Knee Replacement Exercises
by Premier Hospitals | August 27, 2018 |
Knee Replacement surgery is a significant procedure, and it tends to immobilise the person going through with it for a considerable amount of time after the surgery. Vital to full recovery is a proper rehab and physiotherapy exercises that are part of the rehabilitation process, before and after the surgery. Then again the rehab is the same for a patient undergoing a total knee replacement procedure and for the patient with a partial knee replacement.
Exercises are vital to a full recovery. They are essential in helping build muscles and bring back necessary strength, all of which is lost during the immobilisation period. To begin with let's look at four exercises, you can perform before a total knee replacement surgery.
Exercises before the surgery
The idea might sound a little strange to have exercises performed before the surgery, but even the best of physiotherapists suggests this. Activities before the knee replacement surgery are understood to aid faster recovery post the operation. However, the idea is to keep the knee active and flexible before the surgery, ad these exercises are simple and easy to perform.
Hamstring Stretch
This is a simple task. One leg at a time, place it on a ground level object or stairs and ensure the knee is kept in a straight position and while pushing it forward (while bending), apply pressure to ensure it remains straight. This helps the Hamstring to stretch. If you find it difficult to keep the knee straight then apply some weight above the knee area to make it straight. Hold to the position for 40-45 seconds and repeat. You can do this exercise twice a day.
Stair Knee Flexion stretch
This is even simpler. Place the leg on the stair and push the knee forward with the force of your body. Ensure the foot is flat and then keep stretch as much as possible, but avoid straining too much. This exercise should be a follow up from the first one, as after the hamstring stretch, sometimes it becomes difficult to bend the knee.
Seated Knee extensions
This requires you to find a place to be seated, something with a little bit of height. Ensure that the foot is in the air and not touching the ground. Now keep the knee in a straight position and ensure it remains like that for up to 45 secs. This helps the quad muscles a lot and an idea exercises before a knee replacement surgery.
Straight leg raises
The exercise mentioned before this and the straight leg raises are essential for the quad muscles, which, after the surgery will help regain strength faster than expected. In this one, lie straight on your back (use a pillow if needed). Now stretch the quad muscles (above the knee, on the thigh), with a straight leg (knee included) lift the leg as high as possible without bending. Hold on to this position for about 45-secs and repeat. You could also perform this exercise multiple times in a day, but ensure you do not strain the knee.
Four exercises after total knee replacement surgery.
The period after the total knee replacement surgery is the most crucial part of the recovery. Exercises here are to ensure your muscles and strength in your leg returns to normal. Ideally, there is a period after the surgery when there is total immobilisation of the leg, but after the doctors instruct you can start working on the exercises mentioned below.
Ankle Pumps and Circles
A straightforward exercise to keep the blood circulation in motion. Push the ankles up and down while keeping the leg and knee straight. Bring variation with doing circles instead of pumps and do it for some time, till the knee does not feel strained. This exercise can be done in multiple sessions.
Quadriceps SetsÂ
This exercise will help strengthen the quad muscles. Keep a straight leg, and push the knee slightly inwards bu stretching the quad muscles. Thigh squeezes are also an important exercise for quads. When in the best position, retain it for a few seconds before releasing. Follow the routine at least for 10-sets in one session and have several sessions in a day.
Heel Slides
The hip and knee flexion is what heel slides are aimed for.
Seated Knee extensions
This requires you to find a place to be seated, something with a little bit of height. Ensure that the foot is in the air and not touching the ground. Now keep the knee in a straight position and ensure it remains like that for up to 15 secs with a gradual increase in duration. This helps the quad muscles a lot and an idea exercises before a knee replacement surgery.
Straight leg raises
The exercise mentioned before this and the straight leg raises are essential for the quad muscles, which, after the surgery will help regain strength faster than expected. In this one, lie straight on your back (use a pillow if needed). Now stretch the quad muscles (above the knee, on the thigh), with a straight leg (knee included) lift the leg as high as possible without bending. Hold on to this position for about 45-secs and repeat. You could also perform this exercise multiple times in a day, but ensure you do not strain the knee.
Almost each of these exercises come under the category of knee bending exercises which can be done post the knee replacement surgery. However, it is important that you consult with your doctor to know how these exercises can be done and follow it accordingly to ensure proper or rather fast recovery from a knee replacement surgery.
About The Doctor:
Dr. Ayub Sabre is an experienced and fellowship trained Orthopaedic Surgeon with special interest in Complex trauma, Spine, Replacement surgery and Minimally Invasive surgeries.
He completed his medical education from Kurnool Medical College and a Postgraduate (DNB Orthopedics) from prestigious St. Martha’s Hospital, Bangalore in 2006.
He has worked with many hospitals in Bangalore including St. John’s Hospital with huge exposure in various Orthopaedic specialities. He also has worked with Medwin Hospital, Hyderabad and performed many surgeries.
About the Hospital -
Since the inception of Premier Hospital in 1991 till today, we have grown to unprecedented levels, due to our excellence in medical sciences and healthcare. Premier Hospital is the creation of Dr Mahesh Marda and when it was first established, was only a small, 30-bed hospital facility. Back then, we provided only secondary care to patients, but that certainly has changed in the present landscape.