What exercises can you do for arthrosis of the knee joint?

Gonarthrosis is not a reason to give up physical activity. Quite the opposite: lack of movement will quickly lead to stagnation in the joint, which means the situation will only worsen. There are simple sets of exercises that are allowed for people undergoing treatment for osteoarthritis. You can start doing them only after taking painkillers. If pain makes itself felt, training should be postponed.

Exercise strengthens the tissue around the knee joint

What rules to follow

When performing gymnastics for arthrosis, all movements should be smooth and energetic.
Before starting training, it is better to consult with a rehabilitation specialist or exercise therapy doctor. Ideally, attend several group classes, and only then move on to home workouts.
The recommended training schedule is 6-7 times a day for 3-5 minutes.
The number of repetitions of each exercise is 5 times.
Never exercise if there is pain. If, after completing the movement, pain makes itself felt even after 15-20 minutes, reduce the number of movements to 5, and then gradually increase to 15, avoiding pain.

Exercises for the knee will only be beneficial if they are not performed through pain.

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Exercises while sitting on a table

Sit upright on the table. Clench your palms into fists, lean them on the table, dangle your legs. This relaxation exercise can be done as often as possible.
In the same position, lift your leg and hold it parallel to the floor for 3 seconds. Make sure your foot is at a 90° angle to your shin. Repeat for the second leg. If you do everything correctly, you will feel tension in the muscles of your lower leg and thigh.
Stand up and rest your buttocks on the table. Bend your knees slightly and spread them, place your toes to the sides. Without bending your back, bend forward and return to the starting position.

Sitting on a table is a great way to relax the muscles around your knee joints.

Recommendations that need to be carried out simultaneously with charging

To consolidate the effect obtained through proper exercise therapy, patients with arthrosis should adhere to the following recommendations.

Recommendation	Purpose of her appointment	Additional tip
Wearing low, stable heels	Maintaining center of gravity, reducing pain	Walk with a cane, use insoles, wear knee pads
Sleep only on a flat surface, without using a pillow	Prevention of muscle tension, increased discomfort in joint structures	Purchase an orthopedic mattress that evenly distributes the load on the musculoskeletal system
Brief warm-up every 30 minutes	Prevention of prolonged stay in fixed positions	Avoid physical movements that involve jerking
When working at a computer or while driving, keep your back straight, with maximum extension in the lumbar region	Increasing the respiratory capacity of the lungs, alleviating the patient’s pain, strengthening the muscular and musculoskeletal system	If it is not possible to keep your back in the correct position, it is advisable to use a corset - a posture corrector

We must not forget that the benefits of physical therapy for arthrosis must be consolidated using physiotherapeutic methods . However, the joint must be in remission. It is also contraindicated to intensively massage the affected area.

Exercises while lying on your back

Lie on your back, bend your left knee, lift your left foot off the floor. Stay in this position for 5 seconds. Extend your left leg, bend your right leg and repeat the exercise. The number of repetitions is at least five.
"Bike". When treating gonarthrosis, this simple exercise is often recommended. Bend both knees and place your feet on the floor. Now bend your right leg, touch your knee to your stomach, straighten your leg and gently lower it to the floor. Repeat the same steps for the second leg.
"Complicated bicycle." In the same position, extend your arms along your body. Rotate your legs, imitating riding a bicycle, at first at a slow pace, gradually increasing it.
Lie on your back and bend your right leg at the knee. Grab your thigh with your hand and pull it towards your stomach. Extend your knee so that your foot is at a 90° angle. You will feel tension in your muscles. Stay in this position for 6-8 seconds, while trying not to bend your left leg. Lower your right leg to the floor and extend it. Repeat for the second leg.

Before starting classes, consultation with a specialist is required, because not all exercises for the knee joint with arthrosis are equally useful. Some can cause serious harm to damaged cartilage. Be critical of any load, even if it is recommended on television:

Effective drugs for treating joints

Despite the wide range of methods for restoring cartilage, the most common and correct method is medication, since today there are many effective drugs for treating joints in any price range.

The most effective drug in this area can rightfully be considered the drug Flexinovo, which contains not only highly effective active ingredients, but also auxiliary substances that bring a feeling of lightness to the joints even under prolonged stress. In addition, this drug can be easily purchased in our online store at the best price.

Side lying exercises

Lie on your right side, place a small cushion under your right cheek, put your right hand under it, and rest your left hand on the floor in front of you. Make sure your right leg is half bent. Bend your left leg at the knee and pull it towards your stomach, then take it back. The main thing is to avoid jerking and sudden movements when performing the exercise.
In the same position as in the previous exercise, extend your right leg and lift it above the floor at a height of 25-30 cm.
Perform a mirror image of these two exercises on the other leg.

Effective drugs for treating joints

Despite the wide range of methods for restoring cartilage, the most common and correct method is medication, since today there are many effective drugs for treating joints in any price range.

Exercises while lying on your stomach

Lie on your stomach, bend your left and right legs alternately at the knees. The main condition is that the pelvis should not come off the floor.
In the same position, extend your right leg and bend your left leg at the knee. Hold the pose for 7-10 seconds, then change legs.

The main part of the exercises for gonarthrosis is performed in a lying position

Gymnastics is only part of comprehensive physiotherapy for knee arthrosis. Unfortunately, she cannot cure the disease. Intra-articular injections of a synovial fluid prosthesis, such as Noltrex, can keep the disease under control, prevent complications and relieve pain. But you shouldn’t give up exercise, because movement is life, even if the joints are already damaged and need careful treatment.

Methods for treating joints

Today, there are many different methods of treating joints, or more precisely, treating a disease such as osteoarthritis:

Drug treatment. In this case, drugs are used that prevent the destruction of the cartilage lining of the joint and restore its components;
Biologically active additives. The components of the additives saturate the cartilage with useful elements, thereby ensuring their safety from premature abrasion and destruction from constant stress;
Ethnoscience. There are a lot of folk remedies for treating and maintaining healthy joints, but this method should be approached with extreme caution;
Physiotherapy and therapeutic physical culture. Exercise therapy is especially indicated for people leading a sedentary lifestyle, which became the cause of the development of osteoarthritis;
Massage treatments. Thanks to massage, maximum relaxation of not only muscles, but also joints is achieved, which leads to a significant reduction in pain;
Warming up. Regular warm compresses relieve tension after a hard day, thereby reducing pain in the joints.

Important!

If there is an inflammatory process in the joints, massage and any type of heating are unacceptable. The most correct decision would be to contact a specialist who will identify the cause of the disease and outline the required treatment.

24.08.2021

Physical activity for osteoarthritis

Today, pathology of the musculoskeletal system causes the vast majority of complaints made by patients to doctors. These diseases can dramatically worsen a person’s quality of life and quite quickly lead to complete disability. Recently, the annual primary incidence of osteoarthritis has increased by more than 20%, and the number of registered patients exceeds 2.6 million.

Osteoarthritis is a chronic, slowly progressive degenerative-dystrophic disease of the joints, caused by damage to the cartilage tissue of the articular surfaces and subchondral bone.

The appearance of the first symptoms of osteoarthritis should not be a reason for panic, but rather a signal from the body about the need to slightly change the existing motor stereotypes. Everyone knows that physical activity is beneficial for the human body, and necessary for osteoarthritis. However, any forceful exercise should be avoided. In addition, if exercises cause pain, they should be abandoned. The most suitable sports for arthrosis are:

calm walking;
bike;
skis;
swimming.

Walking at a calm pace for short distances has a positive effect. During walks, muscles are strengthened and joints are developed. Walking is useful, since in the process there is no additional stress, the functioning of all the main systems of the body (respiratory, cardiovascular, metabolism) is normalized.

Only patients need to remember the basic rules:

to get results you need to walk every day;
shoes should be as comfortable as possible, insole with arch support, closed heel.
you can gradually increase the walking time, but only with the doctor’s permission;
if pain occurs, you need to take a break.

In addition to its beneficial effect on joints, cycling brings a positive emotional charge. Provides movements of equal amplitude required by the patient. When riding a bicycle, you need to choose your road carefully. You should not drive on hilly or country terrain. This can lead to microtrauma of the joints, which will worsen the patient's condition.

Swimming for osteoarthritis of the joint is the optimal sport. It is used for the prevention and treatment of any diseases of the musculoskeletal system. You can swim even with the most severe forms of pathology. During swimming, muscles relax and pain in the affected joints subsides. There is no load on the musculoskeletal system, while at the same time muscles and ligaments are strengthened.

In winter, skiing is useful, as sliding reduces the weight load.

Is it possible to run if you have joint diseases? A light jog can only be done if the disease is in its early stages. Running with second degree osteoarthritis of the knee joints is prohibited in any form. The fact is that while running, the load on the joints increases 5 times. This leads to even greater destruction of cartilage tissue.

You should also pay great attention to exercise therapy. Special sets of exercises, taught by a medical professional and then regularly performed at home, will ensure minimal stress on the articular cartilage, since the muscles surrounding the joint work to a greater extent. This allows you to form a good muscle corset around the joint, maintain normal mobility and sufficient blood circulation in the limb. In addition, these exercises strengthen the cartilage itself, which requires movement for normal nutrition. Regular practice of these exercises should turn from an unpleasant chore into a healthy habit, which is the best way to maintain normal joint function. You need to exercise for at least 30-40 minutes a day, it is better to divide this time into several times a day for 10-15 minutes. A noticeable effect occurs within 2-3 months - the pain syndrome decreases, vitality increases, and the body's hidden reserves are released.

An interesting method of physical therapy is Nordic walking. Nordic walking for arthrosis strengthens the spine and reduces the unpleasant symptoms of this pathology. The classes have no contraindications.

And remember you need to move at any age, even with highly developed OA of the joints!

Doctor - therapist (head) of the prevention department of the State Healthcare Institution "City Clinic No. 4 of Grodno" Luksha O.V.

Effective exercises for arthrosis

The entire prescribed exercise therapy program for arthrosis is conditionally divided into 2 parts.

During the first half of the sessions, the patient selectively performs exercises mainly to increase the strength of the extensor and abductor muscles. The goal of the tactics is to maintain joint congruence, prevent the formation of secondary arthrosis, and prevent the development of flexion contractures.

Exercise therapy for the knee joint

For arthrosis of the knee joint, the following exercises are effective:

Warm up your knee. This is where you need to start absolutely all types of exercise therapy programs for inflammation of the knee joint. To normalize blood circulation, it is enough to rub and pat the affected area, not forgetting to pay attention to the popliteal fossa. First perform the action clockwise, then counterclockwise. The total time spent is 1-2 minutes.
Take a vertical position and place a chair in front of you. Holding onto the chair with one hand, grab the outside of your foot with the other. Bending your leg at the knee, fix yourself in this position for 15-25 seconds (depending on individual physical fitness, age, stage of the disease).
If the patient’s age does not allow him to perform more complex exercises, with arthrosis of the knees, the most basic action can be performed. To do this, lie on your back. Then stretch both legs at the same time, trying to straighten them at the knees as best as possible. The action must be repeated at least 5 times. It is preferable to perform it in the morning, preparing yourself for physical activity during the day.

As for the most popular exercise called “bicycle”, it should be performed in a supine position for no more than 10 seconds and only if the knees have been fully warmed up.

Therapeutic exercise for the hip joint

For inflammation of the hip joint, exercise therapy involves the following actions:

lying on your back, smoothly bend your knees; Straighten your legs, placing them shoulder-width apart. Turn your feet with your toes inward. An acceptable number of repetitions is 10 times. In the same position, slowly spread your legs to the sides. Repeat the action at least 15 times;
lying on your side, lift and then move the leg with the affected joint to the side, but you need to keep it straight;
Lying on your stomach, alternately lift your right and then your left leg. There is no need to bend them at the knees or take other positions, since in this case physical therapy will not have an effect;
perform the “bicycle” action at a slow, calm pace for no more than 25 seconds;
get down on your knees. While inhaling, move your leg bent at the knee to the side. As you exhale, return it to the starting position. Repeat for each leg 5 times.

The listed type of exercise therapy eliminates axial load on the affected joint. It is forbidden to suddenly perform squats, excessive load is contraindicated, and it is highly undesirable to increase the amplitude of extensive movements.

Exercise therapy for the shoulder joint

Shoulder joint deformity.

For inflammatory lesions of the shoulder joint, orthopedists prescribe:

lowering and raising the shoulders. The complex begins with this exercise. You can perform the action alternately with the right and left shoulders or with both simultaneously;
circular movements of the shoulder joints. Place your hands on your shoulders. Perform movements first forward and then backward. It is enough to perform 15 times in each direction. This does not require much effort, and the benefits of the action are great;
"lock". The action is performed in a standing position. The hands are placed behind the back, bent at the elbow joints, and closed. If severe pain is present, excess weight, age or stage of pathology does not allow the hands to be fully connected, the action can be performed to the best of your ability and preparation.

People suffering from arthrosis of the shoulder joint need to fully warm up the affected area in order to prepare for more complex exercises. The movement is called "embrace". Place your left hand on your right shoulder, and your right hand on your left. Elbows should be raised to the highest possible height. Touch your back with your fingertips. Repeat the action 5 times. Monitor your well-being: increased intra-articular discomfort is a contraindication for continuing exercise.