Tearing the meniscus of your knee can be an excruciating experience. This most often occurs if you twist your knee with a planted foot on the ground. A meniscal knee rehabilitation program designed to restore mobility, strength, and normal function to your knee is important. Weight bearing such as squatting and kneeling is contraindicated in order to allow the meniscus to properly heal. It is best to consult your physician or therapist before embarking on this program, however.
Beginning Meniscal Knee Strengthening Exercises
Rehabilitation for the first three weeks following a meniscal repair emphasizes strengthening of the front of your thigh, or quadriceps muscle, otherwise known as quad sets. Start by lying on your back with your knee straight. Tighten your thigh, pushing your knee further into the surface. Repeat 100 times per day. Then, with the unaffected knee bent with the foot flat on a surface, lift your straightened leg six to eight inches. Repeat this straight leg lift while lying on each side, and on your stomach. While lying on your back, you can also place a small roll under your knee and straighten it. Next, sit on a table or bed, and raise your knee towards the ceiling. You can also straighten your knee fully. All exercises should be held for three seconds and repeated 10 times, once or twice.
Unless you have ruptured your quadriceps muscle, these exercises will increase your knee strengthen and are risk-free.
Restore Normal Knee Mobility
Restoring normal knee mobility is also a rehabilitation goal for the first three weeks following meniscal surgery. Begin back lying with your knee straight. Slowly slide your heel toward your buttock to comfort level. Be careful not to bend your knee more than 90 degrees. It is also important that your knee straighten fully. You can do this by lying on your stomach, letting your calf hang over the bed's edge, and holding this position for one to two minutes.
Again, unless you have ruptured a muscle, these exercises are designed to restore your knee mobility and are risk-free.
Hamstring and Calf Stretching Exercises
Stretching your calf and hamstrings is also important. Stretch your hamstrings by either standing and placing your straightened leg on a chair, or sitting with your affected limb straight in front of you, and reach for your toes. Stretch your calf by facing a wall, your affected limb three to five inches behind the unaffected limb, and then lunge toward the wall. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds, and perform the stretch three times.
Closed Chain Strengthening
After three weeks of performing the aforementioned exercises, you can slowly progress the difficulty of your exercise program by performing closed chain, or muscle strengthening exercises, which are performed with the foot planted on the ground. As a precaution, you should continue to limit your knee bending to 90 degrees and also avoid deep squatting and kneeling until your meniscus has healed.
Specifically, try standing with your back against a wall and sliding down the wall until your knees are bent to 90 degrees. You can also try to step up on a stair or stable stool with your affected limb, or place an object to your side and step over it. Repeat all exercises at least 10 times.
At this point, treadmill training should also be added to your rehabilitation program.
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