The best version of knee rehabilitation exercises: three movements to relieve pain

Many middle-aged and elderly people have knee pain. This article introduces three of the simplest knee rehabilitation exercises and answers some common questions for patients with knee arthritis.

First, let me briefly introduce the structure of knee cartilage. Knee cartilage is an elastic structure, like a sponge cushion, protecting bones from direct friction. Most of the joint tissue is water, and a small part is chondrocytes, which are responsible for the metabolism of cartilage tissue. The components of synovial fluid include collagen, proteoglycan and hyaluronic acid, forming a mesh structure of cartilage tissue.

Can knee cartilage regenerate?

Our body’s ability to repair itself is higher than you think. Some people may think, “The knee joint is too degenerated to regenerate.” In fact, if the cause of knee joint degeneration is found and removed, the knee cartilage may gradually regenerate. Otherwise, degenerative arthritis will continue to worsen.

The common clinical cause of knee joint degeneration is leg length discrepancy, where one leg is tighter than the other. At this time, there will be a tendon knot in the popliteal fossa behind the painful knee joint, and the tendon will contract very tightly, aggravating the compression and wear of the joint. In this case, some movements can be made to loosen the tendon, and the knee will become softer and more flexible.

A review of studies involving more than a thousand clinical trial participants found that stretching exercises are very effective in reducing knee pain.

Three rehabilitation exercises

The first move: stretching bench stretching method

Method: Lie flat on the bed with your buttocks touching the pillar. Stretch one leg straight and place it on the pillar perpendicular to the bed. Let the other leg hang naturally and stretch your hands behind your head. Hold for ten minutes and then switch to the other leg. At the beginning, the raised leg may be bent, but it will slowly straighten as you stretch.

This exercise can not only relax the muscle knot behind the popliteal fossa, but also protect the spine and improve back pain, leg pain, and sciatica. Although it is a bit hard, I recommend that you stick to it.

In addition, according to the meridian theory of traditional Chinese medicine, the energy of the internal organs flows on the surface of the body, and this circulation route is called the meridian. When doing the stretching bench stretching exercise, the bladder meridian on the back of the leg, the spleen meridian, liver meridian, and kidney meridian on the inside will be stretched, making the energy of the whole body smoother.

If there is no stretching bench, you can put a few stools close together by the door, lie flat on them, lift one foot on the door frame and let the other foot hang down.

The second trick: tap the popliteal fossa

Method: Sit on the bed, lift your knees and bend them slightly, and tap your popliteal fossa with your fists, feeling a penetrating force.

When you do this movement, you will feel your popliteal fossa relax and your knee joint become more flexible.

Tip 3: Knee massage

method:

(1) Sit with your feet hanging naturally. Open your hands like claws and clasp them around your knees. Gently shake your knees and gently massage the area around the patella for 3 to 5 minutes.

When the knee joint hurts, there is usually a very painful spot at the junction of the calf and thigh bone on the inner side of the knee. This is the location of the inner fold, which can be gently massaged.

(2) Still sitting, hold your knees with your hands without moving them, and suspend your feet in the air, shaking them back and forth and left and right. Under the action of gravity, the knee joints will be slightly stretched apart, which will have a massage effect.

Can I exercise when I have joint pain?

Cartilage is like a sponge that is full of water. Exercise can enhance the sponge function of articular cartilage. When we walk, the moment we step down, the weight of the body presses down, and the synovial fluid in the cartilage is squeezed out; when the foot is lifted up, the weight from the body disappears, and the synovial fluid is absorbed back into the cartilage tissue, forming a dynamic balance. When the synovial fluid goes in and out, nutrients enter the cartilage tissue to maintain the health of the cartilage tissue.

Appropriate exercise can improve knee arthritis, but too intense exercise and excessive compression of the joints may make the joints more painful. Therefore, patients with joint pain should exercise according to their ability. If you sit for a long time because of joint pain, you will find that your knee joints become stiff and it will be more difficult to walk in the future.

A review study analyzed the results of 48 experiments and found that patients with knee arthritis had the best rehabilitation effect when they participated in three exercise classes a week. Some studies also believe that walking and jogging are safe exercises for arthritis patients, but basketball, football, volleyball and high-intensity running may increase the burden on joints and should be minimized or avoided.

What foods should you eat to maintain your knee joints?

Natural, sticky foods usually help the production of joint fluid, such as chicken cartilage, pig ears, sea cucumbers, eels, fish skin, pork skin, okra, natto, yam, and shiitake mushrooms.

Foods such as chicken cartilage and pig ears contain chondroitin and type II collagen , which are necessary components for cartilage. Although plants such as okra and yam do not contain collagen, they also have a moisturizing effect according to traditional Chinese medicine theory and can increase the body’s body fluids.

Should I use cold or heat for knee pain?

Hot compress can help relieve chronic inflammation of the knee joint. There is a saying in Chinese medicine that “pain comes from blockage”, which means that the part with poor circulation will be painful, and hot compress can promote blood circulation and help repair the joint. Hot compress has a better effect on knee joints, especially when the knee pain is aggravated by wind or humid weather.

Patients with degenerative arthritis should not use ice packs. Although ice packs may relieve redness, swelling and pain in the short term, they will hinder blood circulation and make joint tissue and ligaments stiff.