Knee injuries can be very debilitating because you use your knees so often during normal daily activities. You have to flex your knees to sit down, extend them to stand up and repeatedly flex and extend them to walk or run. There are a variety of rehabilitation exercises you can perform following a knee injury to help restore function and prevent re-injury. According to physical therapist Dr. William Prentice, you should first perform flexibility exercises to regain range of motion, followed by exercises to restore strength and power to your knee joint.
Sit-and-Reach
The sit-and-reach stretches the muscles and connective tissues that cross the back of your knees. Perform the stretch by sitting upright with your legs extended forward and feet together. Lean forward until you feel light tension behind your knees and hold for at least 10 seconds.
Side Quadriceps Stretch
The side quadriceps stretch helps restore knee flexion range of motion following a knee injury. It stretches the four quadriceps muscles on the front part of your thigh. To perform the stretch, lie on either side with your legs extended and stacked. Bend your top leg to draw your foot toward your buttocks. Increase the stretch by pulling on your foot with your hand.
Isometric Knee Extension
When you begin to strengthen your knee following an injury, Prentice recommends performing isometric exercises first, followed by dynamic exercises. Isometric exercises reduce the risk for re-injury because they do not require any joint motion. Accordingly, the isometric knee extension exercise strengthens the muscles that extend your knee without any actual knee extension. To perform the exercise, sit in a chair high enough so your feet do not touch the ground. Have a partner hold your ankles and try to extend your knees, but tell your partner to resist so your legs do not actually move. Hold for 10 seconds or more.
Isometric Knee Flexion
Isometric knee flexion strengthens the muscles that flex your knee joint. Lie face down on a bench and have a partner hold your ankles. Attempt to flex your legs, but tell your partner to resist so no movement occurs. Hold for at least 10 seconds.
Lunges
After strengthening the muscles that act on your knee through isometric exercise, you should begin dynamic strengthening exercises to rehabilitate your knee. These exercises utilize your body weight, a barbell, dumbbells or elastic bands to provide resistance through flexion and extension ranges of motion. Lunges are one such exercise that primarily works on the quadriceps muscles. Stand upright and step forward two to three feet with either foot. When your foot lands back on the ground, flex your knees to lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the ground. Then powerfully stand back up and step back to the starting position. Repeat with your opposite leg and continue alternating legs for your desired number of repetitions. Use only your body weight for resistance at first and then hold dumbbells at your sides for extra resistance.
References
- "Essentials of Athletic Injury Management (Seventh Edition)"; William E. Prentice, PhD., A.T.C., P.T.; 2008
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (Second Edition)"; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle; 2000
- American Council on Exercise: Forward Lunge
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