Common knee injuries such as sprains to the muscles surrounding the knee, small tears of the joints' cartilage and inflammation due to acute injury or an overworking of the knee can be be painful as well disruptive to your daily life. Physical therapist often prescribe knee rehabilitation exercises in the cases of individuals looking to strengthen the knee and may use the exercises as a part of a post-surgery rehabilitation plan.
Stretches
Stretching of the two major muscles that contribute to the function of the knee is an important factor in knee injury rehabilitation. These muscles the quadricep and hamstring can become imbalanced due to tightness or over-dependence, possibly leading to a knee injury. Stretches should be done every other day or 3 times a week on nonconsecutive days. You should start with a set of 5 repetitions and build up to 2 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions. Hold the stretch for 30 to 90 seconds, you can split this into several shorter length stretches. To stretch your quad, bend the right knee and grab the front of the ankle with your right hand, bringing the heel to the buttocks. The hamstring can be stretched while sitting down or standing by placing your leg on a chair or other surface and bending forward until you feel a stretch.
Strengthening Exercises
Exercises performed using your own body as weight as the most basic type of knee injury rehabilitation exercise. Typically these exercises are performed in three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions or within limits of pain. Similar to stretching you must address the quadricep and hamstring muscles to help build strengthen the knee and prevent further injury. A prone flexion is a basic exercise that will help to incorporate the hamstring muscle your rehabilitation plan. Prone flexions can be accomplished laying stomach down on a raised surface by slowly bringing your foot to your buttocks. Hold and slowly lower the foot to starting position. Seated knee extensions can help to incorporate the quadriceps muscle into your rehabilitation session. Perform an extension by tightening your quadricep muscle to help straightening your leg. You may also find that step ups or body weight squats are another beneficial exercises that you can add to your workout.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise is another tool used as an aid in the healing process. The exercise encountered while using cardiovascular equipment can help restore flexibility and range of motion. A stationary bike is a common starting point. You should start out with short sessions of 5 to 15 minutes increasing time and resistance level as you progress through the recovery process. As you become stronger, you may use an elliptical machine or treadmill in the same manner.
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