Top Stretches To Do With a Knee Injury
After suffering a knee injury, your doctor will want you to do some exercises to get it back in shape. But before you start any workout, you’ll need to stretch your muscles.
This is always an important step, but it’s even more essential to keep your calves, hamstrings, and hips as limber as possible on the road to recovery. If they aren’t properly stretched, then they can cause debilitating pain. Thankfully, most stretches are quite simple to do.
The Standing Hamstring Stretch
This first stretch will support everything from your ankles to your hips, which can allow your knees to take a little extra work. First, stand on your uninjured side’s foot with the injured side in front of it. Make sure that your toes are pointing upwards with the heel on the floor. Next, lean forward with your hips and bend your uninjured knee while keeping the injured leg straight. You’ll feel the stretch as you lean. Switch sides and repeat.
The Calf Stretch
This common stretch will, as the name suggests, loosen your calves and remove some of the pressure from your injured knee. First, stand in front of a wall with the uninjured leg slightly bent at the knee in front. The injured leg should be at the back standing perfectly straight. All you need to do is put your hands on the wall and push as hard as you can with the back leg planted on the ground, and you’ll feel the stretch. Switch sides and repeat as before.
The Thigh Band Stretch
This stretch will loosen up your thigh muscles, which reduces the stress put on your knee. The first step is to stand up and cross your injured leg behind the uninjured one. Lean on the uninjured side until you feel the stretch in your outer thigh, then hold for 25-30 seconds. Switch to the other leg and repeat.
Remember before starting any workout, to consult your doctor.
At Orthopaedic Specialty Group, we offer a wide variety of treatments to help our patients deal with conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, chronic pain, sports injuries, and more. Contact us today to schedule your appointment (203) 337-2600!