Improve Mobility with These 5 Post-Knee Injury Exercises

These exercises will get your painful knee back into shape in no time.

Knee pain affects about 25% of the adult population and accounts for nearly 4 million primary care visits every year, according to one study. Having a painful and stiff knee joint makes walking and participating in your daily activities almost impossible. You may even want to give up, thinking you’ll have to live with the pain. But you can overcome a painful knee with effective post-injury knee exercises.

By strengthening and stretching the muscles around your knee, you can get that spring back into your step and improve your overall mobility. The five exercises detailed here are just a short list of what you can do, but these are good first steps toward a healthier, stronger knee.

5 post-knee injury exercises you can try

Work with your doctor or a physical therapist when starting your post-injury knee strengthening program. They can provide guidance on the best exercises for you. All of these exercises can be done at home with no equipment. However, you can also add ankle weights and resistance bands if your doctor or therapist clears you for it — just be sure to listen to your body and stop exercising if pain occurs.

Post-injury knee exercises target specific muscle groups surrounding the knee, including the quadriceps (front of the thigh), hamstrings (back of the thigh), abductors (outer thigh), adductors (inner thigh), and the gluteus medius and gluteus maximus (buttocks). By working these muscles, you can help make your knee more stable and mobile.

Before performing these exercises, warm up by walking or riding a stationary bike for about 10 minutes. Then, slowly ease yourself into the following:

1. Hamstring curls

To strengthen the hamstrings, stand holding onto a chair or wall for balance. Bend the painful knee and slowly raise your heel upward, stopping if you feel intense pain. Hold for five seconds. Repeat three times. You can add ankle weights if you want more resistance.

2. Single leg squat

Stand on one leg and lower your buttocks toward a chair. Don’t squat all the way to the chair, but slowly switch between the standing and starting positions. Keep your head over your feet and bend at the waist as you go lower. Be careful not to cause any knee pain. Start with three sets of five repetitions. Add more when you feel stronger, aiming for three sets of 10 repetitions.

3. Straight leg raise

Lie on your back with the unaffected knee bent and the foot flat on the floor. Gently lock the affected knee and extend that leg. Lift that leg six to eight inches off the floor and hold for six seconds. Do three sets of 10 repetitions with each leg.

4. Standing quadriceps stretch

For balance, hold onto the back of a chair or wall. Bend the affected knee and gradually raise your heel toward your buttocks. Then, grab your ankle with your hand and gently pull the heel close to your body. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds and do two to three repetitions.

5. Hip adduction

Lie on the unaffected side with that leg extended straight on the floor and the top leg bent forward. Raise the lower leg about 15 to 18 inches off the ground and hold for six sections. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions.

A word of caution: Go slowly at first and stop if you feel intense pain or discomfort. Also, rest between workouts to avoid injuring your knee again. The key is to gradually build up your strength and endurance. It may take six to eight weeks before you feel the results, but if you stick with the program, your knee will be stronger and more flexible.

Let’s work together for a healthier knee

As a leading sports medicine center, New York Bone & Joint Specialists has worked with hundreds of patients with knee pain. Our team of doctors and physical therapists can help you work through your post-injury recovery so that you can feel your best as soon as possible. Whether you’re an athlete or just want to get around without knee pain, we’ll design a program just for you. Contact us today for a consultation.