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Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, which means people are starting to look for ways to demonstrate their love to their sweethearts. Of course, if you scorn these types of holidays, or don’t have a date, you can still use it as an excuse to enjoy something you love: a movie, a meal, a favorite activity. If you’ve had knee surgery, you should be spending this time showing your knee some love with your physical therapy.
Knee surgery is a major deal. The knee is an essential joint for your mobility—having it out of commission sharply limits your activities, and even your independence. Surgery will help correct the painful problem you’ve been living with and eliminate the pain, but after the initial healing, your joint doesn’t suddenly jump back to the full strength that you had before your procedure.
This is where physical therapy comes into play. You need stretches to prevent your joint from getting stiff and difficult to move, as well as exercises to rehabilitate and rebuild your limb strength. The first few days after surgery, you’ll minimize weight placed on the affected knee and start recovering with gentle exercises to keep the joint from stiffening. As you heal, your exercises will grow more challenging. Here are a few helpful exercises that can benefit recovering knees:
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Straight Leg Lifts – Lie on your back with your legs straight out. Slowly lift your leg about six inches off the ground and hold for ten seconds. Then lower and repeat.
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Heel Slides – Lying on your back, leave your legs flat on the ground. Slowly pull one heel as close to your hips as you can, bending that knee. Then slide your heel out again and let your leg lie flat. Repeat this ten times.
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Knee Straightening Stretch – Sitting in a chair, prop your healing leg up on a second chair so that it is straight out in front of you. Sit like this, keeping your knee extended and back straight, for ten minutes.
Recovering after knee surgery takes time, but with a little physical therapy, you can restore your joint to full strength and range of motion instead of letting it limit you. Castle Pines Physical Therapy is here to help you get back on your feet and doing what you love again. Make an appointment with us so we can assist in your successful recovery. Simply call (303) 805-5156 to reach our Castle Pines, CO, location.
Photo Credit: Ambro via FreeDigitalPhotos.net