Ways to manage knee ligament injury
The physiotherapy programme for knee injury usually takes into consideration your normal level of activity, physical fitness and extent of your injury.
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Initially, therapy is centred on decreasing pain and swelling in the affected knee joint. Afterwards, exercises are added gradually to improve the movement and strength in the affected knee and surrounding muscles (thigh muscles).
The therapy includes:
• Flexibility exercises – to enable the knee joint to bend and straighten effectively.
• Strengthening exercises – to improve strength of surrounding muscles of the knee.
• Endurance activities – to enable the individual carry out daily activities.
• Co-ordination exercise – to improve how the individual walks or moves the knee.
Is physiotherapy necessary?
Rehabilitation is essential after most knee injuries, whether or not you opt to have surgery. It will assist you recover normal movement and flexibility in your knee joint.
Rehabilitation programmes also strengthen the knee and its surrounding muscles such as the thigh muscles, leading to better knee stability.
What happens immediately after surgery?
Bearing weight on knee
Immediately after surgery, you will use crutches to walk to enable you to move around without depending too much on other people for assistance.
You are permitted to bear a little weight on the knee as you use the crutches to walk.
Bracing
You may have to use an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) brace to improve your knee stability as the brace prevents your knee from giving way during activity.
Exercises
You will begin some exercises almost immediately following surgery with the aim of regaining full movement of your knee.
The exercises are performed without placing weight on your leg.
After a few weeks, you will need to put weight on your knee, hence exercises will focus on your thigh muscles.
Subsequent to the strength increase, you may begin to walk without crutches and regain a normal walking pattern.
The intensity of the exercises is increased and balance exercises are added to your programme.
Passive knee extension exercises are performed if you find it difficult to fully straighten the knee.
As you lie on your back, place a rolled-up towel under the heel of your injured leg so the heel is about a few inches off the bed.
Relax your leg and allow gravity to slowly straighten the knee. Hold this position for one or two minutes and repeat it five times.
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You may feel slight discomfort as you perform the exercise.
Another exercise, straight leg raise exercise involves lying on your back with the legs straight out in front of you on a bed.
Bend the knee on the unaffected side and place the foot flat on the bed. Tighten the thigh muscles on the injured side and lift the leg off the bed.
Keep the knee straight and hold for 10 seconds. Slowly lower the leg back down to the bed.
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Thigh exercises
Remain seated in a comfortable chair and tighten the thigh muscles and hold for five to 10 seconds. Relax and repeat 10 to 20 times.
Stand on a flat surface or ground. Then tighten the thigh muscles and hold for five to 10 seconds.
Relax and repeat 10 to 20 times
Calf raises exercises
Hold onto a firm support or lean against a wall and slowly rise up on the toes, keeping the knees straight.
Gently lower the heels back to the ground. Relax and repeat 10 to 15 times
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Strengthening exercise
Stand with the back against a wall and slowly bend the injured knee as you raise your leg upwards to the point where comfortable. Hold for three to five seconds. Gently lower the leg as you straighten your knee.
If you are consistent with therapy, you will be able to strengthen the muscles in the front and back of the thigh that support the knee joint.
This will permit you to carry out your daily activities as your injured knee gets stronger.
• The writer is a Senior Physiotherapist at the 37 Military