Introduction
Osteoarthritis, also called wear-and-tear arthritis, is a clinical condition characterized by the wearing of cartilages, which are the natural cushioning between joints. The joints rub more closely against each other, and cartilage has fewer shock-absorbing benefits. This friction leads to pain, stiffness, and swelling and decreases the ability to move. Sometimes, it may also cause the formation of bone spurs. The prevalence of arthritis is almost a million people around the world. Osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are the most common types, and both cause knee pain.
What Are the Symptoms of Knee Osteoarthritis?
The following are the symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee:
● Pain tends to increase when the person is active and gets relieved by rest.
● Warmth feeling in the joint.
● Swelling.
● Stiffness in the knee. This stiffness is experienced mostly in the morning or when the individual has been sitting for a while.
● Decreased mobility of the knee. Hence, the person finds it more difficult to move in and out of chairs or cars. Also, the usage of stairs seems to be a difficult task for them.
● Creaking, crackly sound when the knee moves.
Exercise And Osteoarthritis
Exercising an arthritic knee is not the complete treatment, but if exercises are done regularly, it can lessen or relieve the arthritis pain and associated symptoms like stiffness or swelling.
The reasons that justify performing exercise with knee arthritis are as follows:
● Exercise helps maintain the full range of motion of the joints.
● Strong muscles help the joint in absorbing shock reflexes.
● Exercise helps strengthen the muscles that support the joint.
Exercise does not have to be hard to get the benefits. A person performing low-impact exercises regularly gets more benefits as they increase the flexibility and strength of the joints thus, decrease the stress on the joint.
What Are The Exercises That Can Be Performed At Home Or Work?
The best knee exercises are the ones that can be performed at home or during a break in the office. They should be easy and effective. It should not require any special equipment. These exercises can be performed slowly and gradually, and the number of repetitions can be increased as the muscles get stronger. It is important to perform a few gentle stretching exercises after the main exercises as they help in preventing the muscles from tightening up. You should consider exercising your knees daily to rest sore muscles.
Leg Raise in Lying Position:
1. Lie flat on the back of the floor or bed. Keep your arms at your sides and your toes up.
2. The leg muscles should be tightened after keeping the leg straight. Then, you should lift your leg several inches slowly.
3. Make your stomach muscles tight so your lower back can be pushed down.
4. Stay in the same position for almost 5-10 seconds. Then bring your leg down slowly.
5. Repeat this exercise and change to the other leg.
6. You can perform one set of four for each leg.
This exercise helps to strengthen the quadriceps. Quadriceps are the large muscles on the frontal aspect of the thighs which attach to your knee joints.
Hamstring Stretch in Lying Position:
1. Bend both legs after lying down on the floor or bed.
2. Slowly lift one leg in the bent position and bring the knee back towards the chest.
3. Join hands behind the thigh and straighten your leg.
4. Pull the straight leg back towards the head until the stretch is felt.
5. Stay in this position for 30 to 60 seconds.
6. Now, bend your knee slowly and lower the leg back to the floor.
7. You can perform this exercise one time on each leg.
This exercise helps in stretching and strengthening your hamstrings. These muscles on the backside of the thighs get attached to the knees.
Half-Squat Position:
1. Keep your feet and shoulders apart and stretch your arms out in front of you.
2. Slowly bend your knees until you reach a half-sitting position. You can take the help of a chair to balance yourself if required.
3. Lift your chest and keep the back straight. You should not lean forward.
4. Hold this position for 5 seconds by keeping your feet flat on the floor.
5. Now, slowly stand back up. There should be no pain while performing this exercise.
6. You can perform it as ten repetitions and slowly increase the work to three sets of 10.
This exercise increases the strength of the muscles on the fronts and backs of the thighs, including the gluteus.
One-leg Dip Exercise:
1. Try standing between two chairs.
2. Lift one leg about 12 inches. Hold it out in front of you.
3. Keep your back straight, bend the other leg slowly, and lower your body a few inches. Imagine if you are about to sit in a chair.
4. Hold this position for 5 seconds and straighten your back.
5. Repeat this exercise by switching legs.
6. You can start performing this exercise with one set of four-leg dips for both legs and then slowly increase to three sets.
This exercise helps strengthen the muscles on the fronts and backs of the thighs, including the buttocks.
Leg Stretch Exercise:
1. Sit on the floor and keep both your legs out straight. Keep your back straight and stabilize yourself with your hands on either side of the hips.
2. Now, slowly bend one knee until you feel the stretch, but make sure it is not painful.
3. Hold your leg in the same position for 5 seconds.
4. Now, slowly straighten the leg out as far as you can and hold this position for 5 seconds.
5. You can repeat this exercise ten times and switch legs in between.
This exercise helps strengthen the quadriceps.
Apart from these stretches, some other exercises may prove to be beneficial. The first one is walking. This exercise helps strengthen the muscles and build bone. You should wear good, sturdy shoes while walking. Another one is water exercises or walking in the shallow end of a pool. These exercises also help strengthen the muscle and increase the knee's flexibility.
Conclusion
Stretching exercises are beneficial for lessening and relieving the knee pain associated with knee osteoarthritis. You should talk to your physician before trying these exercises, as they will guide you on the proper method of performing the exercise. You can talk to a specialist online using online medical platforms to know more about this condition and related exercises.
