Exercising with Knee Osteoarthritis (OA)

How exercise helps with Knee Osteoarthritis (OA)?

• Pain is a common symptom that occurs at different intensities depending on the individual, it is not necessarily related to severity of OA progression.
• Exercise has been proven to be an effective approach for pain management and also improves physical functioning in the short term. 
• However, exercises should be performed under the supervision of a physiotherapist initially and also performed at home by following the proper instructions provided.
• Some benefits of exercise for patients with knee OA are as follows:
  • Reduces knee pain and inflammation
  • Improves knee joint range of motion
  • Strengthens lower kinetic chain
  • Reduces risk of cardiovascular disease
  • Improves joint proprioception and balance
  • Promotes physical function 

 

Simple home exercises to help with knee OA pain (*)

1. Towel-assisted heel slides

• Use a towel & place to around your foot.
• Using your arms, slowly pull your foot to your hip to bend your knee.
• Ensure the heel is kept down during the heel slide exercise.
• Use socks or other friction-free surface to help perform this exercise.
• Pull back only until some stretch is felt, but no pain. Hold the stretch for 5 seconds.
• Repeat above exercise for 8-10 repetitions as tolerated.

2. Short arc quads

• Place a foam-roller/ towel-roll/ ball under your knee and slowly straighten your knee.
• Focus on getting a good contraction of the front thigh muscle working.
• Hold position for 5 seconds and return to start.
• Repeat above exercise for 8-10 repetitions as tolerated.

3. Glute bridge

• Lie on your back with both knees bent ~90 degrees.
• Tighten your abdominal and buttock muscles to flatten the low back arch.
• Maintaining the muscle engagement, raise your hips up fully or halfway.
• Hold position for 5 seconds and return to start.
• Repeat above exercise for 8-10 repetitions as tolerated.

4. Standing calf stretch

• Stand facing the wall and step the leg to be stretched back behind you.
• Make sure your toes are pointing straight forwards.
• Keep your back knee straight and heel on the floor.
• Lunge forwards onto your front leg until you feel a stretch in your calf muscle on the back leg.
• Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds as tolerated. Repeat above exercise for 3 repetitions.

5. Split stance hip hinge

• Stand back facing the wall, feet hip width apart and about 1 footstep away from the wall.
• Now step one foot half a footstep forward, maintain slight knees.
• Keep the back straight and bend forward from the hips (i.e. hip hinge), stopping the forward bend before your back starts rounding.
• At the bottom of the hip hinge, hold the position for 5 seconds and return to the start.
• Repeat above exercise for 8-10 repetitions as tolerated.

 

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(*) Disclaimer
Exercises described above may not be appropriate for everyone, please stop immediately if you feel any pain or discomfort during/after the exercise. The exercise information found here serves as general information only and should not be a substitute for the professional medical advice from your doctor or physiotherapist.