In this blog, I review 5 key components of early knee rehab that you will can to implement right away following an injury or surgery.
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Disclaimer
Before showing these recommendations, there are 3 important things to know:
- You may need a couple of days of relative rest after more severe injuries. For example, if you tore your ACL, you may need to wait 1-3 days to allow for pain or swelling to subside before starting certain exercises.
- Talk to your surgeon before starting a new program since you may have surgical precautions to consider. For example, following a medial meniscus repair, there are often weight-bearing and range of motion restrictions early on.
- Knee range of motion will vary from person to person. For example, it might not be feasible, or necessary, to achieve full knee flexion following a total knee replacement.
#1. Restore Knee Extension Range of Motion
Getting your knee straight should be a top priority for a majority of cases. For some people, you may actually be able to achieve a few degrees of hyperextension, which is often normal and not a cause for concern.
To help improve your knee extension, the main exercise you should be doing is a quad set. And you should be doing this as often as possible.
Straighten your leg as best as you can, then squeeze your quads (the muscles on the front of your thigh) by trying to push the back of your knee into the floor. Hold for 10 seconds, relax, and repeat for 10 repetitions. Do this multiple times a day, every day.
If this is painful or uncomfortable, you can try placing a towel or pillow under your knee.
To progress the quad set, prop your heel on a small object in order to move through more range of motion. Over time, you can add weight just above your knee.
