Your knee joints take a great deal of weight, pressure and force just supporting your daily movements. Your knees are also very complex joints, made up of three bones, tendons, ligaments and cartilage. These factors combine to make the knee particularly vulnerable to injury. One of the most common knee injuries is a torn meniscus, which is often accompanied by a popping noise.
Torn Meniscus
Meniscus is the name given to the cartilage that cushions your knee joint, acting as a shock absorber at the point where the bottom of your thigh bone, the tops of your lower leg bones and your kneecap meet. Placing excessive strain, sudden changes in direction or twisting your knee can cause your meniscus to tear. Aside from the initial pop you may hear when the tear first occurs, symptoms of this type of injury include pain, swelling and difficulty bending or straightening your knee. You will need to seek medical treatment for this injury, but part of the rehabilitation will usually include strengthening exercises to improve support and prevent further injury.
Knee Bends
This is a gentle exercise that can be done in the initial stages of rehabilitation. Lie on your back with your legs flat along the floor or bed. Move your injured leg from straight to bent, placing your foot flat on the floor, then return to the straight position. Bend and straighten as much as you can without causing pain and repeat up to 20 times.
Thigh Contractions
Sit on the floor or a bed with the injured leg straight out in front of you and a rolled-up towel under your knee. Tighten your quadriceps -- the muscles in the front of your thigh -- by pushing the back of your knee into the towel and hold for five seconds then relax. Contract your muscles as much as you can without causing any pain in the injured knee. Repeat this exercise 10 times.
Shoulder Bridge
Lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Keep your arms down by your sides and lift your hips off the floor, raising them as high as they will go without causing pain or discomfort. Try not to dip around your middle -- your body should form a straight line from your knees down to shoulders. Hold for five seconds then gently lower and repeat 10 to 20 times. As your strength improves, gradually increase the amount of time you stay elevated to 10 seconds.
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