Injuries to the medial ligament of the knee (medial collateral ligament) can vary greatly in both the type of injury and treatment. Regardless of whether you have had surgery or not, you will have to wear a brace or a plaster cast. And when it is removed, proper and, most importantly, effective rehabilitation will be necessary.
This exercise program will help you quickly relieve pain, strengthen muscles and restore mobility in your knee.
Clothes should be loose, it is advisable to remove shoes. Perform all exercises (especially the first days) smoothly and gradually. Remember the important principle: “Endure mild pain, do not allow severe pain.”
You can do the first 6 exercises right away. The rest only after your doctor allows axial loading.
Reverse leg tension
Lying on your stomach, legs straight, hands under your head. Pull in your stomach, tense and lift the leg you are working on 20 cm from the floor. Hold the straight leg in this position for 5 seconds, then relax and return the leg to the starting position. 2 sets of 15 reps.
Exercises with an expander
Attach one end of the expander to the ankle of your healthy leg, and the other end to a door or other stationary object at ankle level.
Exercise sets
Exercise therapy is a whole science, divided into small podcasts. That is, a separate recovery complex has been developed for each injury. There are several main locations of gaps and exercises for them:
- Rehabilitation after rupture of clavicle ligaments. If the acromioclavicular joint is damaged, gymnastics is started, on average, in the second week. Exercises should be carried out until you feel slight pain discomfort. In a lying position, slowly spread your arms 90 degrees, while standing, make rotational movements with your arms, raise your limbs straight.
- Rehabilitation for a ruptured cruciate ligament of the knee.
At the initial stages of recovery, it is recommended to conduct exercises while sitting or lying down so as not to put stress on the sore joint. It is necessary to bend the injured leg at the knee, strain the thigh muscles, sitting on a hill, and pretend to walk, lightly touching the ground. Increasing the load, you should perform half squats, holding the handrail, roll the load from heel to toe and vice versa, roll the ball on the ground. Attention! The injured knee joint should be kept slightly flexed during exercise to avoid overexertion. - Rehabilitation after ruptured shoulder ligaments. Rehabilitation of an injured shoulder is similar in many ways to rehabilitation of a torn AC joint. Exercises should be performed slowly and consistently. Sudden movements are excluded. Standing - rotation with straight arms, circular movements of the shoulders, throwing the ball with the shoulders removed, throwing the ball from the chest. Later, when the ligaments get used to the load, push-ups are added. First against the wall, then full hand presses.
Anterior cruciate ligament
A possible set of exercises for a torn anterior cruciate ligament:
Posterior cruciate ligament
Exercises for a torn posterior cruciate ligament:
Ulnar collateral ligament
Exercises for problems with the ulnar collateral ligament:
Half squats with resistance
Stand facing the door. Fasten one end of the expander under the knee of the leg being worked out, and the other end to a door or other stationary object at the level of the knee joint. Raise your free leg off the floor; you can hold on to a chair or armchair for balance. Bend the knee you are working on slightly (do a half squat on one leg), then slowly straighten your leg. Repeat 15 times. You can simplify the exercise by not lifting your free leg.
Rehabilitation after knee injuries
The knee joint is anatomically a rather complex formation. It is formed by the condyles of the femur, the condyles of the tibia and the patella. Inside the joint there are internal and external menisci, which act as a kind of cartilaginous pad between the condyles of the femur and tibia. The joint is stabilized by the internal and external lateral, anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, and the patellar ligament. The knee joint bears a large functional load. The variety of joint injuries also follows from the anatomical and functional features. Quite often, even in a harmless situation, damage to soft tissue structures occurs - ruptures of the menisci and ligaments. Fractures of the patella, femoral and tibial condyles are a serious injury, leading to long-term disability and sometimes disability. After any more or less serious injury to the knee joint, muscle atrophy is observed, leading to destabilization of the joint and changes in articular cartilage. Almost any injury to the knee joint, even if treated promptly and efficiently, leads to the development of post-traumatic deforming arthrosis. In the future, this manifests itself as persistent pain, deformation, limited joint mobility and impaired support function of the limb.
Thus, comprehensive rehabilitation treatment plays an important role in the treatment of knee joint injuries.
Physical therapy must be included in the complex of rehabilitation treatment after knee joint injuries. After all, muscle atrophy, impaired joint mobility, and a violation of the walking stereotype are almost always observed. Therapeutic physical education is a set of specially selected exercises performed on special equipment that should be prescribed by a specialist, taking into account the stage of the pathological process and carried out under the constant supervision of an orthopedic doctor.
Massage prescribed during the recovery period improves blood supply to tissues, stimulates the restoration of muscle mass, muscle tone and elasticity.
Physiotherapeutic procedures are aimed at reducing tissue swelling, reducing pain, improving joint trophism, and preventing the development of post-traumatic arthrosis.
In the prevention of post-traumatic arthrosis at the current level, it is impossible to do without the use of chondroprotective agents injected into the joint cavity. Intra-articular injections of the drug Fermatron have been successfully used in medical rehabilitation for many years. This drug is a synovial fluid prosthesis and its properties are similar to normal human synovial fluid. By lubricating the joint from the inside, it reduces friction of the articular surfaces of the bones, protects the articular cartilage from further wear, and creates conditions for its regeneration.
Author: V.I. Dikul
Wall Squats
Stand with your back to the wall, looking straight ahead. Feet shoulder-width apart and at a distance of 40-50 cm from the wall. Squat down slowly until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Smoothly return to the starting position. 2 sets of 15 reps. Gradually increase the hold time to better strengthen the quadriceps muscle.
Rules for conducting exercises
Improper implementation of the exercise program leads to long rehabilitation, distorted healing, and sometimes to re-rupture. To avoid such consequences, you must obey a small set of rules for performing the load:
- The rehabilitation exercise program is drawn up by the attending physician and must be flawlessly followed according to the stages. Any independent addition is possible only with the permission of a specialist.
- Each exercise is performed until slight pain is felt. There should be no acute discomfort from the activities. If the load seems unbearable, you should stop doing the exercise or the activity in general.
- To achieve the greatest effect, it is recommended to carry out a simple warm-up warm-up. In difficult cases, a regular heating pad will help warm up the necessary muscles. This is especially beneficial during rehabilitation after a rupture of the anterior cruciate tendon in the knee.
- If possible, deviations from the schedule should be excluded. Therapeutic gymnastics prefers consistency. If you cannot visit the exercise therapy room, it is recommended to conduct a lighter version of the exercises at home. It is imperative to notify your doctor about this and receive personal recommendations.
- You also need to make sure you are breathing correctly. Cells equipped with sufficient oxygen tend to regenerate quickly. Synchronized breathing increases the body's endurance and allows you to adequately endure an activity from start to finish. During rehabilitation after surgery to rupture the ligaments of the shoulder joint, breathing exercises are an integral part of the loads. Impaired inhalation in this case will lead to unpleasant stabbing sensations.
- Despite the individual approach to each individual patient, it is recommended to practice in groups. This helps to raise the overall tone, mood and speedy learning of tasks.
Platform rotation
- Rotate the balancing platform clockwise until its edge is in constant contact with the floor , then counterclockwise. Repeat 30 times in each direction.
- Rotate the balancing platform clockwise until its edge touches the floor , then counterclockwise. Repeat 30 times in each direction.
Types of ligament rupture
There is no way to insure against tendon injuries. This disaster can affect anyone, but those at particular risk are: athletes, dancers, circus and ballet troupe workers.
Due to the constant load on the ligaments, they form micro-tears, painful symptoms, which can be easily treated with pain-relieving ointments. However, over time, this leads to the thinning of the bonding material and subsequently increases the risk of complete rupture.
Often injuries occur during sudden movements. When an unbearable weight is placed on the joint, burdened by the speed of completing the task.
In some cases, the rupture is even accompanied by the separation of a small part of the bone. In particularly severe situations, a fracture may occur.
According to the severity of damage, they are divided into three types:
- Microtear or slight sprain of tendons. Everyone has experienced this themselves at least once in their life. However, sometimes this injury goes away completely unnoticed, without causing discomfort.
- Partial ligament rupture. There is a decrease in the functionality of the joint, but performance is maintained. There is pain, the joint reacts to external influences.
- Complete tendon rupture. It is characterized by deformation in the joint area, the formation of hematomas, bruising, and the inability to perform standard actions related to the joint.
If complete rehabilitation after a ligament rupture of the first severity takes from two days to two weeks, then with the second and third points things are more complicated.
Important ! If a ligament rupture is suspected, it is necessary to keep the joint in a calm, motionless state until examined by a doctor. Under no circumstances should you reduce a dislocation or influence a fracture yourself! More often this leads to worsening of the condition and complicates further recovery.
Application of massage procedures
Massage is an excellent aid in the recovery of torn ligaments. It relieves inflammatory swelling, promotes the resorption of hematomas, improves blood circulation in the area of injury, and disperses stagnant lymph.
But, depending on the location of the injury, there are several basic rules for restorative massage:
- During rehabilitation after ruptured knee ligaments. One of the most difficult is massage of the knee joint. It requires special concentration, since if swelling persists for a long time in the area of injury, fluid or excess blood accumulates in the joint capsule. If you let it go, the consequences can be irreparable. To begin with, the quadriceps muscle of the thigh, which supports the joint, is affected. The movements are made with the pads of the fingers in a circle, then it is possible to rub and bend the joint without using muscles. The main goal of this procedure can be considered to give tissue tone, which will promote active blood flow and resorption of lymph in the area of injury. Massage seems easy and accessible to perform independently, but this is not so. For speedy rehabilitation after a knee ligament rupture, it is better to turn to professionals.
- When repairing a rupture of the shoulder joint. During a restorative shoulder massage, an additional need is to relieve swelling, as this can lead to the accumulation of fluid in the joint capsule. Impact on the shoulder joint should be started gradually. First you need to stretch your neck muscles. Kneading the injured area is allowed for no more than 10 minutes. The movements should be stroking, kneading the front and back at the same time. The procedure is performed with the patient sitting.
- During rehabilitation after ankle injuries. Massage for stretching the Achilles tendon is done by placing the patient on the couch, placing a small pillow under the injured limb. The effect is carried out by stroking and rubbing on both sides of the ligaments. However, when rehabilitating after a complete rupture, you need to be careful with the pressure on the area of injury so as not to damage it with too much force. Massage on the ankle must be done from bottom to top for 3-5 minutes. The undoubted advantage of the procedure is the ability to perform it independently.
All massage movements are performed with smooth, measured movements. For better impact and heating, special massage oil is used. Baby oil, such as Johnsens Baby, is often used.
Ligament rupture is a very unpleasant phenomenon that requires a lot of time for rehabilitation. However, by remaining patient and following all the doctor’s instructions, you can get back on your feet (literally and figuratively) in no time.