Exercise therapy and a set of exercises for arthrosis of the knee joint

The main cause of acute pain in the knee joint in middle-aged people is arthrosis.
The disease progresses rapidly and can lead to disability. Timely detection of signs of the disease and its treatment are considered the main tasks in a complete medical examination of patients who are at risk for defects of the musculoskeletal system. The Kuntsevo Treatment and Rehabilitation Center has the latest equipment, with which you can carry out any diagnosis and rehabilitation process.

For physical therapy, the center is equipped with a large, bright hall. All physical education activities are carried out under the supervision of qualified specialists - rehabilitation specialists: neurologists, physiotherapists, exercise therapists.

You can check the results using ultrasound and MRI, which you can do here.

In addition, the center has rehabilitation areas: manual therapy and acupuncture.

To consolidate treatment, patients can use various treatment programs and take advantage of subscriptions.

Tasks and goals of exercise therapy for arthrosis of the knee joint and features of implementation

When determining a physical therapy plan for a patient, our specialists expect to perform the following physical rehabilitation tasks:

• have a positive effect on the affected joints in order to preserve their mobility and prevent subsequent impairment of functionality;
• strengthen the muscles, increase the patient’s activity, motivate him to perform independent care;
• activate metabolism in order to reduce the feeling of intra-articular stiffness due to the result of reducing salt deposition, reducing inflammation;
• reduce the level of pain by adapting the damaged areas of the musculoskeletal system to light physical activity;
• carry out rehabilitation and restoration of physical ability;
• increase blood circulation and prevent muscle atrophy from developing.

The main objective of the prescribed course of exercise therapy for patients with arthrosis is to prevent their inability to work and disability.

When drawing up a lesson plan, the doctor provides that passive and vigorous movements in the affected joints can lead to an increase in intra-articular pressure. A lighter type of exercise therapy is needed for the purpose of prevention to alleviate the inflammatory process. The specialist determines procedures that do not cause hypoxia and reoxygenation.

To reduce the use of painkillers and get the greatest effect from exercise, it is necessary to understand the features of physical therapy for the disease:

1. The basis of charging should include dynamic movements. Many patients benefit from flexibility movements.
2. During exercises, pain should not be allowed to occur.
3. Complement movement training with a static focus.
4. Dedicate at least one hour a day to classes.
5. Don't exhaust yourself with training. If your health condition does not allow you to do a full exercise, it is better to reduce the time, take a break after half an hour.

Exercises while lying on your stomach

1. 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.
2. 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.

Recommendations that need to be followed simultaneously with classes in the gym

To consolidate the effect obtained by correctly performing exercise therapy, patients with arthrosis should adhere to some recommendations:

1. Wear shoes with low, stable heels to maintain the center of gravity and to reduce pain. Additionally, use insoles and knee pads.
2. Sleep on flat surfaces and without a pillow. This will help relieve muscle tension and reduce joint discomfort. It is advisable to use an orthopedic mattress for sleeping.
3. A short warm-up for half an hour prevents a long stay in one position. It is recommended not to perform sudden physical movements.
4. When sitting at a computer or driving a car, keep your back straight, with maximum extension in the lower back.

Do not forget that the benefits of medical exercise will be more effective if it is reinforced by physiotherapeutic methods. But the joint must be in a period of remission. Also, do not rub the affected area.

Side lying exercises

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Perform a mirror image of these two exercises on the other leg.

The benefits of working out in our gym

As a result of classes, the following occurs:

• strengthening the cardiovascular system;
• improving blood circulation;
• reducing the likelihood of thrombophlebitis and varicose veins;
• strengthening the muscular frame of the body and spine;
• improved posture;
• normalization of pressure.

Arthrosis of the knee joint is a severe pathology of the musculoskeletal system, prone to the rapid development of the disease. The treatment regimen must be selected by the attending physician after a complete diagnosis and identification of the degree of degenerative, dystrophic processes and deformation of cartilage and joints.

If you have osteoarthritis of the knee joints, you must do special exercises every day. These exercises strengthen the cartilage itself, which requires movement for normal nutrition. Regular exercise therapy should transform from an unpleasant chore into a healthy habit, which is the best way to maintain normal joint function. You need to practice for at least 30–40 minutes. per day, it is better to divide this time into several times for 10–15 minutes. A noticeable effect occurs within 2–3 months. - pain decreases, vitality increases.

Exercises for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee joints

For osteoarthritis of the knee joints, physical exercises should be done in a lying or sitting position, when the weight load on the joints is minimized. Exercises should not be done through pain; it is better to start them after taking painkillers. The intensity of the exercises and frequency of repetitions are determined by the severity of joint pain. Vigorous movements are contraindicated. There are no age restrictions for physical activities. It should be remembered that in addition to the positive emotional charge, physical activity also helps strengthen the cardiovascular system and bone tissue. The range of movements should be increased gradually. The main principle is to repeat the exercises frequently throughout the day for several minutes. Exercises should be performed slowly, smoothly, gradually increasing the range of movements. In this case, it is better to focus on the sore joint, think about how, during movements, blood flows to the joint, bringing with it nutrients that, when the limb relaxes, nourish the cartilage, and during movements are squeezed into the joint cavity, providing good “lubrication” to the joint.

For most patients, these exercises will not cause increased joint pain. If, however, significant pain continues more than 20 minutes after performing the exercises, then you need to reduce the number of repetitions to 5 exercises at a time, then gradually increase their number to 15 when your health allows.

Set of exercises No. 1

each exercise at least 5 times.

Sitting on the table

• Sit on the table top. Sit straight. Swing your legs with a moderate range of motion. Do this exercise as often as possible.
• In the same position. Raise your leg and hold it parallel to the floor for 3 seconds. The foot is at a right angle to the shin. Change leg. When performing this exercise, you need to feel the tension in the muscles of the thigh and lower leg.
• Standing on the floor, rest your buttocks on the tabletop. The knees are slightly bent and apart. Toes to the sides. Without bending your back, lean forward and go back.

Lying on the floor in a supine position

• Legs extended. Bend your knee, while raising your foot slightly above the floor. Hold this for 5 seconds. Change legs. Repeat 5 times.
• "Small bike" Bend both knees, feet on the floor. Bring your right leg to your stomach with your knee, then straighten it, slowly lower it to the floor and bring it back to the second leg. The foot is always at a right angle. Change legs.
• "Big bike" Swing your legs like you would when riding a bicycle. Perform slowly at first, then faster; slower - faster. Always pay attention to the tension in the thigh muscles.
• Bend your leg at the knee, grab your thigh with your hand and pull it towards your stomach. Extend the knee (foot at a right angle, “pull” the heel). Feel the tension in the muscles. Hold this for 5–8 seconds. Lower your heel to the floor, then extend your leg. Change legs one by one. Try not to bend the other leg, which is on the floor.

Lying on your side with a small pillow under your cheek

• Lying on your right side, your right hand under the pillow, your left hand resting on the floor in front of you. The right leg is half bent. The left leg is bent at the knee, brought to the stomach, then pulled back as far as possible. Do the exercise slowly.
• The position is the same (on the right side). The left leg is bent and the knee rests on the floor. The right leg is extended and lifted off the floor by 25–30 cm.
• The same exercises on the left side.

Lying on your stomach

• Lying on your stomach, bend your knees alternately. Make sure that the pelvis does not come off the floor.
• In the same position, bend your leg at the knee and hold for 5–10 seconds. Change legs.

Set of exercises No. 2

each exercise at least 5 times.

Supine position

• Legs are extended and relaxed. On the “one-two” count, the leg bends at the knee joint to the maximum, while the foot slides along the mat. On the count of “three,” the leg is bent at the hip joint and pressed against the body with your hands (do not lift your back from the floor). On the count of four to five, hold your leg. On the count of six, lower your foot to the floor. On the count of “seven-eight” we straighten the leg. The same movement is repeated with the other leg. Repeat 10–15 times.
• Legs are bent. The bent leg is lifted off the floor and pressed to the chest with the help of your hands and held in this position for several seconds, then lowered. The same movement is repeated with the other leg. Repeat 10 times.
• The straightened leg is lifted off the floor to a height of 20–30 cm and held in this position for several seconds, then lowered. The same movement is repeated with the other leg. Repeat 20–30 times.
• Legs extended. Extend your arms forward and try to raise your head and upper torso to a height of 20 cm from the floor, then lower them. Repeat 10 times.
• Simulation of cycling. The legs are raised above the mat throughout the entire exercise. Repeat from 20 to 50 times or more. Exercises 2 and 3 are also useful for the hip joint.

Pronation

• We alternately bend our legs at the knee joints, trying to touch the buttock with the heel. Do not lift your hips off the floor. Can be performed with a load (sandbags or special dumbbells are placed on the feet). Repeat 20 to 50 times.

Sitting position on the floor

• Legs straightened. We clasp our feet with our hands and lean forward as much as possible, trying to touch our foreheads to our feet. Do not bend your knee joints. Stay in this position as long as possible. Return to starting position. Shake your legs. Repeat 3-5 times.
• We bend the leg at the knee joint, clasp the foot with both hands, lift the leg off the floor and try to straighten it without unclenching our hands. We hold in this position as long as possible. We return to the starting position. We repeat the same with the other leg.

Let's not forget about contraindications

Alas, despite the undeniably beneficial properties of therapeutic exercises and the focus of exercises on prevention (prevention of the inflammatory process), there are contraindications to exercises, among them:

• exacerbation of arthrosis or other chronic diseases;
• tumors or hernias in the area of ​​joint damage;
• increased blood pressure or body temperature;
• being in the period of rehabilitation - post-traumatic or post-operative;
• disorders of the blood supply to the brain, vascular or heart diseases.

It is important to remember that therapeutic exercises for arthrosis are a health-improving procedure, but you should not rely solely on your own knowledge. In order to create the right exercise program, you should consult a specialist - a sports medicine doctor, an orthopedic traumatologist or a rheumatologist. Exercising on your own is fraught: without preliminary diagnosis and supervision of a specialist, such exercises may not only be in vain, but also cause harm.