Exercises for Knee Pain Relief, Before and After Knee Surgery
Have you been told you need or will need surgery to help with your knee pain? Are you looking for exercises to help your popping, clicking, or grinding sounds with squatting or climbing stairs? At Joint Restoration Center in Tulsa, OK, our specialists can help you find solutions to your pain and teach you exercises to keep your knees feeling their best!
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis affecting the knee joint. Over time the cartilage gradually breaks down, leading to inflammation, more pain, and loss of joint range of motion.
Although arthritis can be debilitating and sometimes lead to knee surgery, there’s a lot that you can do to alleviate the pain and improve your function. Studies have shown that targeted exercises are beneficial before and after surgery. In some cases, exercise with other non-surgical treatments can eliminate the need for surgery. Even when surgery is the best option, exercise can help get you ready and ensure you maximize your outcomes afterward.
If your stiff, achy, or painful knees are getting in the way of you enjoying your life, call Joint Restoration Center in Tulsa, OK, today to schedule a consultation with one of our specialists and learn more about our knee pain therapy.
We’ll create an individualized treatment plan to relieve the arthritic pains in your knee(s) and teach you exercises tailored to your needs.
How does arthritis affect the knee and lead to pain?
Osteoarthritis can occur from age, injury, or repetitive use and is the most common type of arthritis in the knee. In severe cases, it is often described as bone-on-bone, where there is so little cartilage that there is painful inflammation and dysfunction of the joint. Over time the cartilage is worn down and can no longer act as a cushion and shock absorber for the joints.
Although aging is considered one of the most significant risk factors for knee osteoarthritis, obesity, previous injury, and certain sports or occupations can also significantly increase the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis.
Recent research suggests that unhealthy diets (i.e., processed foods, high sugar content, etc.) and a sedentary lifestyle are associated with systemic (i.e., throughout the whole body) inflammation. More inflammation is linked with more intense pain and impaired mobility.
In addition, obesity increases the force/pressure the knee joint has to withstand. When compared to a healthy weight range, carrying extra weight makes the joint more likely to break down and makes the individual more likely to experience knee pain.
Fortunately, research has also shown that there are effective alternatives to knee surgery. Pre-surgery options include exercise and Advanced Arthritis Relief Protocol, which our team at Joint Restoration Center in Tulsa, OK can help you with!
Pre-hab vs. post-surgery exercises
Pre-operative therapy, also known as “pre-hab,” will help you prepare physically and mentally for any upcoming surgical procedure. In some cases, it can eliminate the need for surgery.
Your Tulsa physical therapists will conduct a thorough injury assessment of your knee and the joints above and below to identify all the factors influencing your pain and limitations. For example, weakness in the hip flexor muscles has been shown to be connected to an increase in knee osteoarthritis.
By addressing any weakness or restrictions related to your condition, our team at Joint Restoration Center can design exercises tailored to your specific needs. We will address common areas of concern and implement exercises to reduce or eliminate swelling and restore your joint range of motion.
Recent research has demonstrated the adverse effects of inactivity on knee arthritis. It was once thought that too much activity caused more damage and breakdown, but we now know, conclusively, that exercise not only helps minimize deterioration, but it can also significantly improve the health of the joint.
If the pain is severe, low-impact exercises like range of motion stretches or bike exercises can begin to get the joint moving with minimal impact. Mobility exercises improve blood circulation to the knee joint, which helps bring the proper nourishment the knee needs to stay healthy.
Our highly trained therapists will use strengthening exercises to improve your core and hip/pelvis muscles. You’ll start with floor exercises (or on the bed) such as:
- Bridges for muscles in the back
- Dead bug series for muscles in the front
- Side planks for muscles on the sides
As you progress and can tolerate more challenging exercises, your program will progress to include the following:
- Chair squats
- Step-up and step-down exercises
- Lunges
Pre-hab exercises aim to resolve your pain when possible or to put yourself in the best possible position for a quick recovery. Post-surgical exercises are typically based on the different stages of healing common for any surgical procedure.
For example, early on, the emphasis is on restoring lost motion and eliminating the common swelling after knee surgery. Too often, people think that surgery is meant to fix the issue immediately, but surgery is often just the start of recovery.
Exercise programs after surgery should be unique to the individual. This is where our team excels. We will tailor the exercise selection and treatment protocols based on your specific needs. We understand that rehabilitation must include the most advanced exercises and techniques to maximize your chances for a successful outcome.
Our team is highly skilled in post-surgical rehabilitation and will focus on the following keys to success:
- Alleviate pain
- Reduce swelling
- Improve range of motion
- Return strength to pre-injury levels and beyond
- Restore balance and coordination
Your physical therapist will also provide explicit instruction on which exercises are safe to perform at home and which will further help improve your overall function and recovery. If you are looking for the edge to improve the health of your knee, incorporating pre-hab and post-op therapy into your plans will ensure the best possible outcomes!
Call Joint Restoration Center in Tulsa, OK today to request an appointment!
We’re here to help you get back to doing what you love without knee pain. We understand that no two pain conditions are alike; therefore, no two treatment plans should be either. Our knee surgery alternatives are designed to meet your needs! Our goal is to help you hurt less and move more.
Contact Joint Restoration Center to learn more about the benefits of pre-hab and post-surgical physical therapy.
Sources:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00402-018-3026-6
https://bmcmusculoskeletdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12891-020-03676-6
https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/59218/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666061X21002169
