Exercise is something that most of us think of as something that can help improve physical fitness. Yet therapeutic exercises can be very helpful for knee arthritis pain management.
Knee arthritis is something that millions of Americans suffer from, and therapeutic exercise is a physical therapy technique that can help arthritis sufferers. This technique includes exercises that are designed to correct specific impairments and restore function.
A physical therapist can help determine which therapeutic exercises can most effectively help you with knee arthritis pain management. Some of the exercises that your therapist may recommend for you include:
- Lying hamstring stretch
Purpose: This exercise contributes to knee arthritis pain management by stretching the hamstring muscles that help control your knee’s movement.
How to do the lying hamstring stretch:
- Lie down on the floor or a bed so that you’re facing the ceiling.
- Slowly bring the affected leg up toward your chest while keeping your knee bent.
- Wrap your hands around the back of your thigh.
- Slowly straighten your leg until you feel a stretch in the back of your thigh.
- Hold this stretch for at least 30 seconds.
- Switch sides and stretch your other leg.
- Straight leg raises
Purpose: Strengthening your leg muscles can help with knee arthritis pain management, and this exercise is designed to strengthen your quadriceps.
How to do the straight leg raise exercise:
- Lie down on your back with your legs straight out in front of you and your face upward.
- Place your arms by your sides, and keep your toes pointed toward the ceiling.
- Tighten your quads and slowly raise the affected leg off the floor.
- Stop when you’ve raised it about 6 inches off the floor.
- Hold this position for three to five seconds.
- Lower your leg back to the ground as slowly as possible.
- Repeat the exercise until you’ve done five to 10 repetitions.
- Half squats
Purpose: This exercise can help improve knee arthritis pain management by building up your glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps.
How to do the half squat exercise:
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
- Slowly bend your knees until you’re in a half-sitting position.
- If you feel unstable, you can hold on to the back of a chair.
- Be sure to keep your back straight and your chest lifted during the movement.
- Once you reach the half-sitting position, hold there for three to five seconds.
- Slowly straighten your knees again.
- Repeat this exercise until you’ve done eight to 10 repetitions.
Border TS is ready to help you address arthritis pain
Are you looking for highly effective arthritis pain management? Our Border Therapy Services team can help people manage the symptoms of many types of osteoarthritis. We can start you off with a free screening designed to reveal how severe your arthritis is. Next, our physical therapists will build you a personalized therapy plan designed to help you better manage your joint pain and other symptoms.
Contact our team today for more information about our arthritis treatment services or to schedule an initial appointment.