Knee Pain Exercises
Knee Pain Exercises Pilates
Acute and chronic knee injuries are some of the most commonly seen injuries in orthopaedic settings. Associated causes of knee injuries can vary from acute to chronic (overuse) injuries. Knee pain exercises are widely used in rehabilitation settings, such as in Pilates.
The Pilates reformer offers a number of possibilities for strengthening the surrounding musculature that stabilises the knee joint. The exercises and can be safely and simply applied to correct muscle imbalance and muscle damage recovery interventions.
Find out now how to rehabilitate your knee.
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Common causes of knee pain include some of the following (list non-exhaustive):
Trauma to the knee
Anterior Knee Pain (Pain around the borders of your knee cap)
Osteoarthritis of the knee
Sprains and strains
Meniscus or cartilage damage
Tendonitis or Tendinopathies of the Knee
Bursitis
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
Baker’s Cysts
Anterior or Posterior Cruciate ligamentous Tears
Plica Syndrome
Rotational Malalignment of the Femur or Tibia
Chronic sports knee injuries are quite common and are generally caused by repetitive (micro) trauma and exertion.
When surgery is required, “ROM deficits are the most commonly encountered complication, postoperative rehabilitation should focus on early ROM exercises as stability and wound healing allow” (Böhm et al. 2015).
The commonest injuries in sports are musculoskeletal injuries comprising 80% of injuries in sports.1 and 2 Joint injuries, especially of the knee, make up a significant percentage of injuries in all sportsmen, both professional and recreational” (John et al. 2016). Knee Pain Exercises are used to rehabilitate sports injuries.
Knee instability can lead to lower-limb collapse due to the pain control mechanism of the quadriceps femoris under patellofemoral joint loading in an upright standing position. Pain in the knee joint can be caused by accumulated injuries, traumatic patellar dislocation, knee bone malalignment, increased compressive pressure due to obesity or load-lifting, and primary knee osteoarthritis, which can lead to secondary knee osteoarthritis and is likely to be accelerated by obesity (Jeon K, 2016).
How can Pilates exercises be included in Knee Pain Exercises?
The Pilates reformer uses spring tension making it easier to control how much force is applied to the knee. The exercises are aimed to strengthen the quadriceps, especially vastus mediallis obliqqus (VMO), the hamstrings, and adductors. These muscles contribute to the force closure of the knee. These exercises are helpful to correct muscle imbalances, which may be maintaining factors to knee pain. Pilates thus, can help the injured knee by increasing stability, which in turn should help persons with a knee injury to avoid surgery.
Muscular stability, especially that of the quadriceps, is essential for functional recovery of the knee joint. We work closely with our clients in very small group classes or personal training sessions. We are unique because we care about the person, their personal moving style and comfort.
We understand that rehabilitation program may be standardised, but patients are not. We tailor Knee pain exercises for each individual.
What Exercises do we recommend?
After you have an assessment with our in-house osteopath, the exercises will depend on the extent of your injury, the type of tissue damaged and on how complacent you are to follow your rehabilitation programme. Some exercises that we prescribe can be done at home on your own time, and we will be able to teach you the correct way of performing them.
Some exercises will have to be done on our equipment and may include: Footwork with extension straps, feet pulling straps on the long box, and core stability exercises.
Book an assessment today and find out about our bespoke knee pain exercises.
BOOK PILATES SESSIONS NOW online
or contact us on 02078541934
References:
Böhm, H., Hösl, M. & Döderlein, L., 2015. Does rotational malalignment cause knee pain? Comparison of gait between symptomatic and asymptomatic children and adolescents with rotational problems of the legs. Gait & Posture, 42, pp.S55–S56.
John, R. et al., 2016. Epidemiological profile of sports-related knee injuries in northern India: An observational study at a tertiary care centre. Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma, 7(3), pp.207–211.
Jeon K, Seo B-D, Lee S-H. Comparative study on isokinetic capacity of knee and ankle joints by functional injury. Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 2016;28(1):250-256. doi:10.1589/jpts.28.250.