobile after starting exercises for the knee joint.

Even after playing sports or working on my feet for a day, the pain did not recur, and I did not feel severe fatigue or heaviness in the knee.

Categories : Lower extremity pain