If you have knee osteoarthritis (OA), to provide more support and decrease strain around the joints, stretching and strengthening the muscles of the legs is crucial. The following Knee Osteoarthritis exercises will help you start to feel better, more stable, and more active along the way.
Remember: If you experience pain, pause and consult your doctor, exercise is not meant to be painful.
Straight Leg Raise
This exercise helps strengthen the tendon of the quadriceps. Lie down with the leg you want to exercise straight. It would be best if you bent the other knee to support your lower back. Tighten the muscle at the top of your thigh and raise the other knee to the same level as the other. Lower down slowly. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions, once daily.
Hamstring Stretch
The hamstring muscles (the muscles that run up to your knee around the back of your thigh) tend to get tense when you have knee OA. This workout helps stretch the hamstring muscles, improving the knee’s range of motion and making you feel more flexible. Lie down with the leg to stretch straight with a strap across the base of your foot.
Using the support band, raise your leg until you feel a smooth stretch of your knee and thigh behind you. Hang on for 30 seconds. Lower down slowly. Perform three repetitions, once every day.
Gluteus Strengthening
This exercise will help you enhance the gluteus muscles (the large muscles at the back of your hip) while you are standing and walking, helping in trunk control, leg stability, and balance. Lay down on your abdomen with your hips over a pillow to support your back. Keep the leg you wish to exercise straight, squeeze your buttocks and lift the leg off the bed. Lower down slowly. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions, once daily.
Quadriceps Setting
This exercise helps strengthen the quadriceps muscle (the large muscle
on the thigh, front), a critical knee stabilizer. Lie down with the leg you want to exercise straight. Place a small rolled towel under the knee. Tighten the quadriceps muscle, located on top of the thigh, slowly and push the knee back down into the rolled towel. Retain for 5 seconds and then release slowly, 5 seconds between each contraction. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions, once daily.
Calf Stretch
This exercise will allow you to remain comfortable in your lower leg and ankle, helping to strengthen your walking and balance. Stand in front of the wall, with your leg stretching out behind you and the other leg in front of you. Place your hands or forearms on the wall for support. Bend your front knee slowly, keeping your leg heel flat on the floor behind you. After you feel a stretch in your calf muscle at the end of your ankle, hang on for 30 seconds. Relax then, gradually. Three repetitions, once a day, perform.
If exercises and home remedies are not helping to reduce pain, you can
always seek optimal options in Singapore for medical or chiropractic knee pain treatment.
