Gymnastics for treating knees part 1 exercise. Gymnastics for the knee joints: types of exercises and examples of complexes. Rules of action for diseases of the knee joints

Pathology of the knee joint is one of the most common diseases of the musculoskeletal system. This is due to the fact that the knee experiences daily stress, the force of which often exceeds the capabilities of the tissues. The importance of maintaining a healthy joint is determined by its essential role in walking and maintaining body weight.

In most cases, the knees are affected by trauma and deforming arthrosis. These conditions often cause significant changes in the joint structures, which entails their functional failure. Therefore, the treatment of this pathology is a priority at the stage of providing qualified medical care. The therapy complex includes:

Taking medications.
Physiotherapy.
Exercise therapy and massage.
Operation.

The use of each method should be based on indications and clinical recommendations for diseases of the knee joint.

If the patient is concerned about acute manifestations of the disease, they are first corrected, and only then the therapeutic program is expanded.

Movement is the basis of not only preventive, but also therapeutic measures for skeletal pathology. Therefore, knee exercises are important for restoring strength and range of motion, allowing the patient to return to their previous level of physical activity and improve the quality of life.

Exercise therapy is part of a complex of rehabilitation measures after injuries and operations in the knee area. Exercises are of great importance for deforming arthrosis and chronic arthritis.

There is no substitute for movement treatment; it is a simple and effective method that is available to everyone.

When performing exercises for the knee joint, you need to follow simple recommendations that will help you do everything correctly, avoiding mistakes and adverse consequences. Before carrying out exercise therapy, you should remember the following principles:

First, it is necessary to eliminate the acute manifestations of injury or illness - pain, swelling, inflammation.
All movements must be performed smoothly, without jerking, and the amplitude cannot be sharply increased.
Carry out gymnastics in stages - moving from simple movements to more complex ones.
It is necessary to increase the load slowly and gradually.
If pain occurs, stop the current exercise and return to an easier one.

Any complex of physical exercises require regular and daily performance. If you do not follow these recommendations, you can achieve the exact opposite effect from exercise therapy – a deterioration in the condition of the articular apparatus.

Many knee exercises are contraindicated in the following cases:

Arterial hypertension.
Increased body temperature.
Severe pathology of internal organs.
Acute infectious diseases.
Early period after operations in the abdomen and chest.
Existing inguinal and femoral hernias.
Period of menstruation in women.

Phys. exercises should not be attempted through pain - this may provoke additional tissue damage.

Pain relieving exercises

Various pathologies of the knee joint require elimination of acute manifestations before engaging in exercise therapy. However, there is also special gymnastics for knee pain, which consists of light and safe movements that have an analgesic effect. Such exercises are especially indicated for the initial signs of arthrosis and after injuries, when mild pain in the joints persists. Under the influence of moderate load, the joints produce biologically active substances that have an anti-inflammatory effect.

If it is necessary to achieve an analgesic effect, it is recommended to do physical exercise. exercises with the following exercises:

Passive extension: Sitting on the floor with the healthy leg bent and a bolster under the heel of the affected leg, allow the knee to extend under the weight of the limb.
Active flexion: sitting with straight legs, slowly flex the affected limb, moving the foot towards the buttock.
Extension of the leg upward: from a reclining position with emphasis on the elbows and with the sore leg bent, straighten it at the knee joint, lifting the shin up.
Leg up bend: lying on your stomach, bend your leg so that your shin is in a vertical position.
Squats: Without lifting your back from the wall, squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Step: go up and down with your affected leg on a step on the side or in front.

A physical therapy doctor will tell you how to do gymnastics for sore knees. It is necessary to follow his recommendations to continue studying at home.

Exercises to strengthen your knees

As a result of various injuries, the stability of the knee joint can be impaired, which will interfere with its normal function and make it difficult for the patient to move. In this case, it is recommended to perform therapeutic exercises that strengthen the muscular-ligamentous apparatus. This includes the following physical exercises:

Perform squats without lifting your heels off the floor.
Lunge forward alternately with both legs.
Simulation of riding a bicycle in a sitting position.
Circular rotations at the knees with half squats.
Light squats from a wide stance.
While kneeling, bend to the side and sit on your buttocks.
When squatting, stand up without using your hands.

Regular performance of such exercises will not only prevent sprains and ligament tears, but in combination with other movements will have a good effect during rehabilitation treatment. If it is difficult for a person to do squats, they can be replaced with the “bicycle” exercise, lighter movements in a lying and sitting position. When the tissues are completely restored, you can perform gymnastics in the same volume.

Exercises for arthrosis

If patients suffer from arthrosis, exercises are indicated, regardless of the severity of the disease. True, with a severe degree of pathology, the patient will experience significant difficulties in performing them, and the effect of such therapy will be minimal compared to surgical methods. But in mild and moderate cases of arthrosis, gymnastics certainly has a pronounced positive effect. The following set of exercises is recommended:

From a lying position, lift your leg, bending it at the knee and holding it suspended.
Perform flexion and extension of the raised leg.
In a lying position, bend and straighten both legs, bringing your knees to your stomach.
Simulation of cycling while lying down.
Lying on your stomach, bend your leg at the knee, touching your buttock with your heel.
Sitting on a chair, rotate your shins.
In a sitting position, raise your leg to a horizontal level, holding it.
Leaning your hands on the back of the chair, abduct and abduct your straight legs.
Holding onto a chair or wall, swing your leg back and forth.
Perform partial squats with support on the back of a chair.

Only by following all the rules can you expect a positive effect from gymnastics. Otherwise, the condition of the cartilage may deteriorate.

Exercises for sore knees are an important element in the complex of therapy for various pathologies.

Gymnastics for losing weight on knees

Exercises for the knees have an excellent cosmetic effect - they allow you to make your legs slender and beautiful. This is especially true for women who are wondering how to remove fat from their knees. They are concerned that subcutaneous tissue is sometimes deposited on the inside of the joint, which somewhat changes the shape of the legs.

If you do exercises that include exercises for losing weight on your knees, you can easily increase the aesthetic appeal of women's legs. The following gymnastics will help you get rid of fat on your knees:

In a standing position, slightly raising one leg, perform circular movements in the knee.
Front lunges alternate with the right and left leg.
From a standing position, raise your knee to waist level and turn your foot towards you, first with the inside and then with the outside.
Transfer your body weight to one leg, bending it slightly and making springy bends in this direction.
In a standing position, raise your knee, extending your shin as much as possible and bringing your toe towards you.
While in a wide stance, turn your feet inward and perform squats with your arms extended forward.
While lying on your side, perform straight leg raises while holding it in weight.

These exercises for losing weight in the knees will successfully deal with fat deposits on the inside of the joint and restore slimness and attractiveness to the legs.

Gymnastics has a positive effect not only in cases of knee joint pathology (arthrosis, injuries), but is of great importance in the prevention of damage. Exercises give strength to the knees, strength to the muscles, and slimness and beauty to women’s legs.

With degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the joints, which include arthrosis, the range of movements decreases, pain and crunching appear. Therapeutic exercise for arthrosis of the knee joint helps relieve symptoms and allows you to maintain intact limb function for longer. Exercises for atrosis of the knee joint are performed together with an instructor or independently. At different stages of the disease, different types of leg exercises are recommended.

Effect of exercise

Exercises for arthrosis of the knee joint have the following beneficial effects:

Improving blood circulation in joint structures;
Improving cartilage nutrition;
Maintaining the elasticity of ligaments;
Strengthening the muscle frame;
Stimulation of joint fluid production;
Slowing down degenerative processes;
Preventing the formation of joint contractures.

Gymnastics for gonarthrosis supports joint function at any stage of the disease, but it will be most effective at the very beginning, with minimal changes in the knee.

On a note!
If you have arthrosis of the knee, any power loads are prohibited - the use of barbells, dumbbells and weights.

Kinds

You can strengthen your knee joints with a variety of exercises. Gymnastics is performed at home or in the gym, or in the pool. Exercises for the treatment of arthrosis are performed from a lying position, sitting on a chair, or standing. Various gymnastics accessories are actively used - sticks, balls, steppers.

Exercises can be static and dynamic. Static ones include those that involve being in one position for a short time. Dynamic exercises are those during which active movements are performed.

Separately, it should be said about exercises for the knee joint performed in water. They not only have the effect inherent in regular gymnastics, but also gently massage the limbs, helping to relieve pain. Water aerobics has virtually no contraindications, with the exception of severe cardiac pathology.

Indications

Exercise therapy for knee arthrosis is carried out at all stages of the disease, as well as as preventive measures. Gymnastics is recommended for everyone, regardless of gender and age.

Contraindications

There are some situations in which gymnastics for joints with arthrosis is not carried out. Contraindications include the following situations:

A person has an acute cold;
Damage to the integrity of the skin of the knee;
Acute inflammation of the knee joint;
Period of menstruation in women;
Severe exacerbation of cardiac pathology;
Inguinal, umbilical hernias;
High blood pressure.

For the most part, these are relative contraindications, that is, physical exercise is permitted after these situations have been eliminated.

Execution Rules

Exercise therapy for the knee joint with arthrosis will be most effective if it is performed in accordance with all the rules.

The load must correspond to the age and state of health of the person;
Start training with minimal loads, gradually increasing them;
Gymnastics must be performed daily, the entire recommended complex is fully worked out;
At first, all movements are performed at a slow pace, then it can be accelerated;
The workout should begin with stretching, which will allow you to relax the muscles and ligaments;
It is advisable to set aside a certain time for classes;
You need to exercise in loose clothing that does not restrict movement;
If you feel tired while charging, you should take a short break;
It is better to start and end exercises with a light relaxing knee massage;
The exercises must be performed even if there is pain in the knee, but if they intensify, stop the gymnastics.

The set of exercises is determined by the physical therapy doctor; you cannot change or supplement it yourself. A person can do joint gymnastics in the gym, under the supervision of a doctor, or at home on his own.

If your health worsens due to therapeutic exercises, you should consult your doctor.

Set of exercises

Different stages of arthrosis require different gymnastic complexes. This is due to differences in the pathological processes occurring in the knee joint. Effective gymnastics for arthrosis of the knee joint includes exercises performed from different starting positions, as well as water aerobics.

A set of exercises for grade 1 arthrosis of the knee joint is designed to relieve pain and slow down further progression of the disease. The exercises are carried out quite intensively, the duration of the lesson is at least half an hour. Approximate complex:

Starting position – lying on your back with legs extended. Bend one leg at a right angle, then lift it up and straighten it. Repeat for the other leg;
Lying on your back, resting your heels on the floor, bend and straighten your knees alternately;
Lying down, bend your legs at a right angle. Rotating your hips, try to touch your knees to the floor one at a time;
Sit on a chair with your feet on the floor. Alternately stretch your legs forward, straightening them at the knees;
Sit with your knees slightly behind the chair seat. Make cross movements with bent legs;
Standing, feet shoulder-width apart. Perform leg lifts, bending them at right angles.
Standing on the floor, spread your legs. Perform slow, incomplete squats;
Standing on the floor in front of the stepper, climb up and down on it with each leg in turn;
Standing, bend your leg at the knee and take it back. Grasp the toe with your hand and stand in this position for a few seconds. Repeat for the other leg;
Finish the session with a light jog in a circle or in place.

Exercise therapy for grade 2 arthrosis of the knee joint is intended to relieve pain and stimulate the production of joint fluid. At this stage, it is not recommended to do exercises with a stepper. The duration of the lesson is 20 minutes. You can do the following exercises:

Lying on your back, lift your straightened leg up. Then bend it at the knee and smoothly lower it to the floor;
Lying with your legs extended, slowly slide your heels along the floor towards the buttocks and back;
Sitting on a chair, step your feet over a gymnastic stick;
Sitting on a chair, place your foot on a small ball. Perform circular movements with your leg, trying to engage the knee joint;
Standing against a wall and leaning your back on it, bend your leg at a right angle in front of you. Grab your knee with your hands and try to pull it towards your chest;
Standing with support against the wall, slowly lower and rise, straining your knees;
Standing, feet shoulder-width apart. Perform a half squat and stay in this position for a few seconds;
Finish the session with a brisk walk.

After training, massage your knees and take a warm bath.

Perform each exercise for 10-15 approaches.

A set of therapeutic exercises for grade 3 arthrosis of the knee joint is aimed at relieving pain and eliminating muscle spasms. At this stage, a minimum load is indicated, the exercises are mostly static. The duration of the lesson depends on the person’s well-being. Perform the following exercises:

Lying on your back, bend your knees and lie there for a minute. Then straighten your legs and lie down for another minute;
Lying on your back, bend your leg at the knee, lift it up, hold for a few seconds. Then slowly lower and straighten. Repeat for the other leg;
Lying on your stomach, alternately bend your knees, lifting your heels up;
Sitting on a chair, cross your legs;
Standing, hands on your belt. Move each leg back and forth one by one.

Perform 10 approaches on each leg. After training, massage your knees and take a warm bath.

Exercises in the pool are carried out together with an instructor or independently. Both static and dynamic exercises are allowed:

Holding the side, bend your leg at the knee and move it back;
Holding onto a support, slowly squat and rise;
Swing your legs back and forth.

Gymnastics for the treatment of knee arthrosis are being developed by exercise therapy doctors. Kinesitherapy - treatment with movement - is practiced by specialists such as Bubnovsky, Popov and Evdokimenko. Regularly performed gymnastics slows down the progression of arthrosis and maintains knee flexibility for a long time.

Arthrosis (osteoarthrosis) of the knee joint is a chronic disease consisting of degeneration of articular cartilage and its gradual destruction. It is impossible to completely get rid of this pathology - no medications or procedures will help to completely restore the structure of the cartilage. However, almost everyone can slow down the progression of osteoarthritis - they should regularly undergo courses of treatment with appropriate medications, in addition to which they should use physical therapy methods, one of which is therapeutic exercises, or exercise therapy.

From our article you will learn about the basic rules of exercise therapy and get acquainted with some exercises that a patient should perform in order to alleviate his condition.

Exercise therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee joints: what you need to know

Physical therapy exercises are useful outside of exacerbation of osteoarthritis.

Therapeutic gymnastics for this disease is carried out with the aim of strengthening the muscular-ligamentous apparatus of the knee joint, without loading the joint itself. It is for this reason that the vast majority of exercises in the complex are performed from a lying position or sitting on a chair.

Engaging in physical therapy is allowed only if the disease is in remission - there is no redness, synovitis or severe pain in the area of the affected joints. If signs of inflammation are present (osteoarthritis is in the acute stage), you should first undergo a course of anti-inflammatory therapy in a hospital or outpatient setting and only then perform exercises.

Not all exercises are approved for use by a specific patient. So before you start classes, you should visit your primary care physician, rheumatologist or arthrologist. Only a specialist will “give the go-ahead” to carry out the entire complex of exercise therapy or prohibit performing certain exercises.

During exercise, you should not experience pain, much less tolerate it. If pain does appear, you should stop training and reduce the number of repetitions during the next one. If the pain persists even after these steps, it would be a good idea to seek advice from a specialist.

The exercises must be performed regularly - 2-3 repetitions daily, without skipping. Only this approach will help you feel the result. The other side of the coin is overload. Don't think that a high number of repetitions will get you closer to your desired goal faster. In this way, you will only make things worse for yourself - the disease will worsen or the degenerative process will accelerate.

Improvements today, tomorrow and even after a week of daily exercise should not be expected - do not entertain yourself with illusions... After all, the joints have been damaged and destroyed for many years, and it also takes enough time for at least partial restoration of cartilage tissue. In parallel with exercise therapy, follow other recommendations for the treatment of osteoarthritis: eliminate increased dynamic loads on the knees (working in the garden while kneeling is absolutely not for you), carry out regular activities to strengthen the whole body - walks in the fresh air, general strengthening exercises. Never listen to “good” advice that the best cure for osteoarthritis is exercise for the knee joints in the form of walking on all fours. This is simply a huge load on the knees, as a result of which osteoarthritis will worsen.

If you are obese, you should begin treatment for osteoarthritis not with exercise therapy, but with weight loss. Excess weight significantly increases the load on the knee joints, and until you normalize it, unfortunately, you will not get a significant effect from therapeutic exercises.

Rules for conducting classes

Work out in comfortable sportswear and sneakers that fit properly, with hard rubber soles 2-3 cm thick and a soft elastic upper. Experts do not recommend training barefoot, as this increases the risk of foot injury.
Each exercise should be performed smoothly, without jerking, focusing your attention on the sensations in the sore knee.
As you lift and lower your leg, imagine how blood flows to the affected joint and supplies it with oxygen and other necessary substances, as a result of which it is restored.
At the beginning of your workout, relax your limb. This will improve blood flow to the knee, making exercise easier.
They begin the exercise therapy course with simple exercises, and as they get used to such a load, they introduce more complex ones into the training.
Each exercise is first performed slowly and with low amplitude, gradually increasing these indicators.
As mentioned above, it is necessary to allocate 30-40 minutes to classes every day, but not in one approach, but dividing them into 2-3 for 10-15-20 minutes. Between approaches, the joint needs a rest of 4-6 hours - this is the time needed for the regeneration of damaged cartilage to be completed successfully.
When the set of exercises is completed, it is recommended to lie down for a while with your legs extended and relax. In addition, you can do a massage or self-massage of the knee joint area, the technique of which we will describe below.

Osteoarthritis of the knee joints: a set of exercises

Starting position (hereinafter – IP) – lying on the floor face down, legs straight, arms along the body. Smoothly lift one leg, without bending it, 15-20 cm from the floor, freeze for half a minute, calmly lower it, relax for 10-15 seconds. Do the same with the second leg. Repetitions of this exercise are not required, that is, the frequency of execution is 1 time.
IP is similar to the first exercise. Smoothly lift one straightened leg to a height of 15 cm, hold it for a few seconds, and lower it back to the floor. Rest for 1-2 seconds. Perform 10-20 times with each leg alternately.
IP - lying on your stomach, arms extended along the body. One leg is straight, the other is bent at the knee 90°. Carefully lift your second leg, without straightening it at the joint, 10-15 cm from the floor and freeze for half a minute, smoothly lower your leg, straightening it. Relax. Repeat with the other leg. Frequency of repetitions – 1 time.
IP is similar to exercise 3. It should be performed in the same way, but with a pause not of half a minute, but only for 1-2 seconds. Lowering the limb, relax for a couple of seconds and repeat 10 times with each leg.
IP - lying on your back with straight legs and arms extended along the body. Slowly raise your legs, without bending them, 10 cm from the floor, gently spread them apart, then bring them together. Do not lower your feet to the floor, but repeat your actions 8-10 times. Lower your legs. Relax. If you have difficulty doing this exercise, skip it.
IP - lying on your side with the lower leg bent at the knee. Gently lift your upper leg 45° from the floor, hold it in this position for half a minute, gently lower it, and relax. Turn onto the other side and repeat the exercise with the other leg.
IP - sitting on a chair, legs bent at the knees at a right angle. Smoothly straighten your leg at the knee and lift it above the horizontal plane - as much as possible. Freeze for half a minute or a minute, carefully lower your leg into the IP. Relax. Repeat the exercise for the second leg. The frequency of the exercise is 2-3 times for each limb.
IP - standing, slightly touching the back of the chair in front. Rise onto your toes and hold in this position for 60 seconds, and then smoothly return to the IP. Repetition frequency – 1 time.
The IP and method of execution are similar to exercise 8, but you should only linger while standing on your tiptoes for a few seconds. Repeat the exercise 10-15 times.
IP – similar to the IP in the previous exercise. As far as possible, lift yourself onto the toes of one leg (the other one is on the floor with its entire foot), slowly change the position to the opposite, then “roll” back. Repeat these steps for 60 seconds.
IP – similar to the three previous exercises. Lift your toes and entire forefoot as high as possible, maintaining support on your heels. Freeze for 1 minute, smoothly return to IP.
The IP and method of execution are the same, but you should freeze in an elevated position only for a few seconds, then relax for a moment and repeat the exercise. The repetition rate is 10-15.
IP - sitting on a couch or bed, with your left leg straightened in front of you and your right leg lowered. Make a half-turn of your body to the left, placing your hands on the knee of your straightened leg. As you exhale, bend forward three times, pressing on your knee as if trying to straighten it. Return to IP. Repeat with the right leg.
IP - sitting on the bed, legs straight, hands on knees. Tighten your thigh muscles as much as possible, leave them in this state for half a minute, and relax. Repeat 15-20 times. When the thigh muscles are tense, the popliteal fossa should be pressed into the bed.

Self-massage technique

As mentioned above, the final stage of each set of exercises should be. It helps to activate blood flow in the area of the knee joints and accelerate the processes of regeneration of articular cartilage. Ideally, massage should be performed after taking a warm, relaxing bath or.

The intensity of the effects directly depends on the individual sensitivity of the tissues (you should not experience pain).

You can ask someone from your family to give you a massage, or you can do it yourself, based on the following recommendations:

The first stage is a massage of the thigh muscles. The following massage effects replace each other: stroking, squeezing with knuckles and the edge of the palm, shaking, circular kneading. The manipulations should be repeated 3-4 times each.
The second stage is a massage of the knee joint area: you should stroke the lateral areas of the joint, rubbing it with the base of your palm both straight and in a circle.
The third, fourth, fifth stages are a less intense and shorter massage of the thigh muscles, then a knee massage again, followed by a thigh massage again.
The sixth stage is active physical exercise: flexion and extension of the lower extremities at the knee joint 5-7 times, circular movements of the lower leg and foot.
The final stage is a massage of the thigh, and then the knee joint.

Other physiotherapy for arthrosis of the knee joints

In the treatment of osteoarthritis, exercise therapy can be combined with other physiotherapy techniques. Other types of phototherapy work best on joints affected by this disease. Among non-traditional treatment methods, experts recommend hatha yoga.

For a number of diseases, physiotherapy is contraindicated, as it can harm the patient’s health. Such diseases are:

severe cardiovascular pathology;
active form of tuberculosis;
acute inflammatory processes of any localization;
oncopathology;
increased bleeding;
exhaustion;
pregnancy period.

In conclusion of the article, we would like to repeat: despite the fact that osteoarthritis is a steadily progressing degenerative disease of articular cartilage, adequate complex therapy will help to significantly slow down the rate of its development, one of the leading places in which is physical therapy, or exercise therapy. By doing the exercises regularly, day after day, while simultaneously following other treatment recommendations, you will probably soon feel the results.

Video of a set of exercises for the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joints.

The most complete answers to questions on the topic: “physical therapy exercises for the knee joint.”

The structure of the knee joint is an anatomically complex unit, due to which it is the most mobile in the human body. When performing active movements: walking, running, jumping and much more, this joint takes on the main load. As a result of all this, in domestic, professional or sports conditions, injury may occur. Also, people quite often develop inflammatory and degenerative pathologies that disrupt nutrition and blood supply to the knee. Against this background, the layer of cartilage and intra-articular surfaces become thinner, the menisci are injured or destroyed, and muscles and ligaments work poorly.

To treat all the processes described above, doctors prescribe exercise therapy for the knee joint to patients, which, in combination with drug therapy, allows for a fairly quick recovery. It is worth noting that the load and direction of gymnastics largely depends on the type of pathology, as well as the stage of progression of the disease. Therefore, let’s figure out why physical education is necessary at all, whether it helps, and what exercises are best to do.

Necessity

Many people wonder why gymnastics is necessary if modern pharmaceuticals now offer many effective medications that can save you from almost all diseases.

Exercise therapy for the knee joint

The thing is that it is impossible to achieve treatment results that last for a long time using drugs alone. Most patients note that even with an advanced form of the pathology, when they regularly performed the recommended exercises, the following effects were achieved:

The mobility of the damaged articular joint was restored almost completely;
Tension in the muscles has decreased significantly, they have learned to relax;
Doctors noted that the quality of nutrient transport had improved;
Muscle tone has increased.

The treatment process, which uses gymnastics, can also work in the direction of reducing excess weight, because if it is present, the load on the knee joint increases significantly. The only thing you need is to dilute the exercises with vigorous movements, which will help get rid of excess fat.

Rules

In order to recover an injured or painful knee as quickly as possible, experts recommend following some tips:

It is also worth noting that if the patient suffers from severe limitation of the motor ability of the joint, or the discomfort intensifies in a standing position, it is necessary to exercise while sitting, and sometimes lying down.

Pair exercise therapy sessions

All exercises for classes must be selected by a qualified specialist and justified by the condition of the patient’s joints. If there is an obvious inflammatory process, exercise is prohibited. At the beginning of exercise therapy classes, for the first 10 days, you need to do no more than four repetitions of each exercise, but gradually the number of times increases to ten.

Experts also say that at the initial stages there is no need to strive to complete the entire complex; it is permissible to start with the easiest ones and then complicate the process. It is recommended to perform the entire exercise cycle a maximum of three times a day.

Anyone who performs exercise therapy should know that sometimes during the training process a feeling of fatigue occurs. It is better to wait out this time by lying on the floor with your legs extended forward. You should not put anything soft under your leg, due to the high likelihood of developing flexion contracture, which is difficult to treat.

Exercises

The peculiarity of exercise therapy is that all the exercises in the complex are quite simple. Thanks to this, you can stretch damaged joints immediately after a night's sleep, early in the morning, and without getting out of bed. The first step is to do light stretching, which will allow the muscles to prepare for the subsequent load.

After this we do the following:

For those patients who do not suffer from severe pain and discomfort, it is recommended to do exercise therapy in a standing position. You can use a wall, chair, armchair or window sill as a support. You need to abduct the leg (straight) to the sides, then back and forth. It is also good to squat, but only as
joints allow, and you also need to walk, while raising your knees high.

When the level of training is high and all actions can be performed without the presence of pain and discomfort, patients are allowed to diversify their yoga classes. In this case, you need to choose those poses that work specifically on the knee joint. If you train constantly, the elasticity of the joint will increase.

Prohibited

Pay attention to the fact that exercise therapy is physical therapy, which is why all exercises are designed in such a way that they can only be performed by people with pathologies of the knee joint. The thing is that due to degenerative changes in tissues, the joint does not work fully. Therefore, not a single complex contains actions that will require the patient to stand, sit, lift heavy objects, or make jerking movements for a long time.

Movements of this type are contraindicated

Accordingly, patients are prohibited from doing weight-bearing exercises or riding exercise bikes. It is necessary to carefully approach the process of choosing yoga poses. They don’t have to be very complicated; choose only gentle options.

After the patient has survived a period of exacerbation and has also completed a course of drug treatment for the pathology, the main rehabilitation process will consist of regular exercise therapy. It is also equally important to develop a daily plan in which the patient will have sufficient rest and engage in therapeutic exercises. This way, the patient will always feel good, and his mood will remain elevated, which will help improve muscle and heart tone. Thanks to proper physical activity, including exercise therapy, yoga, swimming and massage, you can protect yourself from the development of various pathologies of the knee joint.

One of the most common joint diseases in the world is arthrosis. At the age of 45, up to 15% of the population suffers from it; at the age of sixty, every third person suffers from this disease, and at the age of seventy, every second person suffers from this disease. Of course, there are exceptions, such as herbs, which can become a provoking factor in the development of arthrosis at a young age.

Arthrosis is one of many diseases that inevitably overtake the older part of the population.

Pain in the joints occurs during movement, but at rest it is practically not bothersome. As a rule, painkillers are ineffective. Various warming ointments, compresses and mud help best. Blood tests usually show no visible changes. The disease can be detected using X-rays or MRI.

Arthrosis is characterized by dystrophic damage to the cartilage tissue of the joint. With age or as a result of injury, the amount of fluid in the core of the intervertebral discs decreases, due to which the elasticity and mobility of the joints decreases. Arthrosis most often affects the knees and hips. You can often find arthrosis of the big toe. A knee with arthrosis often makes itself felt by pain while walking or squatting.

Effective treatment of arthrosis

The approach to treating this joint disease should be comprehensive. First of all, you need to contact the clinic at the first manifestations of the disease. Remember that only a doctor can make a correct diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment.

Many symptoms of arthrosis are similar to those of other joint diseases, but the causes of their occurrence and treatment are very different from each other. Therefore, self-medication can not only be useless, but also have a negative impact on the course of the disease.

Only a doctor can prescribe a set of measures including drug treatment, physiotherapy, diet and physical therapy, which can stop the further development of arthrosis. Since treatment is most effective in the early stages of the disease, it is advisable to consult a doctor at the first symptoms of a knee joint disease.

The importance of physical activity for arthrosis

One of the aids for this is therapeutic exercises. One of its main principles is “do no harm”! Depending on the stage of the disease, a set of exercises is formed. In the early stages of the disease, vigorous movements are an excellent way to improve joint mobility and increase blood flow.

If the joint has already begun to deteriorate, then vigorous exercise can only worsen the patient’s condition. Therefore, before starting a complex for the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint, it is necessary to consult a competent specialist.

A physical therapy trainer selects an individual set of exercises that can help you and will not harm your joints. For the acute period of the disease, exercises are selected aimed at improving lymph flow, blood supply to the joint, relaxing the muscles around it and reducing pain.

During the remission stage, the emphasis is on strengthening the muscular-ligamentous apparatus of the joint and restoring its functions.

Rules for performing physical therapy

Gymnastics for arthrosis of the knee joint is based on three principles - caution, regularity and gradualness. It is recommended to perform all exercises either sitting or lying down. There should be no vigorous exercises “through pain” in a complex. The load increases gradually, as does the range of movements.

The duration of the exercises should be a few seconds, but they must be repeated several times a day. One of the main principles of performing any treatment complex is the regularity of its implementation. Exercises from time to time not only do not bring results, but can also have the opposite effect, causing an exacerbation of the disease.

Exercises for the knee joint

All exercises for therapeutic effects do not tolerate sudden movements and are performed smoothly and slowly:

Lying on your back with straight legs, stretch your heels without stretching your toes. This exercise relieves muscle tension well and also helps improve metabolic processes in the knee joint;
Lying on your back, extend your arms along your body. Raise your straight legs alternately 15 cm from the floor. The back and lower back are pressed tightly to the floor;
Lying on your back, arms along your body. Raise the leg bent at the knee to the stomach one by one;
Exercise "bicycle";
Lying on your back, perform swings with straight legs at a height of 20 cm from the floor in a horizontal plane;
Lying on your side, lift the upper leg to a small height. The lower leg is bent at the knee. Perform on different sides;
Lying on your stomach, arms along your body. Perform alternate bending of the legs at the knees;
Lying on your stomach, arms along your body. Perform lifts with a straight leg to a height of 15-20 cm from the floor, with the toe facing toward you. In this exercise, it is important that the pelvis and chest are pressed tightly to the floor, and the lifting is accomplished by tensing the thigh muscles;
While sitting on a chair, perform relaxed swings of the leg, bending and straightening the knee joint.

Static exercises for the knee joint

These exercises are performed several times at intervals of ten seconds:

Sitting on a chair, raise your leg, straightening it at the knee joint and hold for up to 30 seconds. Then perform the exercise with the other leg;
Standing at the back of a chair, rise on your tiptoes and stand for up to 60 seconds. After doing this exercise several times, you can repeat it in a dynamic version;
Standing at the back of a chair, lean on your heels and hold out for up to 60 seconds. It is recommended to carry out this exercise in a dynamic version, that is, change positions more quickly;
Standing at the back of a chair, perform smooth transitions from “heel” to “toe”, as if in smooth wave movements, forcing the blood to rise more actively to the knee joint.

Self-massage

After completing a therapeutic set of exercises, it is recommended to perform self-massage of the thighs, its front and side surfaces. It is performed for three to five minutes by vigorous rubbing from bottom to top, from the knee to the groin. It should be “warm” and comfortable. No pain is allowed.

Recommendations from nutritionists for patients with arthrosis of the knee joints

One of the factors contributing to the development of arthrosis is excess weight. Losing body weight has a beneficial effect on the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joints. However, reducing the patient's weight alone cannot cure arthrosis.

A balanced diet must be included in the complex of therapeutic measures. Patients with arthrosis should include as many fruits and vegetables in their diet as possible. Among the fats, vegetable oils should predominate, for example, olive, sesame and butter in small quantities. As for meat, preference should be given to chicken, turkey and veal. Any fish is recommended, but not fried.

Particular attention should be paid to lactic acid products, especially cottage cheese and natural yogurt. Buckwheat is the best cereal. Only whole grain baked goods can be consumed.
Much attention is paid to the complex of vitamins that should be consumed by everyone suffering from arthrosis. In addition to chondroprotectors, it is necessary to consume a complex of B vitamins. All this can be selected for you by your attending physician, in accordance with your stage of the disease, your physical condition and preferences.