What are some pain-free exercises for bending the knee?

If the knee joint is injured, or requires a brace or plaster fixation after surgery, this will cause adhesion and stiffness of the knee joint. If not treated properly, knee ankylosis will occur. Therefore, the knee joint needs to be flexed and extended. Exercises for the knee joint may cause pain. When exercising, you should be careful to avoid causing pain. What are some painless exercises for knee flexion? Let’s take a look at it next.

1. First, we need to understand the flexion angle of the knee joint

Under normal circumstances, the knee joint is straight and flat on the bed, the knee flexion angle is 0°, and it can generally hyperextend 5-10°. If the knee joint hyperextends more than 10°, it may be joint laxity. In the left picture below, the knee joint hyperextends about 20-30°. The knee joint is flexed. For thinner people, the heel can reach the buttocks when the knee joint is flexed. At this time, the knee joint is flexed about 140-150°.

2. Calculation of knee joint angle

The angle between the extended line of the thigh and the calf.

3. Perform knee bending exercises once a day - the process of knee bending is as follows

Remove the brace → bend your knee to the target angle → hold for 10 minutes → wear the brace → apply ice for 20 minutes

4. There are several ways to bend your knees.

If the knee flexion is less than 90°, you can sit with your legs hanging down, that is, sit on the edge of the bed with your calves hanging down and your knee flexion exceeding 90°. You can sit against a wall or lie on your back with your legs hanging down and your knee flexion exceeding 100°. You can sit and hug your legs.

5. How to exercise your knees

1. Sit up straight, straighten your chest and abdomen, keep your legs together naturally, and inhale to get ready.

2. Exhale, then place your hands on both sides of the chair, move your upper body back slightly, and lift your legs up, with your calves and thighs at 90 degrees. Tuck in your abdomen and keep your upper body straight.

3. Inhale, keep your whole body still, exhale, keep your left leg still, lift your right leg and then straighten it, keeping your leg at a 45-degree angle to the ground.

4. Keep sitting posture unchanged and return to the original position. Then keep your left leg still and stretch your right leg forward, and then alternate between the two legs.

5. Depending on your personal situation, repeat this exercise for both legs 5-10 times as a set.

6. Persistence is the key. Practice diligently every day and you can achieve the goal of exercising your knees.

6. Notes

Note that this method can only relieve pain and exercise your knees. If you feel any discomfort, stop and seek medical attention immediately.